The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-05-15

veterans who came back from
 the wars to go collegiato-and
 surprised educatOrs.)
 By MARC ]. PARSONS NEA Staff Correspondent
 New York May IS. (NEA)-De-
 spite the benefit of the CT. Bill of Rights the education of CT.
 Joe still is a big struggle, both for -the returning veterans who
 are fIocking to U. s. colleges and
 universities in overwhelming num-
 bers and for the schools themselves.
 Finances are a big item.
 For the ex-G.I. 1t means getting
 along on the meager government
 allowance, plus what additional
 money he can earn in part-tin1e
 work-which is not much-and his
 savings.
 STRETCHES HOUSING
 For the colleges and universi-
 ties, it means stretching existing
 housing and educational facilities
 to the maximum, and even cough
 ing up some of their own funds
 to put the program across.
 This last matter may be taken
 care of in future contracts be- tween the Veterans Administra-
 tion and the colleges but at pres ent it stands like this: The Vet erans Administration pays the col- lege or university it's listed tuition costs, which by no means covers the cost of giving a GI. the edu- cation offered him in the Bill or Rights.
 In the first place. in all en- dowed schools and in most public schools the tuition 8 student pays covers only a part of the cost Of his schooling. Dr. Alan Gregg, Director of Medical Sciences at the Rockefeller Foundation, recently pointed out to students graduating from medical school that they had paid $57O a year tuition. The cost of teaching them amounted to $S'- $50 year.
 Admittedly this is the extreme example and the spread between tuition fees and teaching costs would be much lower in under graduate training. Nevertheless erl- dowed schools will have to ma more money to make up the d1f- ference or limit stheir enrollments. And in the case of state univer- sities there probably will be deficit unless state legislatures in- crease budgets. DOES NOT PAY IN ADVANCE
 Secondly, the Veterans Admin. Istration does not pay the school the tuition bill in advance as non-yeteran student would. Since tuition fees go into current oper- ating funds in most schools, tns means that the school must nor- row from It's own endeWment, or n some cases where the financial problems were more acute, from | outside lending institutions until the government pays it's bill.
 While this is not a major dram, t can mount up. A school Wtn i 900 CHS who normally would pay $2OO tuition Q semester, DOT rows that tuition money to meet operating cost at only two per cent interest for six months, and has to pay $2OOO interest for the period that might better go to- wards paying another and needed professor.
 The Veterans Administration IS irving to correct this now. In the New York Branch of the VA, col- eges present tuition bills on a emf basis.
 In the third place, most 1nsti. utions have gone to the financial rouble to procure special veter- ms, counsellors to help ease the ,eterans back into the educa- ional system This cost Is borne ,ntirely by the schools. SLIM BUDGET
 The veteran himself-especlaly | he married veteran-is having ome trouble getting along on the Illowance provided by the govern nent.
 Veterans are permitted to work, ut only part time, if they are to Iraw the subsistence allowance. This allowance is $65 a month for ingle men and 80 for married nen. A spot check of veterans in chool in the New York City area y NEA service showed that those Iuestioned were adveraging from 80 to $1OO 8 month in part time york. For married man, this and lis $9O allowance leaves him quite way to go to meet his New York ;ity budget. Every married vet ran questioned by NEA admitted le was dipping into savings. but all onsidered 1t worth while in eStment.
 There has been some trouble n veterans getting their subsist- nee allowance. L. A. Fish of the lew York VA. ofdce thinks this , clearing up.
 JAGGED AT START
 Fish admitted the Veterans Ad- got behind in the be- inning. In a recent check in the lew York area 1t was found that f 37,0OO G.I's entitled to .SubsiSt- nee, 11,OO0 hadn't gotten their hecks in March and 5000 hadn't I April. However, part of this re- llted because necessary papers ad not been returned from the ,hools. part because the govern lent only pays it's bills after they re due, and part because the VA. ad too big a backlog to get every 1ing out on time. The last has cen cleared up. Fish says. and ,hools are learning what the VA. ,quires in the way of paperwork. Housing is another major prob- m in the schools now One eastern ,hool got neighborhood merchants , put a plea for rooms in with very package of groceries deliv- red. Ministers have been called oon to plead from the pulpit for ore quarters. Emergency housing all kinds is being put into use IT veterans. And the problem may t worse. The Government here
 coming to the aid of the hools.