Why Raise Tuition?

WASHINGTON--A consultant hired by George Washington University recently recommended that it raise its tuition--not to increase revenue but to bolster its image.

"Raising tuition, especially above the highest undergraduate level charged in this area, tied secondarily to a major announcement of a program to improve quality at this growing world university, would soon bring pride to the entire university community," the consultant's report said.

Howard E. Holcomb, a former official of the Association of American Colleges and the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, made the study, which the university's president, Lloyd H. Elliott, requested.

So far there has been no official university action on the report. The Chronicle of Higher Education reported this week.