The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-14
FEES At COLUMBIA.
a student or the University Complains or the
Cost or m Education There.

a Student or the University CompIains or the
Cost or nm Education There.
To THE EDITOR OF THE sux-sir: The community
is again startl d into admiration by the announce
mont OF another magnificent donation to Columbia
University, that OF the Due &c Loubat, who has given
over 4 million dollars to the college. As a student OF
the university. l should like to mention the fact
that. in spite OF munincent donations and q largo
increase in number OF students. the fees have not
been reduced q single dollar. and the cost Of tuition
in Columbia is still entirely out Of proportion to that
in all the other American universities. The fact still
remains undIsputod that Columbia University Is at
present the most high'priced institution of learning
in the United States.
THIS fact is more especially true of the professional
and technical courses. The tuition fee in Columbia
for these courses is 5000 per college year Of eight
months. while in Harvard. Yale. and other universe.
ties whose facilities for instruction can in no respects
be deemed inferior to those OF Columbia the tuition
fee is only $3.50. the other fees being correspondlngly
Smaller. In some colleges. offering excellent facili.
ties. the tuition fee is even less.
This state Of Affairs, manifestly unjust, cannot but
have its effects. The very high cost OF tuition has
made Columbia exclusive; It Is the exclusiveness of
wealth. Poor students, and even those OF moderate
means. ind Columbia inaccessible. for It is i'm.
possible for thcm to overcome the obstruction
OF enormous fees. 1t Is. therefore,. essentially the
rich who are b%enehting from the philanthropy Of
ths rich men who have favored Columbia with
large donations during the past few years. Were
the university authorities to take advantage OF these
donations and reduce the fees, at least to the level of
other universities. the benefits derived from the
philanthropy OF their donors would be much more
effective and widespread. 1t would make Columbia
accessible to many New YORK students who are una.
BILE to leave New York and enter outside universities,
bur who at the same time would nnd It dlnlcult to
keep up with ~Columbia's exacting fees. 1t would
Tighten the burden OF those undergraduates. who, of
moderats means. also find 1t difficult 60 meet such
fees; and at the same time many students from other
States would be attracted by the excellent. but at
present high. priced, facilities of Columbia.
But the authorities have not done this. Instead.
they have fitted up the buildings OF the new site with
a magniicence which. however commendable, was
by no means essential to the welfare of the univer.
sity. In the opinion OF many students at Columbia,
frequently expressed. the reduction OF the foes is
essential TO the well being OF Columbia University.
aud | hope that the trustees. themselves philanthro-
pists. viii soon rise to tho occasion and remedy the
evil.
hope THE suS will publish this. as It will call gen.
eral attention to an unjust state of affairs which
should be remcd!ed without delay.
NEw YORK. March l2. A COLUMBIA STUDENT.