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Show Ncccssary Federal Support Who 11 Pay My Way? Those who bicker over the delegation of federal support to colleges through research funds or graduate fellowships are astounded when they discover the relatively few institutions institu-tions which receive this money. It was only four years ago that 88 per cent of federal support for education and training train-ing went to only 100 colleges or universities. The recipient schools stated in a study of 26 institutions sponsored by the Carnegie Foundation that "research capacities capac-ities had been enlarged; faculties, particularly in the sciences had benefited; graduate students and post-doctoral fellows had been provided for; physical plant and equipment had been enlarged and improved; and summer salaries for faculty members had been made possible." Reactions to this list of advantages from Federal aid are indeed favorable, and the Government, for a moment, appears modestly in the light of its own good will. However, this situation is surrounded with an aura of false security. Federal Fed-eral Grants often necessitate the payment of additional expenditures ex-penditures by universities due to indirect costs incurred in using grants. These are costs for which institutions are not reimbursed. The availability of federal funds for certain constructions valuable to campus expansion juggle building priorities and distort expansion plans. Further, today's emphasis em-phasis on scientific research facilities nurture fears that the traditional balance among fields necessary to a liberal arts faculty may be in jeopardy. This all adds up to an emphasis on graduate schools to the detrinment of undergraduates with faculty encompassed in research away from instruction. The university becomes a convenience for the government govern-ment in that funds are provided towards research which fulfills ful-fills immediate national needs. It appears that apparently the support of higher education for its own sake falls secondary second-ary to the immediate and specific services provided the nation na-tion by a university. Naturally, education is recognized as a basic requirement require-ment to the development of self realization and as such is necessary to our democracy. It is repeatedly evident that state and local agencies along with private endowments cannot can-not alwavs provide alone for the support of universities. At the same time neither is it proper that a university subscribe to an autonomy in order to gain financial support. Therefore, we feel that in light of these circumstances that government support of higher education is necessary but should be revised revis-ed to include a wider range of institutions. It should contribute con-tribute to the social sciences and humanities as well as the sciences. Expenditures incurred by the university in executing execut-ing programs of research which will benefit national needs should be assumed by the Federal government. Also, studies might be financed on methods of education which could effectively be used to administer a more encompassing aid program. Suggestions have been made to combine the Office of Education and the National Science Foundation, allocating allocat-ing to it financial resources and making the head of this division a member of the presidential cabinet. If any of these proposals were to be enacted they must of necessity not interfere with academic freedom or the right of the individual to criticize, and decide and. issue for himself. This is a privilege inherent in American education and is reserved to our citizenry. |