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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (July 30, 1968)
Tuesday, July 30, 1968 Summer Nebraskan Poge 3 Spiraling Costs May Curtail Future College Students By Larry Lough NU School of Journalism In the decades to come the barb of spiraling college costs may puncture one of America's long cherished dreams. That dream: that the qualified youth of the ration can attain a college educa tion. And many potential University of Nebraska col lege entrants from the next generation may find their college dreams punctured by the hard reality of higher education's high cost in their home state According to NU estimates, the Nebraska resident student 20 years ago paid about $800 to cover college cnarges ana costs of living at school. To day the university estimates $1,633 is needed for the cur rent school year. If present college cost trends continue at the university, the NU resident student 20 years hence may require $3,333 and possibly a good deal more to defray expenses for 1987-88 nine-month school year. Like their counterparts across the nation, Nebraska parents may be shocked when they discover that $5,000 en dowment policy to cover junior's total college educa tion may possibly cover ex penses for only his freshman year. Books, articles and reports are beginning to tell how spiraling college costs may turn away qualified college aspirants who will lack the necessary finances. Dr. Benjamin Fine, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author; on education and former education editor for the New York Times, gives implicit evidence to the college cost squeeze. Writing in his 1966-67; edition of "How to be Ac cepted by the College of Your Choice," Dr. Fine states, "Both the cost of college education and the cost of col lege living have risen along with (but in excess of) other living costs each year for the past twenty-five years." He adds, "Moreover, there is no reason to believe that tyns trend won't continue. Concern Expressed In a report published this summer, two University of Wisconsin educators have expressed concern over the rising costs of higher learn ing. The two Wisconsin pro fessors, William H. Young and Robert Taylor, state in their report, "the American dream of a century ago that the qualified sons and daughters of the nations farmers and laborers would have an opportunity for higher education is in jeopardy. The Young-Taylor report Tainted out. "public institu tions increased their per stu dent income from fees and tuitions 49 per cent in the 1953-64 decade, but were obliged to hold their educa tional expenditures per stu dent to a 17 per cent rise." The report added, ". . . . public institution tuitions are rising faster than family in comes, and may thus be pricing a growing number of qualified high school graduates out of an opportunity for higher education." An article appearing in the September, 1967 edition of Reader's Digest entitled "Can Our Colleges Close the Dollar Gap" said that officials at Harvard University estimated at the present rate of in crease Harvard's tuition, now $2,000. will reach $5,000 by 1978." Research Cited A University of Nebraska professor has received the Antarctic Service Medal from the U.S. Secretary of Defense for his work on that continent. Dr. Samuel Treves, chair man of geology, received the medal, one of a few in the na tion which can be awarded to civilians, upon the recommen dation to Congress by the Na tional Science Foundation U. S. Antarctic Research Program. WONDERING WHAT TO DO FOR RECREATION THIS SUMMER? Come to QUE BALL Pocket Billiard and Sneaker 1322 Though as Dr. Benjamine Fine pointed out college costs have increased faster than family incomes over the past 25 years University o f Nebraska resident students may be financially more fortunate as a whole than their counterparts on a na tional basis. Unlike many private college and public universities where costs to the student have more than doubled (and is some cases tripled) during the last 20 years total college costs to the NU student have closely paralleled the cost of living index which has roughly doubled during the same period. According to the university's estimates 2 0 year's ago a resident student could have expected to pay $800 for the 1947-48 school year. Today's NU student re quiries $1633 to cover tuition and fees and costs of living at school according to the UN General