Self-Help in Colleges

Self-Help in College How Students may Work their Way Through College BY ROBERT STEWART, PH.D., CHEMIST UTAH AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE Can I obtain work at college so as to pay part, at least, of my student expenses ? This is one of the most frequent questions received by the college authorities from prospective students. What is the opportunity for a poor boy dependent upon his own resources to obtain an education ? Can it be done ? It depends largely upon the boy himself. The opportunity can be found in almost any college. It is being done each year by thousands of our best students. If a young man possesses ability, energy and perseverance, there is no reason why he should not obtain an education. The State provides the institution and its support ; the young man must furnish the energy and support himself. How can he do this? In most of the state institutions the tuition fee is free, or only nominal. In the endowed institutions, the tuition fee varies from $120 to $250 per year. This is an item of considerable importance, yet the endowed institutions are frequently located in the larger cities where the opportunity for work is better. The prospective poor student will generally find that the college is glad to receive him. The first year, however, is the hardest to get started right. It is always advisable for the student to have available at least enough money to pay all his expenses the first year. It is better, if necessary, to remain away from college one year longer to earn the necessary money for the first year's expenses at college. The student thus is able to utilize the first year to better advantage in getting himself properly adjusted to the local condition and to learn wherein lies the best opportunity for self-help. There are at least eight sources from which such help may be obtained, as follows: (1) fellowship, (2) scholarship, (3) loan funds, (4) student assistants, (5) student employment, (6) outside employment, (7) summer work, (8) prizes. How can one secure help from these sources? Is it possible for a student, dependent on his own resources, to obtain sufficient help to enable him to secure an education? The manner in which such help may be secured and the character and monetary value is indicated below : FELLOWSHIPS Fellowships are reserved by the university authorities for

SELF-HELP IN COLLEGE 223 the benefit of the advanced students, usually for those who have obtained the bachelor's degree and have signified their intention of working for an advanced degree such as the doctorate. The fellowships are derived in one of two ways : Either by direct appropriation of the controling board of the university, or by contribution from some wealthy individual, usually in memory of some departed relative who was formerly a student, or, occasionally by some wealthy alumnus or group of alumni. Sometimes only the interest on a certain fixed sum of money is available. Occasionally some industrial company has a problem in their business requiring solution for which they establish a fellowship for one, two or three years, and provide a fixed sum of money for this purpose. The value of the fellowship varies usually within somewhat narrow limits from $300 to $600 per annum. There are fellowships of less value, and occasionally a few of as high a value as $1200. A fellowship is awarded to a student by the Board of Regents upon the recommendation of the particular department in which the student is working. The fellowship is usually awarded to students who have been in residence at the university for at least one year after receiving the bachelor's degree. Occasionally new students from other institutions receive a fellowship, but their chances are not so good as those in attendance. The holder ©f the fellowship, called a fellow, is expected to give the university a certain amount of service in return for his salary. This service varies and frequently consits. of serving as an instructor, editing journals, reading examination papers, assisting in the laboratory, library or museum. With certain fellowships and in certain institutions no service is expected from the students. The amount of service expected of students, however, is not sufficient to interfere with their studies. SCHOLARSHIPS Scholarships are usually assigned to undergraduate students. The monetary consideration, when such is given, is much smaller than the fellowship. Frequently, however, the scholar simply receives a remission of fees such as tuition and laboratory fees. In some institutions, however, the tuition amounts to as much as $150.. and is therefore an important item. The scholarships are awarded in various ways. In some states there are scholarships for each representative district or each state senatorial district. Scholarships may be awarded on the recommendation of. a department for exceptionally good work in the department. Occasionally there are competitive scholarships in some particular subject. Usually a scholarship is awarded for excellent work on the part of the student. In some cases service to the university

224 IMPROVEMENT ERA is expected of the student, while in the majority of cases no such service is required. LOAN FUNDS Most of the larger institutions have funds established in various ways such as by some individual, or by the faculty, some particular class, or by the alumni association, from which money is loaned to students at a very low rate of interest. Loans are usually made to the deserving- students who are near the goal, graduation, for which they are striving, who are prevented in some unavoidable manner from obtaining money enough to pay their legitimate expenses. While it is not advisable to contract large debts to secure an education, there are occasions when it is necessary and advisable for a student to borrow the money necessary to finish his work. The loan funds are thus of immeasurable benefit to the struggling students. Frequently these funds amount to from $12,000 to $25,000, and money is loaned at from 4 to 5 per cent*interest. STUDENT ASSISTANT Aside from the appointment to a fellowship, or scholarship, the university occasionally appoints the more advanced students, usually the seniors or graduate students, to assistantships in the various departments. Students are thus appointed who teach the more elementary classes in some courses and who also frequently assist in the laboratory work and in the "quizzes" and the reading of examination papers. To secure such an opportunity, of course, the student must show especial proficiency in the particular subject in which the appointment is made. Such an appointment frequently carries a salary of as much as $500. per year. The assistant has at least one-half of his time for student work. The assistant is frequently freed from the necessity of the payment of his student fees. STUDENT EMPLOYMENT There is work around the college which the wide-awake student may frequently secure. This work is as varied as is the ability of the student. In many institutions the janitor work is almost wholly done by the students, who receive about fifteen cents per hour. Students also serve as office assistants, as clerks, messengers, telephone attendants, stenographers and typewriters. The stenographer is in a favorable position for securing work, not only permanently in some dean's or professor's office, but there are frequently many odd jobs arising, such as newspaper articles, speeches, theses, etc., which may be typewritten. In some of the colleges, the members of the choir and band are paid for their services, usually by the hour. The payment for such services

SELF-HELP IN COLLEGE 225 varies from fifteen cents per hour for the janitor's work to twentycents for choir and band work. The expert typewriter, of course, gets the usual fee. OUTSIDE EMPLOYMENT The employment which can be obtained in the community where, the college is located offers an excellent opportunity for the new student to get started right. Students are making part of their expenses in all college communities by almost every conceivable kind of work. Some of the lines of work in which students are finding employment are, as agents, reporters for newspapers, sign painters, models, tending furnaces, cleaning windows and rugs, polishing floors, general house work, tutoring, clerical work, typewriting, collecting accounts, distributing newspapers, waiting on table, operating night switchboard for telephone company, etc., etc. The opportunity for such outside work, of course, is best in the larger cities, but after all, much depends upon the ability and persistence of the student himself. The right kind of student, not finding the opportunity, will make one. Such students have established dairies for furnishing fresh milk to selected customers at a good profit ; or become bootblacks, or established clothes pressing establishments. Such a student in a Kansas college town established a small dairy herd and distributed milk before school every morning with great success and profit to himself. A student arrived at an Illinois school with only $35, and by persistent efforts such as rising at 4:30 a. m. to milk and tend a dairy herd, was able to secure his education unaided. He is now a well-known farm demonstrator in a rich county in Illinois at $4,000. per year and expenses. He instructs the farmers on their own farms by visiting them in an automobile. If the students have ability, are willing, and persistent and not afraid of hard knocks, the way can be found. SUMMER WORK The kind and amount of work secured by the student in the summer vacation is, in a large measure, the determining factor in the student's ability to work his way through school. If it were not for the ability of the student to earn money during the summer vacation it would not be possible . for nearly so many students to make their own way. It is, therefore, of utmost importance that the student utilize this period to the greatest advantage. The kind of work obtained again depends upon the student. Some students secure field work in engineering parties, others secure positions as farm hands. Good results have been obtained by students as canvassers for books, pictures, etc. Commercial traveling is very profitable, some men with a good, saleable article making as much as $1,500 and expenses during the sum-