Total Rent From House Plan Amounts to Over Half-Million Yearly---Hindmarsh Would Increase Loan Find

The recent meeting of the Board of Overseers, at which the cost of going to Harvard College was discussed in the light of the approaching fulfillment of the House Plan, together with rumors and stories concerning the paradoxical situation of the new houses--oversubscribed, but still unfilled--have brought the financial aspect of going to Harvard College into the fore-ground as never before. Another contribution to the discussion is added in this week's issue of the Alumni Bulletin in which Assistant Dean A. E. Hindmarsh has an article entitled, "The Cost of Going to Harvard College."

Dean Hindmarsh is assistant dean in charge of scholarships and takes up the problem of financial aid offered to the student by the University. His key statement is selected by the Alumni Bulletin in a brief editorial paragraph as being, "it may be said that no student possessed of normal physique and proved intellectual promise need be compelled because of financial reasons to withdraw from Harvard College."

The problem of the increased cost of going to college has become inextricably bound up with the distribution of scholarships and other aid. Most of the complaints on the present increased cost have come because of the high price of the rooms in the houses. Figures released on the average cost of living in rooms under the House Plan show that the approximate average increase is roughly $45. In 1929-30 the average cost for a dormitory room, excluding the Freshman Halls, was $255.17. In 1931-32 the estimated average cost for a room in the House Plan is a few cents less than $300. Simultaneously the cost of living in the Freshman Halls has gone down. In 1929-30 the average cost of a room in one of the Freshman Halls was $241.40. Next year the average cost for a Freshman living in the yard will be $224. This figure becomes even a little lower when the new Wigglesworth Halls are omitted, the average then being $216.96.

Figures on the total rent accumulated for the men living in the House Plan were not given out. From the listings as given in the seven pamphlets sent out to undergraduates the total rent received has been computed as amounting to $525,010, a year, (Complete figures of each house are given in a table elsewhere in the story.) The total rent that had to be raised to cover the House Plan was estimated by the University. Each house was teen assigned to raise its quota of the amount and prices were put on the various rooms. Although the figures that each house must raise could not be altered, each House Master had the right to lower and raise the price of some individual rooms. Some of the new House Masters made adjustments while in Dunster and Lowell changes were made which go into effect only if the rooms is taken by a new occupant.

Costs of Insurance High

The University maintains that it can not run the House Plan on less than it will receive next year from the rentals. The rents pay the upkeep of the buildings, depreciation, all furnishings, hired help, and indirectly cover the costs of the tutors rooms. The tutor must himself pay for the maid service. The libraries are in most cases gifts from individuals or the University while the dining halls are supposed to be self-supporting. Another large Item which the rent covers is a kind of insurance covering from 1-2 to 3-4 of one percent on the investment which the University is setting aside to cover possible failure to fill all the rooms. Since the University considers all its dormitories as one unit financially this sum will also have to cover possible loss of money in such dormitories as Claverly, Dudley, Apley, Shephard, and Little. The total sum thus set aside from House rents amounts to approximately $70,000.

Extensive studies of the housing problems at other universities were made by the Harvard authorities before finally fixing the prices. At Yale no room costs more than $350, while the bulk of the rooms cost between $240 and $280. In the House Plan official listings make the highest amount any individual can pay as $620 although in the shifting of prices some of the individual amounts went up to as high as $660. At Yale, however, the tuition is $50 more and only a limited number of rooms in Harkness quadrangle have private baths. None in the old quad have private baths. At Princeton no rooms run as high as at Harvard but they have no private baths and are not furnished at all. At Princeton the tuition is also $50 higher than at Harvard.

In the House Plan, Harvard accommodates 1765 upperclassmen as against 1170 formerly taken care of in the old dormitories. The Yard halls will house 746 Freshmen next year.

Scholarships Also Increase

In his article in the Alumni Bulletin Mr. Hindmarsh shows how the cost of going to college has risen in the last thirty years and how the amount of money given out In scholarships and other aids has also gone up. He makes no mention of the fact that extra money has been received this year to take care of scholarship men in the houses. There are approximately 220 upperclassmen who will live in the House Plan who are scholarship holders. An extra sum of money which will take care of the average increase in room rent has been received and this will be used to increase the stipends of these men.