Infor mation Bulletin's guide for basic ex penses. . this represents a 204 per cent increase during the last 20 years to pay tution. Should costs of attending the university increase anoth 294 per cent in the next 20 years from the present estimate of $1633 the University of Nebraska resi dent student can expect to pay $3333 for the nine-month 1987-88 school year. Tuition Increases However costs to the stu dent have the greatest in creases in the last five years. During the last five years the university has increased tui tion and fees from $264 to the present charge of $433; estimates for room and board have been raised from $600 to $800; estimates from books and supplies have jumped from $70 to $100; while m iscellaneous expenditures have remained at $300. Does this 32 per cent in crease (from $1234 in 1962-63 to the present $1633; during the last five years represent an accelerated trend in col lege costs to the NU student? Apparently not NU administrative officials prefer to think that college costs will roughly double at the University of Nebraska in the next 20 years. However should costs to the NU student raise in 32 per cent increments every five years of the next 20 the NU college costs to the student con ceivably could triple to about $5000 by 1987. Although University o f Nebraska administrative of ficials have made no projec tions as1 to the cost-to-student college expenses for future years ther is general agree ment that the costs will dou ble in the next score of years. Glenn W. Smith NU Acting Comptroller surmised, chances are ... it s a reasonable estimate" that college costs to the student 20 years hence will increase from the present $1633 to $3333. Smith added "I can't see anything in higher education that will change materially but it will change in cost substantially." John E. Aronson Director of Admissions estimated that total costs to the NU student 20 years from now "in terms of today's dollar value . . . will double." According to Harry Allen NU Director of Institutional Research tutition at the university currently $433) "might be $1000 a year" by 1987. A Week's Rest The staff of the Summer Nebraskan will take a week's rest before putting out the final issue for the session, Aug. 13. Any copy submitted for pub lication from students or fac ulty should be sent to 319 Ne braska HaH by Aug. 8. RAINBOW TRAILER COURT Spaces Available Halfwoy between Ag and City campuses 1B01 Adorn 4B5J4T) Special Summer Kites 45c jer br St. Should costs to the student double by the end of the next 20 years Merk Hobson NU Dean of Faculties estimated that $3300 a year "would be a pretty, good ball park figure." . 400 Increase how nave college costs in creased for resident student attending the University of Nebraska in the last 20 years' Accroding t o university estimates, the NU resident student 20 years ago would have paid $107 for tuition and fees compared to today's $433 blanket charge for tuition and fees an increase of just over 400 per cent. Costs of room and board are uo $250 from $550 to the 1967-68 estimate of $800. Books and supplies have quadrupled the last 20 years from the 1947-43 estimate of $25 to the current $100. Estimates for miscellaneous expenses have increased from $118 to $300 for the 1967-68 school year. How does the university's current $1,644 guide for basic expenses compare with what students estimate they are spending? In a survey of 27 NU students at the start of the lumiiiiMMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiHiiiiiiimiHim S I " 4M 00'' " ' ' " jj I J..... mi i n mm n i iiiiimm in in iiinMim ml n' i it uliimnTr iil "mi in' 'i i "l 'i iiih mini iimai miammm Lincoln Hosts AAV Meet Once again Lincoln is the site of the National Amateur Athletic Union f Men's and Women's Long Course Swimming and Diving Championships. The event, to be televized in part by the American Broadcasting Sys- tem, will be held at Wood's Memorial Park Pool at 33 and J Sts. in Lincoln, July 31 to Aug. 4. I SCHEDULE OF EVENTS I DIVING WednesAay. My n Womeo'i 1M fcprlnjf board Men's 2M bliringboar Ttaaraday. Aarust 1 Kuuwd'i Springboard Men' 1M Springboard SatarSe;. Auras 1 E Ha i Platform Cauda;, Aaanat 4 Women Platform THTRrtllAI'. Al'Gl'ST t Prelum: 11:110 A.M. Finals: CrOO P.M. Woman' lniM Butterfly Men'. imm Butterfly Women' KIM Freestyle Moi'i 4O0M Freeatyle Wumento 10M BreastKlroke Men'a inoM BreaKtstroke Women' 2IMIM Backstroke Men 2U0M