Room Rents Hiked 15%; Single Price Established

Room rents in all House suites will rise about 15 per cent next fall, while all freshman rooms will have a uniform rent scale, Dean Monro announced yesterday.

Monro cited "inflation" as the cause of the boost. Additional costs of services and materials, plus the deconversion of some rooms into offices for non-resident tutors, made the increase necessary.

The average rent for freshman suites will also rise, from about $195 to the new single rent of $215 per term. No price distinction will be made between newer rooms in the Prescott St. dormitories and the older Yard buildings, a major policy change from the previous system of 27 different rents.

Increased scholarship stipends will be "considered" for both new freshmen and for upperclassmen in the Houses. However, it has not been definitely decided whether scholarship increases will take up the full burden of the rent hike.

No "Gold Coast"

There will be "no Gold Coast" in the Yard, Frank H. White '55, assistant Dean of Freshmen, noted, due to the single rent scale. "We will have greatly increased flexibility in assigning rooms, since we will not have to try and fit financial need and suite price."

The Yard will be used more as a "test case" next Fall than as the forerunner of a complete change of College policy. Monro asserted that the College is not irrevocably committed to the single rent scale, and the multi-scale system used in the Houses may well continue in the future.

"A single-rent proposal for the Yard alone is a good solution to an interesting suggestion," Monro said. "There will be some problems, but the opportunities for benefit far outweigh any problems that might arise."