Evening star., 1951-02-27
College Tuition
Raises Held Up
For Price Ru|inq
Gu and CIV Among
institutions Awuitinq
Solution by DiSoIIe
By jones 6. Deone

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colleges and schools are brewing
a new price control headache, it
was learned today.
The headache is already in evil
dence at the national Office of
Price Sterilization here. Before
it's cured, it may set off a battle
royal, with Price Administrator
Michael Disable on one side and
educators on the other-and tut
tion-paying parents in between.
Here is the situation:
A barrage of protests from edu-
Gators has started coming into
Washington over application of
the general price freeze to school
tuitions.
Tuitions haven't ever been con-
trolled before. They weren't
frozen during World War II. But
now educators in various parts of
the country are complaining they
are being told they can't raise
them-as many institutions had
planned to do to meet higher costs
next fall.
OF Immediate Interest.
Locally, Catholic University and
probably George Washington Uni
versity have an immediate interest
in the matter. Gu, like many
other schools, can't print its cata-
log announcing a planned tuition
rise next fall. CIV also expects
some increases will be necessary
although they aren't set yet.
OPS, in it's blanket freeze order
of January 26, did not mention
tuitions, and it exempted pro
fessional services" (which are spe-
ciflcally exempted in the law
passed by Congress-. But so far,
it hasn't decided whether educa-
ton comes under the "profes-
sional" category (intended for such
as doctors).
OPS attorneys are studying the
problem. Price Stabilizer DiSalle
said 1t should be ironed out within
a few days" But Mr.. Disable
himself didn't indicate overwhelm-
ing sympathy with the educators
point of view. Informed of theil
complaint. he remarked to a re-
porter:
Il wouldn't be surprised if there
are two sides to this"
Asked if this meant he thought
tuitions might not be entitled tc
exemption. he said yes.
Intent Of Congress Clouded.
The price stabilizer also said II
is pretty hard to determine what
Congress intended" by "profes-
sional." He added that, in con-
sidering what to do, his Office
might well have to consider the
difference between I1cn-profit anc
profit-making. and public and pri-
vate institutions.
OPS turned the question over te
its legal section after the United
States Office of Education ano
the National Education Associa-
ton stepped into the picture.
kilograms and long-distance
phone calls have been bombardine
these two agencies for some days
Some have complained that OPS
regional Offices have been turning
thumbs down on tuition raises
while others have simply been in
quiries, officials reported.
Main worry of the college is that
without raising rates, they may
not be able to meet the fixed costs
they must bear all the time. Be-
sides dwindling income from en-
dowments, they now are losing stu
dents to the armed forces and
face an even greater loss when
18-year-olds are drafted.
Harmful Economies Feared.
The Rev James A. Magner, pro-
curator and assistant treasurer al
Catholic University. said Gu has
reached the point where we
really must raise tuition charges.
The alternative is to make fac.
ulty cuts or other economies that
would hurt the university's pro-
gram. he said.
Gu last week revealed plans te
raise its tuition from $3.50 to $500
a year. At George Washington
President Cloyd Heck Marvin sale
some tuition fees, although no.
those in the undergraduate school
will have to be raised next tall
While other major institutions
here have no present plans, neec
for higher charges remains a pos
sibility for later on.
An official of the Office of Edu-
cation said he had been assured
by top OPS official that the
problem will be worked out" but
spokesmen for the agency refused
to say what line might be taken
One official did suggest the problem
might conceivably be handled or
an individual, hardship basis
rather than through blanket ex.
emption.
Not All for Education.
One of the problems involved
1t was pointed out, is that schools
offer not merely education" but
also subsidiary services such a:
room and board, which figure ir
the cost of living.
Parents stand to get caught ir
the middle of the dispute because
they have an interest both Il,
what it costs to send Junior te
school and the kind of education
he gets. If they save money or
tuition because of the freeze
juniors education may suffer.
About one-fourth of the 1850
colleges and universities in the
country have indicated plans to
raise their tuition or other charges
this year. it was estimated at the
Office of Education. A number
of private secondary schools have
similar plans.
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