For 13 years the University had a streak of declining tuition hikes. That trend ended last Friday when GW’s Board of Trustees approved a 4.9 percent tuition hike, up from a 4.4 percent raise last year.

It is not a surprise the University raised tuition and it is even understandable that most of the budget increase will repay debts accumulated by GW’s recent construction projects.

But it is lamentable that GW still costs more than Cornell, Yale and Northwestern universities. In addition to boasting better academic reputations and historical legacies, the other universities have billion dollar endowments. These endowments enable universities to rely less on tuition dollars for operating expenses, which would free up resources for improvements in other areas.

Last week, The Hatchet reported that the sluggish economy had not vastly affected the University’s endowment. It was even mentioned that the University was fortunate that it did not depend vastly on its endowment.

But when GW depends on tuition for 73 percent of its revenue, the University is forced to increase tuition to pay for expensive projects. While other universities with larger endowments can keep tuition rates in check, GW officials do not have that luxury.

It is difficult to argue with the University’s plan to allocate the additional revenue – about half will go to facilities and repaying debts and nearly 20 percent will go to professor and administrative staff increases. Financial aid will also receive its largest increase in three years.

But a larger endowment would enable the University to free up resources for students’ number one concern – academics. It seems that academics is the one area that can benefit most from added resources, whether GW hires more professors or continues to attract important speakers.

We are confident in the University’s planning and accounting, but whenever students must pay for the University, the onus is on the administration to demonstrate that tuition dollars are well spent.

With the cost of attending GW now almost a fourth higher for incoming freshmen than it was for the class of 2002, another sad reality is setting in: the adage where students say, “This is what my $30,000 pays for” is getting dangerously close to becoming $40,000.