When students make the usual phone calls home this semester to make the usual pleas for more money, they are going to have an unusually large request.

The Corporation's recent decision to boost next year's tuition, room and board fees by a total of $500 isn't going to leave the folks on the other end of the phone jumping for joy.

The increase, which amounts to a $400 boost in tuition and a $100 hike in room and board costs, will bring the total term bill fee to $7500. The fact that the Corporation wanted a bigger increase--but still settled for what administrators call "the minimum needed to break even"--is hardly a consolation.

Rising salaries and higher maintenance and utility costs in Faculty-owned buildings caused the increase, a 7-per-cent boost over last year's costs, officials said.

Those same officials are quick to point out that the rate of tuition, room and board increases has declined steadily from the 12.5 per cent mark in 1975.

Of course, things could be worse. Yale recently increased its fees too, and next year will be the first time in recent years that it will not be cheaper to go to Yale than Harvard. And they still have to live in New Haven.