Backstroke fcATT'BBAV, Al'Gl'ttT J prelim: t-.m A.M. Finals: 4 00 F.M. Women' jnflM Butterfly Men' 2''M Butterfly Women' DKiU Breaautroke Men' 2unM Breaatatroke Women' VMM Backstroke Men' 10IIM Backstroke Women' mm Free Belay Men' WHIM Free Heiay jllllUUIIWIIIIIIIIIIIUMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIM current school year, the university's guide for basic expenses may appear slightly conservative. The students were asked to estimate their total college costs for the current school year. The average of their estimates was $1,752 or $119 above ttie university's estimate. Their estimates included a low of $900. with one student reporting a high of $3,000. The most commonly reported figure was $1,800. In the same survey, the students were asked t o estimate the price tag for their four year undergraduate leve . education. Average of their estimates was $7,491 with a high of $15,000 and a low of $3,750. One coed commented in the survey that $1,633 "was not quite enough" adding that "I must watch my pennies pretty closely." Another stu dent reported, "it can be done for $1,633, but it will miis many things that Lincoln has to offer." Harry Allen, Director of Institutional Research for rhe university, commented that the school's $1,633 estimate for resident students was "a Prelim, iu iki A.M. 1 (HI P.M. 9.30 A!. 12.3(1 P.M. 12:30 P.M. SWIMMING I KI1HV, AliGt ST t Prelinu: t ao A.M. Finale: 5 30 P.M. Women' 2(KlM Freestyle Men's IWKiM Freeatyle Women' 4IHIM liidiv. Med. Men s 4UiM lndiv. Med. Women' 4IHIM Free Belay Moil's 4(KlM Free Relay M'NDAY, ADM KT 4 Prelims: Or 00 A.M. Finals: C:M P.M. Women' Men's Wonmu' Men's Women' Men's Women Men's $525 set 7 .f-j-sn mm mt m m at Splendidly yours in florenlined 1SK white ScrvuiS very tight figure." lie added, "I'm certain a kid living on that budget won't be spending a lot of time at the local beer joint." Apparently the University of Nebraska ' is somewhat cheaper than other public supported universities around the notion. In "How to be Accepted by the College of Your Choice," Dr. Benjamin Fine states that a student at tending a public university should expect to pay "about $2,000 a year ... for tuition, room and board, travel and incidental expenses." Harry Allen, asked if he thought a $2,000 estimate was more reasonable for the NU resident student, replied, "it's a high estimate .... I expect a student with that budget would be dating a lot, have a car." There are indications that certain plans are in the offing to lighten the increasing costs of college education. Outside of expanding and adding to the current scholarhip pro gram, two supplementary programs are most frequently mentioned by NU educators to defray college expenses in the future. Flaak 3 l P.M. 4:15 fJt S s-15 ryi. E 4:1S P.M. 12:J0P.U J 36 PJL :30 P.M. MdM Freestyle IIMIM Freestyle 2IKIM lndiv. Med. 2IKIM 1SIHIM 1SIHIM 41lM 400M lndiv. Med. Freestyle Freestyle Medley Belay Medley Belay or yellow Gold Lincoln Sinai 1905 112! "C STEH ESTIRED JEWsLBS AMERICAN fXW SOOW Tuition Free' une (in o ugh mis-iD'v i remote) program is ha' I many of the nation's public s upportea institutions, in cluding Nebraska. m a v eventually open their classrooms to r e s i de n t students on a tuition-free basis. However, some educators opine that tuition free schooling is a guise of further shifting the costs of college education to the stu dent indirectly as a taxpayer. If and when college doors are opened tuition-free, it will not be with a fight. Allen pointed out, "the battle is now getting hot and heavy as to what portion (College cost) is paid by the student and what portion by the taxpayer. ' Allen added that probably "there will be a greater por tion paid by the student." A second oft-mentioned possibility of lightening the student's college costs is the establishment of a federallv- funded educational bank. Under this plan, a student could borrow up to $15,000. Following graduation t h e student would be required through personal income tax to pay back into the bank one per cent of his gross annual income for a period of 30 consecutive years. However, some educators attack this program on the grounds that it places the student under the burden on a long-term debt. In an article by Time magazine, "Ford Founda tion's Marshall Robinson frets about the threat of a "reverse dowry,' when, for instance, a graduate of Vassar presents a lifetime tax bill to her