Show I I P Paying ying for a C College Education i iBy I IBy By HOWARD ELLIOTT Former President New Now York New Haven Hartford R. R R R. R Member Board of Overseers Harvard Uni varsity The complications of ot modern life Ufe th the luxuriousness of oZ It H and the consequent Increase In the c cost st of ot livIng living liv liv- ing are forcing The country to analyze c carefully the whole subject ct o of ot higher education There Is such a a. demand upon the colleges and universities that more and more must the country consider whether the ap applicant ap- ap for tor higher education is capable of taking full ull advantage of the opportunities offered The country cannot afford to waste brains time energy and money upon those who misuse their brains time and energy while they are art in college Hence there theO is Js a a. growing tendency for more severe entrance requirements both mental and physical a tendency to limitation of numbers numbers numbers num num- bers a a. tendency to drop students out of dollege ollege who appear unwilling or unable to make wise wie use of their opportunities There are some who vho doubt the wisdom of ot a a. college col col- col- col lege ege education for fO so o many and they raise the question question question ques ques- tion as to whether it Jt is best for tor the country I am amnot amnot amnot not one of those but the results of ot higher education must be balanced against the effort eUort and cost One of ot the important questions before the country countr is that of educational finance and administration with the purpose of Improving the quality of the training and at the same time Ume reducing the expense There are today over undergraduates In colleges and universities in the United States exclusive exclusive exclusive sive o of professional schools rh These se young men and Women omen supposedly the best In the land are taken from the ordinary work of the world and supported in a pleasant academic atmosphere During that ti time e ethe the work required of them is not very arduous A recent article in a monthly magazine gives Interesting Interesting in interesting In- In figures about the cost of their education It states that the average cost to the parent of sendIng sendIng sending send send- ing a student through college Is 1500 a year For students this means a year It seems as if this is too high because it is well known that a l great many students do not spend spena 1500 a year ear But in any event the aggregate cost is large It may also be said that tuition room board and expenses incident to college life Ilfe that are paid by the student do not represent the total cost of his college years The writer of ot the article estimates is a fair estimate of the annual cost of ot college education to this country This large sum means that the country Is spending more than per week for putting these young people through college Some think the results of the col college college lege training do not justify the expenditure of all this money The United States h however wever Is a avery very large and rich country anti and should not be unduly disturbed In the expenditure which expenditure which is about about- one- one seventh of the annual motor vehicle bill But Dut the country that provides the money expended expended expended ex ex- ex- ex on higher education has a right to ask that the college graduate take an intelligent part in the gov government of the nation state county and city Ina In Ina Ina a democracy like Ilke the United States one of the important important important im im- im- im purposes of education must be to train men for citizenship and government In a democracy the people rule theirs is the power theirs is the voice that commands commands and and a democratic government can be no better than its people The country therefore has the right to look to the college men and women everywhere to so train themselves that they can take an Intelligent part in political affairs If it is Js true that the college graduate must mal make e an intelligent contribution to the nations nation's government It is equally true that his career must make a contribution con con- to the nations nation's business Many rany fine men have not had college training but the reason for having colleges is to produce even better men an and women who will do better work for the nation Unless this Is the result the time the i energy and money thoney devoted ed to educating and training young people in college might better be devoted to some other national purpose Copyright 1927 Cosmos Newspaper Syndicate Inc I |