Yet Another Cool Grand

Each year undergraduates and their families have to dig deeper to meet rising college costs. With this year's increase of more than $1030 some shovels will hit rock bottom. But admissions and financial aid officials are confident most students believe a Harvard education is worth the strain on their wallets.

William R. Fitzsimmons '67, director of admissions, said yesterday he believes the rise from $8140 to $9170 total costs will not deter prospective members of the Class of '84 from accepting their offers of admission. His office will accept no more applicants than previously planned, he added.

"We would expect to see relatively the same pattern as in past years," he said, adding, "The people who are looking at schools like Harvard will be looking at schools with similar prices and we intend to be competitive with them."

But since the Faculty budget has not escaped the claws of inflations, Martha C. Lyman, director of financial aids, said this week she believes her office will not receive as much money for direct scholarship grants as it asked for.

That could mean beefed-up self-help packages (work-study and loans) and proportionally smaller scholarship grants. Upperclassmen who are now on financial aid will also be hit: the College cannot cover the entire increase in costs for them, Lyman said.

"When we experience an increase in cost, we split it with the students, so that, for example, if the cost went up $500 we might pay $250 of it," Lyman said. She added that the percentage of the hike the College will pay has not yet been determined.

Both Lyman and Fitzsimmons said they believe students and their families will sacrifice for a Harvard education--as they always have during economically troubled times.

Leslie A. Cornfeld '81, chairman of the Student Assembly, said yesterday, "I've been surprised at the reaction--most people see it as a very unfortunate situation in which anger is tempered by the state of the economy and energy costs."

Fitzsimmons noted that inflated costs are plaguing other schools and that Harvard--which considers families earning from $20,000 to $45,000 "middle income" despite their national status as "upper middle"--provides very attractive financial aid packages.

"The larger question down the road is whether schools like Harvard-Radcliffe will be seen as less attractive than less expensive places," Fitzsimmons said, adding quickly "but not Harvard-Radcliffe in particular."