New-York tribune., 1903-01-26
work OF REGENTS IN 1902.
Non Resident academic Tuition Dis
cuSSeQ.

Albany. Jan. % (Specal).-James Russell Par
sons, jr., the secretary of the Regents of the
University of the State of New-York. made pub
lie to-day his report for the year ended Sep
tember 80, 1902. MIR. Parsons discusses as fol-
lows the question. now before the legislature. OF
State payment of tuition of nonresident stu
dents in academic grades:
In his address at the last university convoca-
ton the Governor proposed "a law which would
enable the Regents to reimburse those districts
which responsibility is placed for admitting
nonresident students without charge for tul, III,
ton. The budget of the Regents for l9Oo-ot
includes $4,000 as the nucleus Of a further ap-
preparation for the remission of tuition OF nom
resident students in academic grades Inc 9 L9ia t
lowing facts indicate the amount that will be
required to give effect to the Governors propo-
sition:
Sworn reports from New-York public high
schools show that in 1901 S143.2SS " was paid
by 10,SSS nonresident academic students for
attendance during the whole or a part OF the
school year. There were also /, ,l1S nonresident
students in the academies who at the same
rate would have paid S23 1854 so. A considera-
BILE proportion of both classes of students come
either from outside the State or from districts
maintaining free high schools. Therefore the
amount necessary to make tuition free TO those
eligible would be less on this basis than was
paid last year for nonresident tuition. but
doubtless free tuition would result in larger
attendance
AS the proposed appropriation is wholly for
the payment of tuition in secondary schools the
administration of the fund belongs clearly TO the
University. Almost from the beginning Ine
State government has acted the theory that
one of the duties of the State Is to aid secondary
educa tion and this aid has always been ex-
tended through the Regents of the University y
The esta blishment of the literature fund in li9o,
the successive additions to it in 1913, 1913 and
1927, the application since 1873 of a large part
of the income of the United States deposit fund
for the same purpose, and, finally, the enact
ment Of the Horton law, in 1895, and its amend
ment in 1901, indicate the fixed policy of the
State for over a century
The principle of distribution by the RegenIS
of State aid, to permit free tuition I'm every
academy and academic department of a union
school subject to their visitation was recog-
nized by the legislature more than quarter
of a century ago. Laws of 1873, chapter 642.
appropriated moneys that the Regents under
such rules and regulations as they might pre-
scribe might provide free instruction in the
classes or the higher branches Of English edu-
cation, or both to all scholars, in any
academy and in any free school, or in any COM
mon school who . shall have received
the certificate of academic scholarship issued
by the said Regents.
All apportionments made by the Regents OF
the University to the secondary schools nave
been virtually in remission of tuition. and for
no other purpose, and this remission OF tuition
has extended to nonresident as well as to resi-
dent for the schools that still Obliged
to charge tuition fees are giving instruction
to students who pay these fees at a rate much
below the actual cost of instruction The ap-
portionments which such schools have received
from the academic fund have enabled them to
do this Without such apportionments tuition
fees would of necessity be greater to non-res1-
dents and tax rates greater to the parents OF
resident students The appropriation now rec
commended is therefore simply for the purpose
of extending and making more complete WORK
that has been carried by the Regents almost
from the beginning of the State government
The total cost of secondary education in 1902