Kirschner says that increasing loans and decreasing grants to low-income students "is like taking federal financial aid away from them" because they fear taking on debts and because it "is more difficult for them to pay back after graduation."
There appear to be more middle-class students forsaking enrollment at expensive private universities in favor of cheaper public colleges.
According to published reports, the percentage of students at public universities with family incomes between $50,000 and $100,000 has almost doubled, rising from 16.5 percent to more than 32 percent in the last five years.
More and more students seem to be asking if the education they can get at a private university is proportionately better than the one they could get at a more affordable public university. Some say that the private colleges are pricing themselves out of the market with increasing tuitions.
"A lot of kids in my hometown denied private universities in lieu of state schools. I think private universities have definite advantages that sometimes have to be forgotten because of costs," Javeline says.
Though colleges may be perceived as greedy gobblers of government money, school administrators say they are being forced to raise tuitions to compensate for the inflation of the 1970s, which forced them to operate under limited budgets.
"I can see the federal position--why should tax payers support students through one kind of school when one that costs three times less has the same programs?" asks Donahue.
The reasons for increasing tuitions and decreasing financial aid may be sound, but as Columbia senior Winston A. Willis says, "obviously the educational system will continue, but it won't be as diverse. It will suffer without input from Black and minority minds."
The Costs
In 1986-87 the basic charges at Harvard and Radcliffe for a resident student are as follows:
Direct expenses billed by the University Tuition $11,390 College Facilities Fee $835 Room $ 1,885 Board $ 2,035 Sub-Total $ $16,145 Personal expenses including books and supplies $ 1,255 TOTAL RESIDENT BUDGET $ 17,400
To this total ($17 ,400) must be added an allowance for travel to and from Cambridge twice each year.