Page 4 - The Michigan Daily - Friday, June 6, 1986
Tuition up, aid down; students in debt
By AMY MINDELL years, funding has not kept up with in- students and their parents, and they
Last year, University students flation rates. This makes it difficult have to turn to self-help programs,"
nationwide borrowed $10 billion to at- for today's studnents to get by with Grotrian said of the University's Of-
tend college. This rising student debt, financial aid that would have been fice of Financial Aid.
300 percent higher than in 1979, has sufficient in 1980. "It is a growing concern. More
caused concern over what one admin- Grotrian explained that although students are borrowing, and
strator called "mortgaged futures." funding for financial aid has also borrowing to the maximum. Students
Educators attribute the excessive stabilized, the dollar value has are caught between a double edged
student loans to increases in tuition decreased, and according to one blade of spiralling tuition costs and
and college costs, and a decrease in model, federal dollars in 1985-86 have declining supplemental support, and
financial aid under the Reagan Ad- a 25 percent decreased value from that has moved them into debt faster
ministration. 1980-81. than anything," he added.
BUT SOME students do not appear The University's Office of Financial STUDENT DEBT also worries of-
worried about having to face debts as Aid helps the same number of studen- ficials for other reasons. Secretary of
high as $30,000 when they graduate.
They say they will pay back what they 'If it wasn't for student loans, I wouldn't
can, and accept the burden. "If it
wasn't for student loans, I wouldn't be be here.'
here," said Michael Cucci, a dental - lichael Cucci,
student.-M c a lC ci
University director of financial aid Dental student
Harvey Grotrian says he is resear-
ching the problem. His office will con- ts as in 1980. About 70 percent of stud- Education William Bennett, has
duct a study this summer comparing ents at the University get some form cited the default rate-students not
masters and bachelors degree holders of aid to supplement tuition or college paying back their loans-as the most
who took out student loans, and costs, according to Grotrian. "alarming" feature of the increased
calculating their loan burden. RISING TUITION and college student loans.
Grotrian estimates the average costs, and increased difficulty in get- The national default rate stands at
student debt at the University as ting work-study jobs, force students to just under 10 percent, according to
$4,000 to $6,000 for undergraduates find other ways to pay for college. Bob Jamroz,an official in the nation's
and $4,000 to $10,000 for graduate They are increasingly turning to Department of Education. The
students, loans. University's rate is lower, around 7
ALTHOUGH the levels of state and "(Students in debt) is a problem percent, according to Grotrian.
federal funding to the University have because in recent years very few Jamroz says the 10 percent national
remained stable for the past six alternatives have developed for rate is too high, though it may go
higher due to increased loans taken about $20,000 per year.
out in the last six years. "It's not good, but I realized the
situation before I came to medical
University senior Financial Aid Of- school. I am lucky to have received
ficer Tim Christensen, however, is not the loans," Ghans said.
alarmed. But some officials, nationally and at
People need to change their con- the University, are worried that
ception of what loans are and accept students do not understand the terms
the fact that many of the people who of their loans. They recommend "in-
need loans are a high risk group. debtedness counseling" for prospec-
Legislators and the American public tive borrowers.
have to realize and accept this, and
not get so 'wigged out' with a 10 per- SOME OFFICIALS also worry that
cent default rate. That 90 percent are undergraduates may turn away from
being paid back is great," Christen- liberal arts for more lucrative
sen said. majors, such as in the sciences.
Andy Geer, a Business school Fewer graduates will enter service
junior, hasn't thought much about professions, they fear, but will in-
paying back the $6,000 to $7,000 he will stead embark for higher-paying
owe by graduation. fields. Students may also hesitate
But he says he would not skip out on from entering graduate or
loan paybacks. professional school because they fear
"I know I wouldn't want to default. more debts.
They've helped me get through school A recent study does indicate that
- and you really can't beat the in- students may be choosing their
terest rates. I definitely feel obliged to majors based on economic realities,
pay them back," Geer said, more than their ideal career choices.
Wayne Ghans, a third year medical The Carnegie Foundation for the
student, also says he will repay his Advancement of Teaching reported
loans, although "they can't take blood that students with sizeable debts
from a stone." "tend to concentrate in fields where
GHANS SAID he will owe up to they can expect high starting
$50,000 when he graduates from salaries.
medical school next year, with the fir- OFFICIALS also worry that
st payments due two years into graduates with large debts will not
hospital residency. Residents earn See STUDENT, Page 11
Judge says firing
not racially motivated
By MELISSA BIRKS because of poor job performance. She
A former building director was not said the University emphasized a 1975
unfairly fired by the University, a petition signed by 228 students and
judge ruled this week. The building staff in Stockwell asking for Morris'
director had claimed her firing was resignation as evidence that Morris
racially-motivated because she is "had a history of problems perfor-
black. ming her job."
U.S. District Court Judge John
Feikens ruled the 1977 firing of "BEAUVAIS' SUPERVISORY
Mildred Morris, then director of style problems came into focus
Stockwell Hall, did not violate her because (Beauvais) took more time to
civil rights. work with Morris in an attempt to im-
FEIKENS issued his opinion on prove her performance," Ettinger
>'$ May 30. The case was argued in court said "(Beauvais) became convinced
for seven days last April. that she was more committed
Morris had charged that her pay in- to Morris' success than (Morris)
A".crease of only three percent while was."
building director was due to Neither the University or Morris
discrimination. Other employees had seemed surprised at the outcome.
received larger increases, she said. University attorney Bill Lemmer
While working under Kathleen described the case as "frivolous." But
Beauvais, housing supervisor for the Morris' attorney James McGinnis,
Hill dorms, Morris said that she was who received the opinion from
singled-out. For instance, she said Feikens after the University, said
that white employees were allowed in there was a "cloud of bias" over the
the dining rooms without meal cards, case.
but she was ordered to present hers. "Since there was such a cloud over
Beauvais was responsible for firing his ability to fairly rule, we may have
Morrison. been better off before a different
IN HIS WRITTEN OPINION, judge," said McGinnis, who focused
Feikens found Morris's evidence in- his case on racism existing at the
sufficient. Her comparatively low pay University.
increase was due, he wrote, to Morris' MORRIS isn't sure yet if she will
repeated violation of the University's appeal the opinion. While she says she
I SCHREIBER nepotism policy by hiring her son and is "disappointed" in the justice
her son's girlfriend. system, she did not blame Feikens for
In addition, Feikens found "over- the outcome.
whelming evidence" that a meal Morris brought the case to court in
ticket was required to enter dining 1980, but before going to trial, Feikens
halls, regardless of race. threw it out of court due to her failure
According to University attorney to go through proper legal
Connie Ettinger, Morris was fired procedures.
Pre-teen punk
Krissy Furman, 4, watches her father play baseball at Elbel field last Sunday with her mother, Amy.