Some Cost Problems in University Accounting.

Abstract From time to time there appear in the public press news and others items relating to the costs of higher education. Sometimes the reference is to the distinctly personal problem of costs incurred by individuals who "go to college." At other times the reference is to the problem of the costs incurred by colleges and universities in rendering their services. These two problems are, of course, related, not infrequently they are confused. It may be worth while, therefore, to differentiate briefly between them. It seems to the writer that any inquiry into college and university operating costs should recognize this three-fold classification of functions. It may from time to time be most pertinent, if indeed not necessary, for academic and business administrative officers to compare courses and amounts of income with causes and amounts of expense. Deficits do appear, sometimes with alarming frequency. Endowment and special trust funds, moneys available from public treasuries and payments by students may provide quite inadequately for current needs.