Financiai aid is a way of life for half of PSU's students Continued from p. 1 Even so, adds Anderson, Oregon's experience has been "very good," with one of the lowest default rates in the country. Between 97 and 98 percent of the students in the state are paying their federal Guaranteed Student loan funds back, he says. Federal student assistance programs were first established in 1958 as part of the nation's educational response to the Soviet launching of Sputnik. "It was first designed to get people to go into teaching science-specific fields," Anderson notes. "Then the aid program targeted on low income to provide access to college. Then we moved into not only providing access but choice. Students not only could attend college but were able to pick the college-public or private-they wanted to attend." Anderson says he believes current Reagan Administration proposals to cut back federal student aid are aimed at eliminating choice and refocusing on access. "Unfortunately, some of the cuts go too far and even eliminate access," says Anderson. For example, one of the Reagan proposals would limit the maximum aid a student could receive a year to $4,000. Students such as Robin Morris who are mothers with dependent children would require far Here is a uable supplement your current life insurance plan - easy, economical. Now, during a limited enrollment period, all PSU Alumni under 60 are eligible to apply and purchase $10,000 to $200,000 of term life insurance that may be continued to 75 ... plus an equal benefit amount from $10,000 for your spouse and $5,000 for each of your dependent children. We endorse this program as one of the best group life insurance plans on the market today. Apply now! Call or write for your application. PSU ALUMNI more than that to be able to attend college-in fact, more like $7,000, according to Anderson. "If they were limited to $4,000, they just couldn't swing it," he says. Changing times, soaring costs A major reason for the increased reliance on student aid, of course, is the rising cost of college. Even at Portland State, where tuition represents a fraction of the fees asked at many private institutions, costs have skyrocketed during the past generation. For example, when Wally Harding ('59) enrolled at Portland State in 1954, tuition cost him $165 a year. Now his son Todd is a PSU student, and the price has jumped to more than $1,400 a year. Books, which might have run-Wally $20 to $22 in 1954, now cost Todd $130 or more. It's true no financial aid programs were available to Wally in the 1950s, but he was able to find a job through the college's placement service. "I worked as a building maintenance engineer," he recalls with a chuckle, "sweeping floors and emptying wastebaskets for the better part of two years." His starting pay: 75 cents an hour. "There probably weren't the socio-economic demands on us that there are on college students today." After living with his parents a year, Wally moved with three of his teammates on the PSU baseball team into quarters at the Douglas Arms in the Park blocks, which "we lovingly referred to as the Broken Arms." Rent, which included utilities and use of a Murphy bed, cost the four of them $60 a month, $15 apiece. "There probably weren't the socio-economic demands on us that there are on college students today," observes Harding, who now is president and co-owner of his own mortgage banking and real estate consulting firm. "There are more places to spend your money on a better car or huge stereo equipment, or you're really not part of the crowd unless you're vacationing here or skiing there. A big deal for us was. to go to the old Montgomery Gardens for nickel beer night on Fridays between 4 and 6." Times may have changed, but his son Todd is still very aware of finances. At one time he attended Linfield College, relying on financial aid, but he switched to PSU for economic as well as academic reasons. Now as a senior majoring in administration of justice, Todd can live at home and focus his study on police work. He helps pay tuition and book costs by working as a coach at Cleveland High School and in other assorted jobs such as shoe salesman, construction worker and, at times, bouncer. Many factors figure in the soaring college costs, says William T. lemman, Jr. , vice chancellor for administration for the State System of Higher Education and a former Van porter. "Education is labor intensive," he explains. And labor costs have grown faster than inflation. Lemman adds that advances in technology have pushed equipment costs higher, especially in the areas of science and computer science. library costs also have risen higher than the cost of living, he says. Placing a value on educalion Davis Quenzer, associate vice chancellor for budget and fiscal policies, goes so far as to suggest that tuition fees "are determined by the societal value on higher education." The lower the tuition, he says, the more the state is saying that everyone is entitled to higher education-and that society more than the individual is the benefactor of education. But as the state increases tuition, it is saying that the individual is the benefactor-and thus should pay the larger share of his own education. "The thing that concerns me is what we are saying about higher education," says Quenzer. " I happen to not agree that the individual benefits more than society from his education." Quenzer says he believes that during the soaring tuition increases of the 1970s and early 1980s, when the percentage of the general fund appropriation for higher education shrank from 23% to 14%, "the priority for higher education diminished dramatically. That's when the public, through the legislature, was saying education wasn't very important, and the board placed more of the cost of education on the student." In fact, according to Lemman, the state increased the students' share of the cost of instruction from 22% in the early 19705 to a high of 33% in the early 1980s. The tuition freeze the last two y ars has reduced that share somewhat "The attitude of the legislature is beginning to shift," says Quenzer. "Legislators are beginning to feel that Oregon needs a high level of education. They're starting to say we're all going to benefit" The Governor has proposed an increase in tuition for the next biennium, but only 3%. added Quenzer. "Students no longer can make enough after a summer of work to cover their college costs." " I think we're going to see moderate cost increases for the 'tudent in the 19805 and 1990,," Quenzer says. Even so, he believes student aid will continue to play an important role despite the recent Reagan Administration proposals to reduce federal student aid programs. Anderson hopes he's right. "The costs are 50 prohibitive," he says. "The most common criticism of the aid program that we hear is, 'Oh, I worked my way through when I went to college. Why can't these kids do it? Why do they need these programs?' They forget how much things cost. Students no longer can make enough after a summer of work to cover their college costs." Robin Morris herself is Quick tQ point out that just because she received financial aid didn't mean she received a free ride. "I had grant support, sure," she acknowledges, "but I also owe loans at four different interest rates-and I worked 20 hours a week during the school year and 40 hours a week in the summer." If financial aid programs were to disappear altogether, Anderson estimates that only half of those students receiving aid would be able to make it. "They might be able to attend part time or work or borrow from relatives," he says. "The other half wouldn't be able to go at all." The choice for Robin Morris in 1980 was not between the Ivy league and Portland State; it boiled down to Portland State or no college at all. And without financial aid, the Robin Morrises of tomorrow might have to "choose" simply to pay their bills each month and forget any dreams of college and a professional career. Federal grant, loan programs for students Pell Granl- Up to $1,900 a year, depending on swdenl's need and college costs. Supplement.al Educalionoll Opportunity Grml (SEOG)- Up to $2,000 annually, distributed on firsl-Come, fir.;l-served basis. Guillranleed Studenlloan (GSL}- Up 10 $2,500 a year or tolaf of $12,500 for under81aduales, $5,000 a year or $25,000 for graduilles, ilt 8% interest WIth repayment beginnIng after graduation. N.ational OirKt Student Loan (NOSl)-- Up to $3,000 fMfirSI two yea~ of collE!ge and $3,000 maximum for second rwo years, at 5% interest with repayment beginning aiter graduation. PMefit lOM for Undel8r~te Students (PlUS)-- Up to $3,000 a year for maximum of $15.000 at 12% interest with repayment by parents begmning almost immediately. CoIleze Work Study (CWS)- On<ampus employers of qualifying ~Iudents reimbursed by govemmem for up to 80% of wages, off-campus up 10 50%. 3
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc4NTAz