Tuition Raised 15 Percent At Six Graduate Schools

Citing the effects of inflation and protected case in federal student aid. University officials this week announced tuition increases of about 15 percent at six of Harvard's ten graduate schools.

The largest jump will be at the Business School, where annual fees will rise nearly 16 percent from $6900 to $8000 the smallest, at the Divinity School, where next year's figure of $5310 in 13 percent over this year's $4700.

The tuition hikes--all of which were approved at the Corporation's Tuesday meeting--are part of a trend of sharply rising student costs at private universities around the country. Other graduate schools in the Ivy League have already not or predicted tuition increases similar to those at Harvard.

Cutbacks Blamed

Harvard graduate school officials blamed the tuition increases partly on proposed federal cutbacks and said that the Reagan Administration's plan to scrap Guaranteed Student Loans (GSLs) for graduate students would contribute to future tuition increases. Presently, GSLs help support about 650,000 graduate students nationwide and 5400 at Harvard.

Get to Move

At the School of Public Health, which this year has received 60 percent of its income from the federal government, cutbacks in research grants have helped cause a 14-percent tuition rise to $7350, said Howard J. Levy, an associate dean.

Graduate schools' income comes from several sources government funds for research, private donations, a share of the interest earned by the University's endowment and student charges. Student fees, which last year contributed about 30 percent of the University's revenue overall, represent the only highly flexible source of income.

Taking Steps

Factors other than federal cutbacks also contributed to increases at the graduate schools. The Medical School's 15-percent tuition hike to $10,250 is mainly the result of inflation, said Daniel D. Federman, dean for students and alumni.

Noting that education costs increase faster than general inflation, Federman said that endowment income, which accounts for a large proportion of the school's receipts, "inevitably falls behind the costs is supports."

Small Size

Dorothy M. Lewis, assistant to the dean of the Divinity School, said that her school's small size is probably a financial liability because it lacks "wealthy alumni to fall back on."

The Kennedy School of Government's tuition will jump 14 percent to $7900, and fees of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) will rise 15 percent to $8195 officials said.

Student Aid Preserved

Despite the possibility of federal cutbacks in the graduate GSLs Edward L. Keenan '57 dean of the GSAS said yesterday that the school will continue its policy of guaranteeing all admitted students as much aid as they need.

Figures for the Graduate School of Design and the Dental and Education Schools were not available yesterday. The Law School does not announce next year's rates until March.