The New York Regents' Plan

Abstract

T HE educational system of the State of New York is unique in many of its aspects. Some of the unique features give it strength and some may be responsible for its weaknesses. The Board of Regents representing the people of the state is entrusted with the authority to determine policies and to exercise supervision over all educational matters. The State Education Department is the administrative organization that carries out policies set forth by the regents. Since all education from kindergarten through university, from vocational to academic, both public and private, must operate under the policies established by the regents, their responsibility to the public is great indeed. Probably no other state education department or board of education has such an opportunity for leadership in the development of a state-wide program of education. Yet, in the field of higher education, most of the development that can be recognized in New York is the result of the use of private resources and individual initiative which have often originated in church organizations and developed into institutions that serve the public interest even though they may not be controlled by the public directly. There are now ninety degreegranting institutions in New York. Most of these colleges and universities are independent, relying in large part on students' fees to meet their operating costs. The average of the yearly tuition fees charged by these colleges is $352; however, 65 per cent of the college students pay $350 or more. Added to this are the necessary expenses for books, board, room, extra clothes, and travel, which make the total cost for the academic year average $8So. To this should probably be added the student's loss of earnings while studying. The figure given here is only for essentials in an average institution, and the student who can find the money may go to a more expensive institution or spend more for nonessentials so that the cost of a college year is often two, and sometimes three, times the figure just given. Consequently, selection for admission is more often based on ability to pay the bills than on ability to do college work. Of the students who enter high school in New York State, only So per cent graduate; and of those, only 42 per cent go on to some kind of higher education. This latter percentage holds for the top-ranking