????當然，這一切都需要成本。尼爾森和哈維都清楚，在最早的這一批學生身上投入的成本將超出學生們支付的學費（如果把獎學金也算在內的話，將更加入不敷出）。他們倆都不確定何時才能達到收支平衡。但尼爾森說過，如果密涅瓦的學生人數能夠達到其母校賓夕法尼亞大學（The University of Pennsylvania）的水平（大約25,000人），就能實現盈利。

????哈維認為，沒有實際的基礎設施建設，也不需要聘用研究型教授，這些將會讓密涅瓦降低成本。但后面一點有待商榷，因為研究型教授帶來的投資通常超過他們的聘用成本。但哈維認為，從長遠來看，要像打造一款奢侈品品牌那樣來打造密涅瓦大學。

????“奢侈品牌的核心在于高門檻。日用消費品中的奢侈品意味著高成本。而教育行業的奢侈品則意味著高水平的錄取標準。密涅瓦保證了名校的招生標準，但并未刻意制約達到錄取標準的學生人數。它將重新定義精英教育。”

????譯者：李玫曉/汪皓

????All of this does, of course, cost money and both Nelson and Harvey acknowledge that Minerva's initial students will cost more than they pay (particularly once potential scholarships are factored in). Neither would identify a break-even point, except for Nelson saying that Minerva would be profitable if it got to the point of having as many students as his alma matter, The University of Pennsylvania (approx. 25,000).

????Benchmark's Harvey said that Minerva would save money by eschewing physical infrastructure and research-focused professors. Not quite clear on the latter point, given that such folks generally bring in more money than they cost (via matching grants), but his broader point is that building Minerva is a lot like building a luxury brand.

????"Luxury brands are about elite access. In consumer goods, that's elite cost. In education, it's elite criteria for admission. Minerva is maintaining those high standards, but not artificially limiting the number of people who can meet it.... This really may be redefining education."