PAUL E. KLOPSTEG 



inevitable, then, that ten years hence practically every college 

 and university would be dependent on government to cover 

 deHcit operations. 



Direct government subsidy by way of general kinds for 

 higher education is most undesirable — if not, indeed, infeasible 

 — in our situation. Consider the great diversity in kind and 

 purpose of our institutions; consider that every one is located 

 in a congressional district; consider the ease with which a 

 member of the Congress can exert pressure; and consider the 

 empire-building tendencies of bureaucracy. 



If the threat of diminished autonomy is cause for appre- 

 hension, which I believe it to be, then we have a challenging 

 and major job, easy to define but difficult to accomplish. Clearly, 

 it is the task of recovering, preserving, and maintaining self- 

 determination for higher education, in all its responsibilities. An 

 effective way would be to induce such a flow of support, from 

 large numbers of private sources, in such volume as to minimize 

 or prevent deficits. This would minimize or obviate the need for 

 Government subsidy and, hence, the threat of intrusion or con- 

 trol. The suggestion may sound too obvious or too visionary to 

 deserve attention, but since no other alternative has appeared, 

 it should be examined critically. 



It is the millions of individuals with active or potential 

 interest in higher education who constitute a source which will 

 produce a much greater volume of uncommitted gifts, if a 

 strong, positive incentive for making them can be established. 



Why are such private sources not now doing what is so 

 seriously needed? On this question, it is illuminating to con- 

 sider how the operation of the internal revenue code affects the 

 ability of an individual to make charitable gifts. Significant is 

 the provision of permitting tax-free gifts up to 30 per cent of 

 the donor's adjusted gross income. If all took advantage in full 

 of this seeming magnanimity of the law, gifts based on estimated 



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