I read recently where the president of a small college compared his job to overseeing a small town with citizens eating, sleeping and working 24 hours a day, while at the same time “operating an intellectual enterprise.” That is not a bad comparison, capturing both the daily familiarity of campus life and the sometimes electrifying power of the learning that is occurring, often below the radar screen of our awareness.

And citizens of towns as well as the municipalities themselves pay bills! As Congress struggles to balance a budget in the face of hurricane relief needs, and as we give thought to tuition rates for the next year, we are reminded that a college like Schreiner is very much a delicate collaboration. Students pay fees, but their ability to do so is greatly enhanced—at nearly 40 percent of the tuition rate—by a host of others. Folks like you who contribute to the annual fund and others who have made bequests that support scholarships are a key part of the puzzle. The federal government’s Pell Grants and the Tuition Equalization Grants from the state of Texas are also significant elements.

Gifts, endowment funds, federal and state aid will provide nearly $7 million in grants and $4.5 million in loans and work study support this year, enabling our 822 students to pursue their dreams. Putting that puzzle together each year is a challenge for both our staff and the families of our students. You can understand how we cringe when we hear that Congress will keep Pell Grants flat for a fourth year or will reduce student loan subsidies by $15 billion. We know there is no fresh pocket to go to, and we know how high the cost is to the country for students not to be able to continue their studies.

When time comes to plan the coming year’s tuition rates, these thoughts will be in our minds. Even when the CPI says costs have risen 2.5 percent or 3 percent, we know that our budget’s peculiar blend of salary, technology, utilities, and insurance has been hoisted well above that figure. But there are the families out there who are doing their own strategizing about how to pay for next year…and so it goes.

Like running a small city—and an intellectual enterprise. And your generosity is a big reason why it all works as beautifully as it does. We don’t ever thank you enough, but here is one more big THANK YOU coming from Schreiner on a beautiful fall afternoon of learning.

Tim Summerlin, President