Radcliffe Will Reduce Board Rates This Year

Radcliffe will reduce its board charge for the first time in over ten years, President Jordan announced yesterday.

The three percent decrease, from $535 to $520 per year, will go into effect next September. This represents a weekly reduction from $15.74 to $15.24.

The 50 cent reduction brings the Radcliffe weekly food prices closer to Harvard's current rate $14 a week. Because the Annex does not operate on a cafeteria system, 'Cliffe board rates have always been higher than the College's.

Jordan said that food prices have remained stable for a long period and that he expects them to decrease in the next 15 months. He also noted that there will probably be a slight surplus from dormitory operations this year.

The decrease in the board rate will lower Radcliffe's income by $11,272.

"I am especially happy to announce this reduction," Jordan said, "because in the last ten years all the other changes in the cost of education have been upwards," last ten years all the other changes in the cost of education have been upwards."

The last change in the board rate was a seven percent increase in 1952 when the prices were raised from $500 to $525 per year.

The total revenues involved in the operation of the Radcliffe dorms is $700,000 per year. "While we do not worry about breaking even in a single year," Jordan said, "we have to break even over a period of years, as we have done in the past."

The College reserves the right to lower or raise the board rate on 30 days notice, but this has never been done. Changes have always been made for an entire fiscal year.

Harvard has already announced plans to raise all room rents at least five percent next fall. In addition, there will be a sharp curtailment in the University's maid service.