Friday, February 6, 1998
Law school claims student funds properly used
LAWSCHOOL: Officials state that appropriate portion of
differential fees was allocated to Bruins
By Emi Kojima
Daily Bruin Contributor
On Wednesday, UCLA Law School administrators strongly denied
reports that financial aid funds have been held from students.
"We want to be sure that our own students, and students thinking
about where they’re going to law school, don’t feel that we’re
somehow eroding the program," said Law School Dean Susan
Prager.
The Student Bar Association (SBA) passed a resolution on Monday
after hearing reports of a possible misuse of financial aid money.
Students were worried that not all money allocated for financial
aid went there.
SBA Resolution No. 4 opposes any reduction to specific money set
aside for financial aid from "differential fees," the costs law
students pay on top of their tuition to fund existing programs hurt
by cuts in the 1995 budget.
In 1995, when those budget cuts were made and the differential
fee was introduced, the UC Regents allocated one-third of
differential fee money for financial aid.
John J. Power, chief finance and administrative officer of the
law school, refuted the claim that all allocated differential fee
money did not go to financial aid.
He reported that students will pay over $5 million in
differential fees for the 1997-1998 school year, including the
one-third for financial aid, approximately $1.7 million.
Next year, the principal of the approximately $8 million David
Simon Fund, left to the law school in the will of an alumnus, will
replace the differential fee money allocated for financial aid.
Since the law school must use the donation exclusively for
scholarships, the money will replace allocated differential fees
for financial aid.
"The SBA board passed this resolution because we thought it was
the time to make known students’ preferences with regard to
financial aid and differential fee policy at the law school," said
Nguyen.
One claim reported to the SBA was that financial aid money was
used to help pay for the construction of the new law library.
"The biggest (report) we’d like to stamp out, and there have
been rumors about this for years, is that we’re taking differential
fee money and paying for the library with it," Prager said, "and
that is absolutely false."
Power said that "differential fee funds – but not the financial
aid portion of differential fee funds – have been used to support
the operations of the law library."
In fact, because of delays with library construction, the
faculty decided to share their private library with students. The
faculty library could open as soon as the end of this month.
The SBA resolution also encouraged the law school to maintain
the quality of its financial aid office in light of the recent
resignation of the financial aid director. It also suggests that
students are included discussing the budget.
Administrators said that they will continue to run the financial
aid office that was established three years ago
"We want the law school to maintain the same high quality of
service we had before. When the director left, it causes some
concern," said Nguyen.
The director of financial aid was replaced by Assistant Dean Liz
Cheadle’s former assistant, Veronica Wilson.
Nguyen also said that students should have a role in the
financial-aid process.
"The University of California can pride itself in having its
philosophy of shared governance," said Nguyen, "And implied in
shared governance is a student role."
The prospect of having student involvement in budgetary
proceedings is unlikely, according to administration officials.
"I would not favor (student involvement)," said Prager.
Before SBA Resolution No. 4 was passed, SBA representatives met
with Prager and Assistant Dean Barbara Varat.
Prager and Varat expressed disappointment that issues they
thought were resolved at the meeting were addressed by the
resolution.
"I think the dissonance between this resolution and the meeting
we had only hours before speaks for itself," said Prager.
"Clearly communication has to get better," she said.