Mark Slyman – 5/17/12

This page was last updated on May 17, 2012.

Colleges should step up; Mark Slyman; Beaver County Times; May 17, 2012.

Mr. Slyman has written at least 14 letters since March 2009. The previous Slyman letters I critiqued are here, here, and here.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“With all the negative news these days about the state of American college life, including the unfortunate fact many students will be burdened to pay back large sums of money in student loan debts for many years to come, it was a nice surprise when I heard Brown University, the Ivy League school in Providence, R.I., will donate $31.5 million over the next 11 years to help ease that city’s financial woes.

“I was thinking how nice it would be if more colleges in this country would do a similar thing instead of always hiding behind their tax-exempt status, which Brown could have done if it wanted to.”

[RWC] I have no problem with non-profits paying taxes. That said, Mr. Slyman didn’t mention the source of the money the colleges would donate, the students and school donors. Money is fungible, so any additional expenses – like donations to municipalities – will be paid at least in part by tuition increases for “students [already] … burdened to pay back large sums of money in student loan debts for many years to come.”