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25, 2012 | V
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MISSISSIPPIAN T h e S t u d e n t N e w s pa p e r
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M i ss i ss i p p i | S e r v i n g O l e M i ss
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Ole Miss distributing reasonable amount April tax revenues of merit aid On average, Ole Miss provides more merit aid to students than both MSU and Southern Miss. BY ADAM GANUCHEAU aganucheau24@gmail.com
In the midst of a struggling economy, students across the country who need financial aid to attend colleges and universities might not be getting all the money they deserve. Most colleges and universities with higher costs of attendance have distributed less merit aid to more students in the last five years, while most colleges and universities with lower costs of attendance have distributed more merit aid to fewer students in the last five years, according to a recent New York Times article. Merit aid includes scholarships and grants that students received based on special talent such as academics, activities or sports. The chart from the New York Times shows that, for the 20112012 school year, the University of Mississippi had an average cost of tuition of $5,548, and 24 percent of freshmen received merit aid from the school—a mere 4 percent increase from the 2007-2008 school year. However, the average amount of aid given to that 24 percent of freshmen is $5,530—an increase of 37 percent from the 2007-2008 school year. Based on the averages, students are responsible for having to pay
about $18 out of pocket for tuition. With the announcement of tuition at Ole Miss increasing 8.5 percent for the 2012-2013 school year, students have worried about being able to afford school. The chart shows that Ole Miss is granting a reasonable amount of merit aid to students who truly deserve it— more so than other universities in the state, at least. At Mississippi State University, the average cost of tuition in 2011-2012 was $5,570 — $40 more than Ole Miss. Just like Ole Miss, 24 percent of freshmen received merit aid from Mississippi State in 2011-2012. However, unlike Ole Miss, that 24 percent is a 19 percent drop from the 2007-2008 school year. The average amount of merit aid given to students at Mississippi State is only $3,096, which would leave students at Mississippi State having to pay about $2,474 out of pocket for tuition. At the University of Southern Mississippi, the average cost of tuition in 2011-2012 was $5,562—$32 more than at Ole Miss. However, only 11 percent of freshmen received merit aid from Southern Miss—13% less than those that received aid at Ole Miss. Additionally, an average of $3,982 was given to that 11 percent, which leaves
increase for Oxford Because of events like the Double Decker Festival and the Grove Bowl, both restaurant and hotels saw an increase in business during the month of April.
BY KAYLEIGH SKINNER kaskinne@go.olemiss.edu
students at Southern Miss having to pay about $1,580 out of pocket. While these numbers are
Last week at the Oxford Tourism Council Meeting, positive numbers were released for the most recent figures in tax revenue. For the month of April 2012, hotel and motel taxes collected increased dramatically. The food and beverage tax collected from restaurants also increased. This year $22,838 in hotel and motel taxes were collected for the month of April, a 27 percent increase since April 2011. This comes from a two percent hotel motel tax added to all rooms that the consumer pays for. Director of Tourism and Marketing at the Oxford Convention and Visitors Bureau Mary-Kathryn Harrington said they use this money to promote Oxford and create GRAPHIC BY CAIN MADDEN | The Daily Mississippian more hotel rooms for hoteliers. Chan Patel, the owner of the based on averages, Ole Miss Hampton Inn in Oxford, plans appears to have the better ratios to build another hotel by the Oxford Conference Center. On West Jackson Avenue, Bruce PaSee AID, PAGE 5 tel of Tupelo plans to also build a new hotel. “As more hotels are developed, we have a capacity for more guests to stay in Oxford, which generates more tax,” Herrington said. “Currently, on big weekends we far exceed the cachapter of Engineers Without pacity Oxford currently has for guests to stay and thus people go to surrounding towns to stay in their hotels.” that had the right people and The two “big weekends” likeeveryone had something big to ly responsible for the increase in contribute,” Surbeck said. taxes collected are the Double The team will consist of civil Decker Festival and the Grove engineering major Alan BarBowl, which both take place in gar, geological engineering April. Both events bring flocks major Elsie Okoye, civil engiof tourists to Oxford, and though neering major Maddie Costelthis certainly books the city’s ho-
Students travel to Togo for engineering mission trip Three Students and five professors will make a trip to Lomé, Togo as part of the Ole Miss Borders from August 6 -13. BY LAUREN BAKER lmbaker2@go.olemiss.edu
The Ole Miss chapter of Engineers Without Borders will be in Lomé, Togo on an engineer mission trip August 6 to 13. The team of eight will consist of three professors and five students.
The students in the study abroad program will earn one class credit. The team has had to raise about $30,000 to pay for the trip. According to Dr. Cris Surbeck, assistant professor of civil engineering, a year of planning and proposals went into the trip before approval was ob-
tained from Engineers Without Borders. The team was also required to make a 5-year commitment to the village. The student team was selected based on experiences with engineering work, first aid knowledge, language and communication skills. “We needed to build a team
See TOGO, PAGE 5
See REVENUE, PAGE 5