I was never confused at all. Let's face it, as viewers we knew Buffy wasn't going away to college, either, because the whole cast certainly wasn't going to follow, were they? Same here. In my opinion, the reason they introduced Hearst in the first place was to get us prepared for the fact that Veronica wouldn't get to go elsewhere.

I don't have a problem with fanwank, but I do think it shouldn't be necessary to use it for important plot points, like telling us what school Veronica attends.

I don't think it's a fanwank at all. The consequences of her missing that exam, and thus being eligible for the scholarship, were clear. Veronica understands (and told us, in voice-over) that Keith bought her a car out of guilt, but a car on payments is not the same thing as tuition to a big, expensive university.

I also don't think it's that important, in the scheme of things, where Veronica goes to school, because that's not the point of the show. And again, as viewers, I think the idea that she would somehow stay in/near Neptune was there along.

I thought Veronica was already promised a scholarship at Hearst, right?

That was the implication from her encounter with the Hearst lady in OAV, yeah. She was practically guaranteed admission, at the very least.

Nothing to add because I agree that they'd planted the seeds of Hearst well, other than that the admission lady in OAV was played by Michael Williams of The Wire, who is well and truly deserving of more screen time on VM.

The admission lady was played by Michael Williams?

I'm not familiar with Michael Williams, but "Michael" actually isn't too uncommon as a feminine name, e.g. Michael Michele.

Michael Williams is decidedly unfeminine.

Michael Hyatt, however, is not.

Don't forget Michael Learned.

In the Bible, King David has a wife named Michal, too.

Michael Williams is decidedly unfeminine.

I see. Very much so.

In the Bible, King David has a wife named Michal, too.

My sister had a classmate named Michal. (Pronounced mee-CHAL, gutteral ch.) She was Israeli. There was at least one time that the class had a substitute who marked her as absent because the sub refused to believe that the name "Michal" went with a girl. (My class had a similar problem with a boy named Kelly.)