College Tuition

Two words to students hoping to get a break on college tuition now that Harvard and a handful of rivals have increased financial aid to middle-class students: Fat chance. Most colleges say they aren't loosening the purse strings just yet, although as financial-aid season approaches they are under intense pressure from parents to offer Harvard-style deals. Ursinus College's enrollment director, Richard DiFeliciantonio, said a parent already had called him to ask: "'If Harvard can do this for their kids, why can't you?

Two words to students hoping to get a break on college tuition now that Harvard and a handful of rivals have increased financial aid to middle-class students: Fat chance. Most colleges say they aren't loosening the purse strings just yet, although as financial-aid season approaches they are under intense pressure from parents to offer Harvard-style deals. Ursinus College's enrollment director, Richard DiFeliciantonio, said a parent already had called him to ask: "'If Harvard can do this for their kids, why can't you?

Several leading universities have taken steps to reduce the exorbitant tuition rates for middle- and lower-income families. That's good news for the elite few who get in to the Harvards and Yales. But what about the rest of the schools? College tuitions keep climbing, but many students have no recourse but to take out more loans, often at steep interest rates. The likelihood of being in debt for a dozen years discourages many from going to college and is a big reason others do not finish.

Several leading universities have taken steps to reduce the exorbitant tuition rates for middle- and lower-income families. That's good news for the elite few who get in to the Harvards and Yales. But what about the rest of the schools? College tuitions keep climbing, but many students have no recourse but to take out more loans, often at steep interest rates. The likelihood of being in debt for a dozen years discourages many from going to college and is a big reason others do not finish.

  In a delightful matter of life imitating art, the Daily News has learned that former Eagle Vince Papale is quietly growing his family some deep South Philly roots. As has been noted, the movie "Invincible" took more than a few liberties with his actual past, relocating the Delaware County-bred Papale to a South Philadelphia rowhouse, for example, and hooking him up with a football-savvy bartender. In reality, his love interest and wife is a former USA World gymnast and current Realtor, the market-savvy Janet Cantwell-Papale.

American men, at least some of us, have always wanted to stay part boy. That's why men at 40, 50 and 60, though relatively sane, keep playing games - basketball, softball, running, triathlon, biking, tennis, golf. Such men will be among the 15,000 running the Philadelphia Marathon on Sunday, testing the remains of youth at the expense of their bodies - arthritic knees and hips, painful backs, strained Achilles tendons. These guys still want the morning sun to shine on their marathon or 10K run, on their jump shot, their backhand, their breakaway on the bike.

Gov. Corzine's proposed cuts in funding could translate into college tuition increases as high as 30 percent, higher-education officials told an Assembly committee in Collingswood yesterday. Rowan University president Donald Farish said Corzine's $11 million cut to the Glassboro school - more than 20 percent of its operating budget - "is difficult to manage in any rational way. " Farish pledged that Rowan would find places other than just tuition to make up the shortfall, but beseeched lawmakers to reinstate the funding before the state budget is finalized in June.

RE RONNIE POLANECZKY'S Jan. 19 column: Drew Weston-Ball, a senior at Bodine High in Philadelphia, is trying to sell advertising space on his hand to help pay for college. Many innovative kids like Drew will have to go severely into debt to banks to get higher education. Many will also give up the dream of going to college because this country is pricing most out of it. This is what we are doing to our youth, our posterity! This is a bipartisan issue. No one in Congress is taking this seriously enough.