Columbia Seeks Minority Grads

Columbia University, calling for “dramatic” action to increase the number of minority graduate students, announced today it will pay at least half their undergraduate loan debt if they go on to obtain doctorates.

The program will be financed by a $25-million gift for minority scholarships from John W. Kluge, the chairman of Metromedia Inc., who graduated from Columbia 50 years ago on a four-year honor scholarship, the university said in a statement.