$197 a year for college?

4,437 Views | 20 Replies | Last: 3 mo ago by BigJim49 AustinNowDallas
CanyonAg77
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AG


About $5900 a year in 2024 dollars, which would still be a bargain

Fisher, Larry Jene. [Photograph of Texas A&M Informational Circular], photograph, June 12, 1877; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth587533/: accessed August 6, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Lamar University.
Jabin
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Your fees weren't all that much higher than that if you graduated in '77, unless my memory is way off. I was '78 and think that my total bill my fish year was ~$270/semester, or something like that.
CanyonAg77
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I was thinking $800 a semester, room and board included. Amazing bargain, even in 1977
Jabin
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You may be right.

I really appreciate you posting that document. Where did you find it, by the way? I forwarded it to my cousin, '66, because our great-grandfather attended A&M in 1878, one year after that bill. My gg grandfather most likely received and paid something similar.

As an aside, and just as a comment, inflation calculators don't adequately address the value of money long ago because so many things were just priced differently relative to each other. For example, way back when labor was much cheaper than food relative to each other. Today, that equation has reversed. Back in the late 1700s-early 1800s, the British pound was supposedly worth 100x what it is worth today. But one could purchase or construct a 20-bedroom mansion with 500 or so acres for only 500-1000 pounds. Servants could be hired for 50-70 pounds/year or less. Food, however, ate up almost the entire budget of the middle class and below.

Today, we don't truly appreciate the economic freedom provided to us by cheap food. I suppose that is largely due to modern, mechanized agriculture.
CanyonAg77
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Quote:

Where did you find it, by the way?

The Portal to Texas History

Exact link is in OP

Interesting comment about inflation, I think you are correct.
BQ_90
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$5 for a surgeon. Now i see where quack shack name came from
BQ78
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Well a Republican was president, Rutherford B. Hayes, so that was a factor.
Rabid Cougar
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Tuition was $84 plus 5 day meal plan and Corps dorm.. about $1,200 a semester.

Worked summer jobs which paid for school and books.
Ate at Cain on weekends during football season. It was $.29 bean burritos at Taco Bell the rest of the year... Ran out of money around April
jwoodmd
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Board was also relative. Grandfather played football and had his board paid for. For his first two years as an underclassman, he lived in a tent.
FTACo88-FDT24dad
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Jabin said:

You may be right.

I really appreciate you posting that document. Where did you find it, by the way? I forwarded it to my cousin, '66, because our great-grandfather attended A&M in 1878, one year after that bill. My gg grandfather most likely received and paid something similar.

As an aside, and just as a comment, inflation calculators don't adequately address the value of money long ago because so many things were just priced differently relative to each other. For example, way back when labor was much cheaper than food relative to each other. Today, that equation has reversed. Back in the late 1700s-early 1800s, the British pound was supposedly worth 100x what it is worth today. But one could purchase or construct a 20-bedroom mansion with 500 or so acres for only 500-1000 pounds. Servants could be hired for 50-70 pounds/year or less. Food, however, ate up almost the entire budget of the middle class and below.

Today, we don't truly appreciate the economic freedom provided to us by cheap food. I suppose that is largely due to modern, mechanized agriculture.
Good insights. I wonder what the effect of going off the gold standard might be? USA went off in 1933 and UK in 1931.
agracer
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Wife found an old tuition bill from her Sr. Year at A&M (91/92). She lived in one of the nicer dorms (South Side), had a garage spot in the new garage, 15 meals a week and 16 hours.

The bill was $2,200.

That same bill is like $12,000 today. That's 2x what it should cost.
Martin Cash
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AG
My recollection in the early 70's is tuition, fees, corps dorm and 5 day meal plan at Duncan was around $650 per semester.
The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left. Ecclesiastes 10:2
aggiejim70
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Back when Earl Abel's restaurant in San Antonio was still at Broadway and Hilderbran, there was a plaque on the wall that fully explained inflation........The reason a dollar won't do as much for a man today is because a man won't do as much for a dollar.
The person that is not willing to fight and die, if need be, for his country has no right to life.

