32

A  Study  of  Student  Loans  and

financial  returns  on  their  education  for  a  very  short  period  and  when  they
marry  will  give  the  benefits  of  such  an  education  to  society  in  the  rearing
of  children.
An  examination  of  Tables  3  and  3A  together  with  Charts  1  and  1A
reveals  what  has  been  happening  in  the  matter  of  fees  and  tuitions  in
public  institutions,  and  substantiates  what  has  been  said.  It  must  be
observed,  however,  that  the  figures  for  1924-25  present  some  evidence  of
the  fact  that  after  1920-21  an  effort  was  made  in  certain  institutions  to
right  matters  and  place  tuition  and  fees  on  a  more  just  basis.  In  this  year
(1924-25)  the  absolute  figures  change  the  former  order  considerably.
Arranged  according  to  decreasing  cost  to  students  in  state  institutions,  they
are  as  follows:

Resident  Non-Resident
Departments  1900-01  1924-25  1900-01  1924-25
Dentistry  $78  $171  $81  $223
Medicine  79  134  83  181
Pharmacy  35  69  43  121
Law  51  74  53  111
Engineering  30  54  53  93
Arts  and  Science  16  44  27  85

In  view  of  the  data  in  Tables  3  and  3A  and  the  above  Order  of  charges
it  is  evident  that  an  attempt  is  being  made  to  fix  charges  in  the  various
departments  in  proportion  to  benefits  to  the  individuals  and  society,  and,
no  doubt,  in  some  institutions  a  proper  ratio  in  this  matter  has  been
reached.  Other  institutions,  however,  are  still  far  from  attaining  anything
  like  a  scientific  ratio  in  the  imposing  of  fees  and  tuitions.
The  facts  that  have  been  set  forth  help  to  show  that  tuition  and  fees
within  state  institutions  are  not  yet  fully  in  harmony  with  the  benefits
received  by  the  individual  and  society.  In  fact,  if  we  are  to  judge  from
averages  and  take  all  public  institutions  into  consideration  collectively,
the  Situation  is  relatively  the  same.  The  distribution  within  the  institutions, ­
  however,  seems  to  be  worse.  Many  institutions  have  been  moving
toward  a  flat  rate,  while  others  are  trying  to  ad  just  costs  to  the  economic
value  of  the  education.  Therefore,  we  find  the  various  institutions  moving
in  opposite  directions.
Present  Schedule  of  Fees  and  Tuition
A  more  detailed  view  of  the  Situation  now  shows  that  the  distribution
of  fees  and  tuition  in  the  various  state  institutions  is  irregulär  and  in  most
cases  without  regard  to  value  which  the  training  has  to  the  individual  in
an  economic  sense.  Table  4,  which  is  made  up  of  the  data  gathered  by
members  of  the  Western  Association  of  University  and  College  Business
Officers,  shows  the  Situation  in  the  Western  institutions  as  of  June.  1925.