To the editor:

We strongly affirm Paul Wilcott’s column about the exorbitant cost of post-secondary education. One of us (Helen) had experiences almost exactly like Wilcott’s: Helen was a student in psychology and linguistics at UT Austin during the late 1960s and got her Ph.D. in 1971, having not paid one penny in tuition. Chuck was an assistant professor of linguistics there from 1966 until 1970. We wonder if our and Mr. Wilcott’s paths may have crossed back in the day.

We went on to teach at CUNY, which had free tuition until 1976. Both institutions offered a high-quality education equal to any available at high-priced private institutions.

Having witnessed the imposition of tuition at CUNY and watched its inexorable increase, we believe that it in fact cheapened the students’ education experiences.

Many other countries, industrualized and not, provide high-quality, tuition-free education to everyone. Why can’t the U.S.?

Charles and Helen Cairns

Ray Brook