Mr. Hindmarsh makes a special plea that the money in the loan fund be increased rather than more money for outright scholarships be secured. Excerpts from his article follow:

"It may be that there was once a time when an aspiring youth could actually go to college on "nothing per year". The phrase has its advantages as a source of encouragement, but there has always been a money cost of going to college. The House Plan has made current the question of what its costs to go to Harvard. For the twenty-years-out graduate who is about to send his son to Harvard the glories of the new Harvard fade a little when he is faced with the facts of increasing costs. By some process of reasoning, the House Plan is regarded as a chief factor in the bringing about of advanced costs. Naturally, the question is asked, "What is the College doing to lessen these costs? What of scholarships, aids, loans, and prized to offset higher costs?" From another angle the self-supporting or partly self-supporting student asks. "What can I do to help myself?"

Increase in All Financial Costs

"The financial costs of a college education have been steadily increasing over several decades. Fundamentally, it costs more to go to college now than it did in 1900 for the same reason that the $12 suit of clothes of that day now costs $50 and the same insinuations are being cast on the material purchased. Doubt less, the inauguration of the seven House units comes to many as a tangible explanation of advancing costs. It is by no means fair, however, to burden the House Plan with this responsibility....

"It may well be accepted that individual costs have somewhat more than doubled during the past generation. This fact is a part of an economic development over which, fortunately or unfortunately, the administration has no control and which is not the outcome of any policy. It must, therefore, be regarded as a fact and any inconveniences or discouragements must be met by offsetting student aids. At present, the deserving student, deserving, that is, scholastically and financially, is encouraged by the use of scholarships, beneficiary aid funds, and loan funds. A glance at the summary of these funds, as printed on this page, will show the rate of advance during the period mentioned.

Scholarships Augmented

"It will be seen that, even allowing for increase in total enrollment figures, financial aids have gone ahead proportionally with student costs. If to the present total there are added certain competitive prize awards and new scholarships recently made available, the annual total reaches about $250,000. With few exceptions the whole is thrown open to the competition of all meritorious undergraduates. This sum represents the income from invested principle amounting to about $5,000,000. The undergraduate body at Harvard is doubtless more heavily endowed with scholarships and financial aids (not loans) than that of any other large college in the world.

"The relatively large amount of funds available, together with the present methods of administration, explain the confidence with which if may be said that no student, possessed of normal physique and proved intellectual promise, over need be compelled because of financial causes to withdraw from Harvard College. The physique is necessary to enable him to help himself to a reasonable extent; the intellectual promise must be proved in order to justify financial aid from others.

No Right to Education Without Cost

"Whether or not this sum is sufficient to meet the needs of the worthy candidates is difficult to determine. It is obvious that no student has a right to expect an education without cost and without effort directed towards his own support if he lacks other means. On the other hand, it would be discouraging if potential scholars were stifled because of insufficient cooperation and inducement. Just what standards to set up in order to determine the relative merit of candidates for financial aid has been the subject of differing views. Careful study, however, covering the history of students in college and their success in after life, contributes to the feeling that the present bases of determination and distribution are fundamentally correct...

"Financial need can be determined only by a considerate examination of the information supplied by the candidate or by persons from whom information is sought. Mere income figures are not final. Circumstances of a particular nature must be carefully weighed. Distance from home, either or both parents deceased, size of family, brothers or sisters in college or school, amount of candidate's own effort to help himself these and many other considerations enter as determinants of real need. Scholarship awards vary in amount from $175 to $975. The greater the financial need combined with distinction record the greater the chances a boy has of receiving a larger award.

Charity to be Avoided

"In maintaining too rigid an emphasis on financial need there is the danger of giving a color of charity to the award. For this reason there are a few scholarships awarded entirely on a prize basis regardless of need, although here the stipend is variable according to the recipient's financial condition. They are usually small in amount, however, and in no way endanger the opportunities of needy students. Outstanding achievements in studies is recognized also by the award of non-stipendiary or honorary scholarships to all students in the upper portion of the Dean's List who are not in need of financial aid.

"A large number of the awards cover tuition costs at least. Ordinarily, a student who has a scholarship is given preference when it is re-awarded at the end of the year; if his circumstances have changed, the award may also change. The distribution of awards by amount is variable owing to the presence of large unrestricted funds, but the following table shows a normal distribution:

No. of scholarships $900 or above  2No. of scholarships 800 or above  3No. of scholarships 700 or above  7No. of scholarships 600 or above  16No. of scholarships 500 or above  73No. of scholarships 400 or above  140No. of scholarships 300 or above  128No. of scholarships 200 or above  100No. of scholarships 100 or above