Logical Reasoning

PT121 · S1 · Q10 The administration at a certain

A free, expert breakdown of this official LSAT Logical Reasoning question.

Save & drill this skill — build targeted practice sets from questions like this one
Video walkthroughs — watch every question solved step by step
81 official LSATs — as questions, timed sections & full-length tests

The administration at a certain university has explained this year’s tuition increase by citing increased spending on faculty salaries and on need-based aid to students.

Conclusion

The administration's explanation is not believable. rephrase: the tuition increase was not because of increased spending on faculty salaries or need-based aid.

Evidence

Faculty salaries are only a small part of the university's budget, and the only significant increases in scholarship aid are to academics-based scholarships, not need-based.

Evaluate / Goal

We can strengthen this argument by either pointing to a different explanation for why tuition increased or by adding more plausibility to the ideas that it's not going up because of more spending on faculty salaries or on need-based aid.

10.

Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument that the administration's explanation is not believable?

With this year’s budget, the
No Impact
This goes in the wrong direction, for our author, since scholarship aid did go up. Now naturally we know that the increase in scholarship aid was predominantly from academics-based aid, not need-based aid, but we got that from the existing premise. This answer itself isn't adding anything helpful to us. It isn't providing a different reason for the tuition increase, and it's not adding a new fact that makes us less likely to think the tuition increase came from more scholarship money to needs-based students.
3% picked this
With this year’s budget, the
Weakens, if anything
The fact that the tuition went up (6%) by more than faculty salaries went up (5%) shows that the tuition increase is not fully explained by increased spending on faculty salaries. But it could still be largely explained by increased spending on faculty salaries, since the uptick in salary spending nearly matches the uptick in tuition. And the author was never saying that the uptick in tuition was wholly explained by spending on faculty salaries, just partially explained by it.
7% picked this
Faculty salaries at the university
Weakens
Both ideas mentioned here boost the plausibility of the administration's explanation. The fact that salaries have increased supports the idea of increased spending on faculty salaries. And the fact that the government has yanked some scholarship money to students who clearly need it (they are having financial difficulties without that aid) suggests that there was good reason for the university to potentially increase spending on need-based aid.
8% picked this
Correct
Of the substantial items in
Why this is right
This strengthens the author's conclusion that "the increase in tuition was not due to higher spending on salaries and need-based it" by pointing to a potential Alternate Explanation for why tuition went up. The author can say, "Faculty salaries aren't a significant part of the budget. Meanwhile, admin costs, facilities maintenance, and athletics facilities are all major parts of the budget that increased. Thus, they are probably the main reason for the increase in tuition."
Skill tested: Strengthen · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.
80% picked this
Because enrollment projections at the
No Impact
The fact that it's hard to estimate how much money will come in from tuition fees doesn't have anything to do with this argument. This is a constant factor, not a variable one that affects this year differently from previous years. We can't use this answer to support an Alternate Explanation for why tuition increased. And we can't use this answer to diminish the plausibility that the tuition increase related to faculty salaries or need-based aid.
3% picked this

Continue the review in LSAT Lab

Save this question, watch the video walkthrough, and drill similar questions in your LSAT Lab account.

Save and practice this skill

LSAT Lab

Turn this review into a targeted study plan.

Save this question, drill more like it, watch the video walkthrough, and track your progress in your LSAT Lab account.

Start practicing free