
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, January 4, 1995                   TAG: 9501040104
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: FAIRFAX                                 LENGTH: Short

STUDY: UNIVERSITY SPENDING A GOOD DEAL FOR STATE

Students and their parents shelling out thousands for college tuition are banking that the investment will pay off in the job market and in life. A new study suggests they are not the only beneficiaries of higher education.

For each tax dollar Virginia spends educating a student at George Mason University, the student will return an average of $2.74 in income tax and sales revenue to Virginia over their working lives, a study by the university found.

Because of their education at the publicly funded university in Fairfax County, the students studied will collectively earn about $2 billion more than if they had not attended college, according to the study prepared by George Mason's Institute of Public Policy.

The results are hypothetical, and involve projecting graduates' earning power far into the future.

Virginia contributed about $81 million to George Mason last year for education and construction, or about $3,950 per student.

The report comes as Gov. George Allen is recommending serious belt-tightening for public colleges.

The General Assembly convenes this month to consider his proposed budget.

George Mason officials plan to use the study to bolster their case that a proposed 1.5 percent increase in state funding for the university over two years is inadequate.

Memo: NOTE: Shorter version ran in Metro edition.

by CNB