HIGH COST OF LEARNING

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 41, 17 August 1921, Page 9

HIGH COST OF LEARNING

A UNIVERSITY'S FINANCIAL

TROUBLES, i

(PROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

SYDNEY, 10th August,

Mounting costs have not ignored the Sydney University, and the Senate has been driven to sending out a financial S.O.S. It has been found that notwithstanding big increases in fees the financial year came out on the wrong side of tho ledger to the extent of £3000, and the wisdom of even those wise persons, who constitute the Senate, has been baffled in finding a way of making both ends meet without an increased subsidy from the Government. This seat of learning is now the of about 3500 students, of whom 800 hold public exhibitions and pay no fees. To further increase the fees of the others, thereby making higher education still more difficult of access, would, the Senate thinks, be unfair, as an effort is being made to induce the Government to bear a greater share in the upkeep of the institution. It is hoped to increase the endowment of £20,000, which was made available in 1912, by £10,000- This straitened condition of the University's finances came as somewhat of a surprise to those who, imagined that the M'Caughey bequest had ensured its affluence for a while, but most of that was applied to the establishment of new chairs and otherwise extending the educational facilities of the institute to keep pace with the times.

In view of the large number of public exhibitions, no doubt is entertained that some further assistance will be given by the Labour Government, which makes "higher education for the people. one of its slogans.