IN THE DECADE SINCE THE SUPREME COURT DECISION OF 1954 SOUTHERN STATES HAVE DEVISED SCHEMES TO PREVENT SCHOOL DESEGREGATION. MOST OF THEM ARE NOW ELIMINATED OR REJECTED AS UNCONSTITUTIONAL BY FEDERAL COURTS. ONE PLAN TO EVADE INTEGRATION WHICH THE COURTS HAVE NOT YET OVERTHROWN IS THE TUITION GRANT OR "FREEDOM OF CHOICE" SCHEME. THIS PLAN GIVES STATE OR LOCAL TUITION MONEY TO CHILDREN SELECTING A PRIVATE SCHOOL AS THEIR CHOICE OF AN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION. AN EXAMINATION OF THE TUITION PLAN IN FIVE SOUTHERN STATES, THEIR OPERATION AND COSTS, COURT LITIGATION ON THEIR LEGALITY, AND EXPRESSIONS FOR AND AGAINST THE PLANS ARE DISCUSSED AS GUIDES IN DETERMINING THE WORTH OF SUCH PLANS. IN VIRGINIA, WHERE THE "FREEDOM OF CHOICE" GRANTS ORIGINATED, SCHOOL CHILDREN CAN RECEIVE TUITION GRANTS TO NONSECTARIAN PRIVATE SCHOOLS, AND SUCH PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS HAVE FLOURISHED. AT THE SAME TIME, VIRGINIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE AMONG THE NATION'S POOREST ACADEMICALLY, AND THE PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS ARE AMONG THE LOWEST PAID AND LEAST SCHOOLED. IN GEORGIA, CHILDREN ALREADY IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS OVERWHELMINGLY EXERCISED THE NEW "FREEDOM OF CHOICE" FOR PRIVATE WHITE SCHOOLS, AND THE SYSTEM PROVED TO BE BOTH A FORCE AND A FAILURE. TUITION GRANTS IN LOUISIANA HAVE COST THE STATE $53,600,000, AND EXORBITANT COSTS IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND ALABAMA ARE EXPECTED IF DISTRICTS CONTINUE TO APPLY FOR GRANTS. IN SUMMARY, TUITION GRANTS AND PROGRAMS EXERCISING THE FREEDOM NOT TO ASSOCIATE WITH NEGROES APPEAR TO HAVE COST ENORMOUSLY AND ACHIEVED LITTLE. THEY HAVE HELPED TO EVADE FEDERAL LAW AND TO DELAY ADJUSTMENT TO INTEGRATION. THIS IS AN ISSUE OF "NEW SOUTH," VOLUME 19, NUMBER 4, APRIL 1964.