Paying for college just keeps getting tougher, especially at U.Va.

The other day I was sitting in the waiting room of my ophthalmologists’ office to learn the results of my annual eye examination. I happened to pick up a copy of The University of Virginia Magazine.

While perusing the articles, I ran across a timeline entitled “Time and Money.” Several things in the article caught my eye, but before I could finish it the good doctor called me into his office to go over the results of the examination (the results were good for an old-timer like me).

I mentioned to him that he could have let me sit in the waiting room a bit longer so that I could have finished the article, so he had his nurse give the magazine to me as I was leaving. I really appreciated that, as I wanted to know how the article ended.

Let me cite a few of the “Money” figures, and then I will place an observation or two before you.

n First, slightly less than 40 years ago the tuition and fees at U.Va. for in-state students was $484, which in 2008 dollars is $2,683 (I’m assuming that was a year).

n Second, the average compensation for the faculty was $21,369, which in 2008 dollars is $103,505. (This figure was from 36 years ago.)

n Third, the University (academic division) received 37 percent of its funds from the state.

Now we find that in this past academic year:

n The tuition for an in-state student is $9,300 — an astounding increase of almost 20 times that of 40 years ago.

n The compensation for faculty is $128,980 — an increase of only 6 times that of 36 years ago

n And the state level of funding for the University is now only 8.2 percent of its operating budget.

Each of these elements involved in obtaining a degree from a state-supported institution of higher learning is troubling to me (and I have no family member who could be potentially affected).

Had the increase in tuition and fees for the in-state student merely kept pace with the deflation of the dollar, the cost of higher education would not be constraining the ability of many worthy students to attend U.Va. Or, in some cases, they would not be saddled with large debts upon their graduation.

Looking at the modest growth in compensation for the faculty, one could ask why it hasn’t kept pace with the growth in tuition. You can only keep dedicated teachers at unrewarding pay scales for so long before they move to better-paying fields.

Finally, with respect to the state funding support, I believe that for this state and this nation to remain competitive with much of the rest of the world, we must expand the educational opportunities available to those young people desiring to increase their abilities.

n n n

Switching gears, I have mentioned before that I’ve been a Chicago Cubs fan since 1938 and have fervently hoped that they would once again attain the pinnacles of the days of “Tinkers to Evers to Chance,” but no longer.

I have watched (via television) the pitiful efforts of the many overpaid clowns they put on the field — they do have some players worth their salt, but they are few.

They are paying their “ace” pitcher $18.7 million this year —this for a guy who has a 7-4 record and whose average record for his time in the big leagues is 11-7; they are paying an outfielder $17 million, and he leads both leagues in the number of errors made by an outfielder; they are paying another pitcher $12 million, and he hasn’t made one pitch against big-league batters this year; his career record is 21-28, and they just released him.

Who contributes more to the progress of society: the university professor or these clowns?

Bayne’s column runs every Sunday on the editorial page.