EDITORIAL: "Brother, Can You Spare $944?"

It continues a decade-old trend of annually decreasing the rate of tuition increase. It is the lowest percentage change -- 5.9 percent -- since 1974. It's almost a full percentage point lower than last year. It means a loss of state funding did not translate directly into student subsidizing the University. But it still means students will be paying an extra $944 to attend the University next year. Behind the statistics, that's the bottom line. Divide that $944 by the amount you will be paid on a summer job. How long would it take to make up the difference? After taxes at $10 an hour, the better part of a month of 40-hour work weeks. At $5 an hour, a month and a half. In an unpaid internship, forever and a day. Of course, parents, loans and scholarships will foot most of the bill on this one. And as tuition and fees continue to increase faster than the rate of inflation, more parents' incomes will be unable to keep up and more pressure will be put on already stressed financial aid programs. Will parents give up? Will financial aid make up the difference? Will need blind admissions survive? Faculty salaries will increase a somewhat miraculous 4.4 percent next year. It's a good thing their childern don't pay full tuition, or they'd be falling behind too. It's not that we're not grateful. But the question is, how much straw will it take to break this camel's back? We're now 5.9 percent and $944 closer to finding out.

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