The Recommendations of the Oxford University Commissioners, with Selections from Their Report

maintain their Students at a fixed price, and were themselves liable to suffer from dishonesty or carelessness. Reforms which it may be difficult or impossible to introduce into a single College, will become easy if all Colleges can be induced to agree upon a uniform system and simultaneous action. This is incumbent upon the Authorities of Colleges, if only because it is alleged to be for the advantage of the Students themselves that they are now compelled to undergo the expenses incidental to connexion with a College or a Hall in order to graduate in the University.

Estimate of the actual College Expenses.

We have before said that we are not able to lay before Your Majesty an exact account of the sums charged by each College, or of the items included in the bills delivered to the young men. No two Colleges make precisely the same charges, and perhaps no two individuals in the same College pay the same amount. The knowledge, therefore, which we possess ourselves, and even the bills of Undergraduates which have been laid before us, do not enable us to give such information as would be rigorously true of the Colleges in general, or of other individuals whose accounts we have not examined. We must be content with offering an approximation.

We must premise that we have assumed 26 weeks as the ordinary length of an academic year, and 84 weeks as the whole necessary time of residence during the four years which pass between Matriculation and the first Degree.

The following calculations, based on the Evidence, will convey a general notion of the expenses incurred by College Students:

In Pembroke College* we find that the average College battels, including tuition, washing, coals, and entertainments, besides the ordinary expenses of food, room rent, &c., amount to 2717. for the 84 weeks. We add a moderate

* Evidence, p. 377.

allowance for other expenses, including University and College fees, servants, books, groceries, and lights, with loss on furniture, and estimate the whole sum at about 3707., as what ought to be the average cost of a Degree at Pembroke College.

Mr. Temple has given us an account of the expenses of an economical Undergraduate at Balliol; from which we calculate that, with great frugality, a young man at that College may take his Degree for about 3701. This includes the items mentioned in the case of Pembroke, though not to the same extent as regards entertainments. The evidence of the Bursars of Balliol† shows that the average expenses of that College are much higher than those stated by Mr. Temple.

A calculation, based on the evidence of Mr. Conybeare,‡ and including the same items, gives about 360l. as a fair estimate of the expenses required from a young man during his academical course at Christ Church.

In University College, taking the average amount of the Battels, and making the same calculation for other necessary items as in Pembroke, Balliol, and Christ Church, we estimate the average expenses of graduation to be about 4307.§

It is to be observed that none of these calculations include caution-money, travelling, clothes, wine, desserts, or

amusements.

Mr. Eaton, one of the Tutors of Merton College,|| states the sum of 1507. to be the lowest yearly sum for which he has known an Undergraduate to live in that Society. We understand Mr. Eaton to include in this sum expenses of every kind, such as are excluded in the former calculation. His statement of the average battels leads us to infer that this is much below the usual cost of living in that College. At St. Edmund Hall, Mr. Hill,¶ the Vice-Principal, + Ibid., p. 317. Ibid., p. 339, [and supra, p. 145.]

* Evidence, pp. 123-125.

§ Ibid., p. 311.

|| Ibid., pp. 320, 321. Evidence of St. Edmund Hall, p. 384, [and supra, p. 167.]

informs us that one or two members who have recently graduated have not exceeded 2407. in the amount of their College Bills, during the four years of their residence, inclusive of caution-money, admission fees, furniture of rooms, and fees on taking the Degree. Several have defrayed the whole of their academic expenses from matriculation to graduation, comprehending both College bills and private expenses, with the exception of clothes and journeys,

for 3801.

In every College, wine-parties with desserts, are common. Such entertainments are very costly, even where the bounds of moderation are not exceeded. There are also various amusements, of which even the cheapest kinds involve considerable expense.

We have not thought it necessary to describe at length the accounts received from Lincoln, Corpus, Wadham, St. John's, Jesus, Worcester, Magdalen Hall, and St. Alban Hall, which appear in the Evidence. They lead to the same conclusions as the statements which we have made.*

Actual Average Expenses throughout the University under the present system.

On the whole, we believe that a parent, who, after supplying his son with clothes and supporting him at home during the vacations, has paid for him during his University course not more than 6007., and is not called upon to discharge debts at its close, has reason to congratulate himself. Those who allow their sons a private Tutor should add proportionably to their estimate. Private Tutors usually charge 107. a term, or 301. a-year, for three hours a week; 177. 10s. a term, or 501. a-year, for six hours a week. Private Tutors of high standing expect 201. a term: 307. is usually paid by young men who join a reading party during the long vacation.

Evidence, pp. 326, 338, 344, 358, 363, 23, 381, 383.

Our statements thus far are of course incomplete, as the Colleges could not inform us with accuracy of the amount expended by the Students over and above their "battels." It will be useful, therefore, to add the items of actual expenditure furnished by two young men both of high character, but of different habits, who had kept careful accounts throughout their whole course.

The first is a member of Pembroke College, who informs us that, with the sum mentioned below, "he managed tho"roughly to enjoy himself throughout his academical course, frequently saw and entertained his friends at breakfast "parties, went to concerts occasionally, but never boated or " cricketed." He did not give regular wine parties, but from time to time saw a few friends after dinner.

"This table," he says, "contains the entire expenses "from Matriculation to taking the Degree of B.A.; many "of them being, of course, quite unconnected with the Uni"versity, and including, under the head of miscellanea""—

"Travelling expenses.

"Books (amounting to about 117. or 127. per annum).
"Clothes.

"Medical attendance (in one year alone, 77. 10s.)

"All personal expenditure in the vacations, exclusive of board " and lodging only (as the young man then lived with his "parents).

"It will be seen, also, that the expenses of the first year 66 are about double those of the second and third years,