hus band." Acting Comptroller Glenn Smith noted that some educators, who "are a distinct minority," believe that higher education can be compared to a mass production cor poration. As the quantity of production (Graduates) in creases, the cost per product (Students) decreases. Smith pointed out that these educators, for example, believe that as the number of University of Nebraska graduates increases each year through undergraduate enrollment, the costs of educating the students will decline proportionately. Why An Increase Why have university charges to the student in creased? come see the GREAT attend either the ! University of Nebraska of lk,!als in jewrai 'in the in- ui'oisud costs to the student on the rise in tlio cos'. of 'Vp which affects all segments of the American economy. Specifically, the single out the increase professional pav checks as the main cause for increasing charges to student. A September Reader's Digest article states, "in 1950. the national average for all college-level teachers was $5,310; today it is $10,354." NU Dean of Faculties, Merk Hobson, pinned part of the university's increased charges to the student on the cost of buying and main taining the larger quantity and better instructional "hardware." As Hobson put "cost of the kind of equipment and knowledge needed which have skyrocketed." Glenn Smith indicated that, although costs of expanding library facilities and classrooms are large lyj financed through tax funds, parts of the student's tuition is indirectly allocated to fund protions of these costs. Any financial forecast for Technical Problems Bug NU Performers Continued from Page 1 Each actor noted episode or circumstance which has af fected him or his play: Miss Nohr's sleeping habits have changed because of the play. She said that, after each performance, it takes a few hours to 'come down from the clouds" in order to sleep. She doesn't get to bed until at least three in the morning, and rarely gets seven hours of sleep. Lacey said that he gets squeemish each time he has to point at gun at two characters in "The Hostage." He also aims the firearm at the audience "I usually aim between the two people on stage," he said. "I know the gun isn't loaded, but I still know it's real, not a prop. Gaines is the father of four children and he has found that the summer has estranged himself from hi family. " When I was in school, my family was part of my CLASSICS Gold's and Ingenue's fall fashion revue starring: -fc our high school aHvisory boarH and jC our college advisory board evening performance at 7:30 p.o. Thursday, August 1 or the matinee showing at 2:30 p.m. Friday, August 2 on stage in our fifth floor auditorium OL tomorrow's NU resident stu dent necessarily involves u lot of 'maybe's." As Harry Allen put it, "there are too many imponderables." There are, however, ample indications that the NU student two decadee from now will need at least $3,33:1 for the 19fl7-fi8 school year, if the present 20 year NU college cost spiral continues. And maybe if the college cost trend, Nebraska the last five vea ; established itself. $5,000 " I just about cover a iaMv. Nebraskan's freshmar year at the university, by 1987. At any rate, there are no "maybe's" about that barb of high cost) it's a reality now and a growing one. Maybe future students, like many with frugal fiances today, will somehow manage to struggle through. Or maybe as the barb grows a little sharper, a little longer with each year the growing number of col lege aspirants who were turned away for lack of an adequate bankroll will give hard testimony that one of America's dreams has indeed been punctured. academic life," he said. "But now it seems I don't know them. This, of course, will change after the last play." Cast members also noted some technical problems that arose during performances, mysteriously dimmed during a number of performances, suggesting that some unknown force has taken over the light control panel in Howell Theatre. The steps built for the sets are only six inches wide, which has resulted in many clumsey entrances of some characters. And members of "The Hostage" cast have a distinct hatred for warm root beer, used in one of the bawdy bar room scenes. After the season is terminated, the actors agree that it will take some time reaclimating themselves to their old jobs. "Well just have to be able to get back into our old ruts," Miss Nohr said. r .4 i I i ' m. i