James Earl Rudder '32
January 31, 1945
whoop1995
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Tuition went down in 1881 according to this postcard in my collection and you could work it off so tuition would be free. They were hurting for students in those years and notice the classes were only for three years. Signed by chemistry professor HH Dinwiddie who would go on to be the dean and have a questionable tenure doing so.

I collect ticket stubs! looking for a 1944 orange bowl and 1981 independence bowl ticket stub as well as Aggie vs tu stubs - 1926 and below, 1935-1937, 1939-1944, 1946-1948, 1950-1951, 1953, 1956-1957, 1959, 1960, 1963-1966, 1969-1970, 1972-1974, 1980, 1984, 1990, 2004, 2008, 2010
BigJim49 AustinNowDallas
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whoop1995 said:

Tuition went down in 1881 according to this postcard in my collection and you could work it off so tuition would be free. They were hurting for students in those years and notice the classes were only for three years. Signed by chemistry professor HH Dinwiddie who would go on to be the dean and have a questionable tenure doing so.


45 stub Tu worth anything?
whoop1995
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BigJim49 AustinNowDallas said:

whoop1995 said:

Tuition went down in 1881 according to this postcard in my collection and you could work it off so tuition would be free. They were hurting for students in those years and notice the classes were only for three years. Signed by chemistry professor HH Dinwiddie who would go on to be the dean and have a questionable tenure doing so.


45 stub Tu worth anything?
I would pay the following but would have to see it. I have one already but maybe yours is better.

Full ticket $50 not out of scrap book
Full ticket out of scrap book $ 35
Nice stub no tears -only torn on line would give you $30
torn not on line stub $20
torn and crinkled out of scrap book $10
I collect ticket stubs! looking for a 1944 orange bowl and 1981 independence bowl ticket stub as well as Aggie vs tu stubs - 1926 and below, 1935-1937, 1939-1944, 1946-1948, 1950-1951, 1953, 1956-1957, 1959, 1960, 1963-1966, 1969-1970, 1972-1974, 1980, 1984, 1990, 2004, 2008, 2010
BigJim49 AustinNowDallas
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Thanks, WHOOP!

Due to my 96 age, value to estate. Didnt know I had it. Was at the game in the end zone
where a lot of action took place.

Pass hit ag end in chest and bounced offf or A&Mwould have won!
Stub is torn right after "1945". Otherwise, in good condition.

Not for sale now but will leave word to contact you when i 'pass"- if ever!






whoop1995
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BigJim49 AustinNowDallas said:

Thanks, WHOOP!

Due to my 96 age, value to estate. Didnt know I had it. Was at the game in the end zone
where a lot of action took place.

Pass hit ag end in chest and bounced offf or A&Mwould have won!
Stub is torn right after "1945". Otherwise, in good condition.

Not for sale now but will leave word to contact you when i 'pass"- if ever!







Awesome! Gig'em Aggie! If you have other tickets please let me know. Also could you give us a couple of stories from those days at A&M. How did you get there? Military career? 96 holy cow that is awesome! Most memorable Aggie game?

Too many questions!!!!!! I would love to sit down with you one day.
I collect ticket stubs! looking for a 1944 orange bowl and 1981 independence bowl ticket stub as well as Aggie vs tu stubs - 1926 and below, 1935-1937, 1939-1944, 1946-1948, 1950-1951, 1953, 1956-1957, 1959, 1960, 1963-1966, 1969-1970, 1972-1974, 1980, 1984, 1990, 2004, 2008, 2010
BigJim49 AustinNowDallas
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Later! Lots of questions!
BigJim49 AustinNowDallas
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BigJim49 AustinNowDallas said:

Later! Lots of questions!
I playedon the B team at Austin High -we played the Tu B team and beat them 12-7! Guess who

made the game ending tackle!

I have a game used football signed by the defensive team from the 2005 win - score 12-7!
BigJim49 AustinNowDallas
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Feb 1945 Frog- 175 in dorm 2 to stop hazing - it didnt work! P heads grabbed us at Duncan. 1300 in Corps-

2000 in ASTP. After war ended, 10,000! Lots of unrest brought on a strike- not much changed.

In 45 went to Navy - weatherman in Majuro, Marshalls. Our weather went ovrr Bikini and Eniewtak
for the first A bomb test after WW2. Went off the day I left - looked but our ship was about 150 miles away.
More later.


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