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letters & comments
Why does college
cost so much $$$?
BY ROBERT A. SCOTT
Parents, politicians and pundits complain about
the cost of college. Th ey cite tuition increases that
have increased 100 percent since 2001, even aft er
accounting for infl ation. As a result, average tuition
is $3,660 at two-year public colleges; $10,230
at public four-year universities; and $35,830 at
private institutions.
Th e primary reason cited for increases at public
institutions is the reduction in state support,
which has declined nationally by $7 billion since
2008. For all institutions, the reasons include
increases in health care premiums, facilities and
marketing costs, student support services, compliance
requirements, and technology upgrades.
Some political leaders have proposed “free” tuition
as a response. While there is a history of free
college in the U. S., the idea is being revived as a
way of addressing college costs and student debt.
Unfortunately, while making college free would
reduce the price to families, it would not address
the fundamental costs of college operations. Such
costs include those for administration, “branding,”
athletics, and the costs of instruction. Th ese
all require scrutiny by boards of trustees and presidents
as well as faculty senates and departments.
Families can learn about colleges costs and
student success by using the federal “College
Scorecard” website and comparing institutions’
average annual costs and graduation rates. For
example, Hofstra’s cost is $31,815 while its graduation
rate is 62 percent. At nearly one-half the
cost, St. Joseph College’s charge is $16,976 while
its graduation rate is the second highest in the
region at 70 percent.
Boards need to be aware of these comparisons
between price and student success as they consider
the alignment of mission, goals and results.
One practice that induces costs is that of requiring
excessive credits for graduation. Th is leads to
increases in costs for the college and increased
costs for the student.
Another problematic practice is that of creating
scholarships by discounting tuition, sometimes
up to 60 percent. Th is leads to an increase in the
“sticker price” for all students in order to provide
scholarships incentives to some. Th e result is a
decrease in net revenue available for basic services
and quality enhancements.
Th e benefi ts of higher education are known and
we as a country need more citizens with advanced
education. Th e correlations between college completion
and employment, income, health and
civic participation are strong. Th erefore, we must
fi nd ways to make college more aff ordable.
Th ose responsible for addressing these issues
include boards of trustees who have the duty to
monitor the alignment of mission, goals, priorities,
resource allocation and results, and campus
presidents who execute the strategies designed
to achieve the goals. Th ey also include faculty
members who bear responsibility for establishing
curricula and requirements. Furthermore, they
include state and federal legislatures that have the
duty to fund fi nancial aid and institutions of higher
education in order to fulfi ll commonly held
goals for community and economic development.
Robert A. Scott is the president emeritus of
Adelphi University and author of the book “How
University Boards Work,” published in 2018 by
Johns Hopkins University Press.
REMEMBERING
CONSTANCE
Several years ago, aft er I sent out my
holiday cards I received this incredible
gift in return from Constance
Maltese, who died on Dec. 7. She
hand-sketched my children from our
holiday photo and she made a point
to tell me that she put Duchess, our
puppy, in the center of the photo
because she knows she is the center of
the household.
A truly beautiful person inside and
out, I will always remember her as
the most eff ortlessly elegant woman I
have ever met.
You touched so many hearts with
your incredibly selfl ess personality,
and that is the best legacy of all. God
bless you. Rest In Peace.
Josephine Lume, Middle Village
IS THIS THE BEST
TRUMP CAN DO?
His supporters say Trump “deserves
our respect.” Th ey claim “he is doing
his best and we should leave him
alone.”
Is this best: Demanding $5 billion
for the wall that he said Mexico
would pay for? Giving huge, permanent
tax cuts to billionaires and
expiring tax cuts (worth peanuts)
to the middle class? Siding with
Saudi Arabia in the Khashoggi murder
and ignoring the facts meticulously
compiled by our intelligence
agencies? Colluding with Russia (the
abundance of evidence cannot be
denied, unless you watch Fox News)?
Ignoring the fi ndings of over 98 percent
of the world’s top scientists pertaining
to global warming?
His administration is in shambles.
He’s looking under rocks to fi nd his
next chief of staff . He’s a tax cheat.
He’s been sued thousands of times
by contractors who never received
payment for services rendered. He’s
destroyed alliances with nations that
have long been trusted allies to the
United States.
To quote Theodore Roosevelt,
“Patriotism means to stand by the
country. It does not mean to stand by
the president or any other public offi -
cial, save exactly to the degree in which
he himself stands by the country.”
Robert LaRosa, Whitestone
WHAT HAVE WE DONE
ABOUT GUNS?
It is now six years since that terrible
day, Dec. 14, 2012, when 26 innocent
children and teachers were murdered
in cold blood by a deranged
young man with assault weapons at
the Sandy Hook Elementary School in
Newtown, Connecticut.
Six years later, has there been any
substantial progress made regarding
banning assault weapons and improving
the ability to thoroughly check out
anybody who wants to purchase these
or other fi rearms? Th ere has not been
all that much progress, due to the fact
that our politicians in Washington
seem unable to move ahead with any
legislation on this.
Th e NRA has far too much lobbying
power in Washington, D.C., and it
is time for that to be stopped. People
do have the right to own guns, as
long as they have passed a thoroughly
rigid background check, which must
include their mental state.
When are these politicians going
to wake up and face reality? Th e
American people have witnessed
and experienced many more shootings
since Sandy Hook, and there will
probably be more to come.
Our country seems to have lost all
decency and morality, and most of all
respect for life, which is something
every single person should always
cherish. Something needs to be done
now by Congress; it must unloosen
the stranglehold that the NRA has
around it.
John Amato, Fresh Meadows
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