Blame Government

WHENEVER a university raises its tuitior, it sets off a furor among students who violently oppose paying even more than what they already consider an exorbitant cost. Such furor is increased when the institution is Harvard and when the hike in tuition reflects a continuing trend of cost increases outpacing inflation.

It is natural to blame Harvard, the $4.8 billion monolithic giant, for unfairly squeezing its students, and worse, for creating an example for other universities nationwide to increase their tuition. Given the nature of the institution, however, it is unfair to blame Harvard for the increasing costs of higher education.

The cost of educating a student at Harvard is only partially offset by the tuition it receives, even from those students who do not qualify for financial aid. In fact, student tuition and fees constituted less than 33 percent of the revenue Harvard received in 1988. The remaining 66 percent came from interest earned on the endowment (17.2%), private gifts (19.7%) and government and institutional grants (30.9%). As income from these sources has decreased as a percentage of total revenue over the past few years, Harvard has had to look to other places to pick up the slack. Moreover, the University's expenses have increased more than 180 percent, $558 million, since 1978. The inevitable, however unfortunate, result is that students must bear more of the burden.

It is irresponsible to suggest that income from other sources be diverted to cover student expenses, since total income now exceeds total expenditures by only $500,000. Nor is it reasonable to suggest that Harvard cut expenditures--it is the enormous scope and quality of the University's resources that attracts scholars and grants worldwide and confers the special status on the institution and the degrees it grants.

The real significance of this tutition increase, and the trend it continues, is that it shows the lack of commitment the U.S. government has towards higher education. We as students, and as members of the electorate, should not blame Harvard for upholding its standards, but should call on the "Education President" to increase funding for the fulfillment of one of our nation's most important duties.