New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-01-14
COST or COLLEGE LIVING.
PRESIDENT TLIOT'S ANNUAL REPORf
fTUDEsTs LIVING o. 500 4 YEAR-wHAT THOSE
IL GOOD CjUCUMsTANCEs PAY.

Tie aftv-scoond annual report OF the President Of
Harvard College i4 ~ interesting document, ana no
Pat o;itisaorc 40 than that which seeks to correct
tie popular idea hat tire cost Of living a'd tuition
n Calbr-lla d, 80 r .at 90 ncce.-arly 20 prevent
yor.g r,.,1 Of moderate meals from pu,sr.ns theif
stnr.s %. That il t,tlf41. r. oll 20 III llHse tie
pal q mind up1n this point, President EAot a.
died 90 . c.gsil,lauc number Of parents oi
c,are.r of youue n"na, thc Uuive~. tr. inquiries
n. O. t. .rluuaal cxpons,s-:hc students injured
alout r.,. ,eut.a. al classes, The rc1, the l"oT'
ed iho.c Of moderate means. u appeared t""t
thc.'. P. Of annual expenditure is Very VIDE lie
sr.li.,t cldia every itoln Of cost was no more
tt.p st71 tine largest was - jo0. The first ease
wa that ~ student. The son Of mechanic nm
s,lf having % trade which more than supported him
durla, the Summer vacation; the lest, that of 'he
son of inau Of largo fortune, who lad considerable
p.o..riy lu bis owu r.-'t. Among ,ho items or cx-
pend tu, hy the person, the keeping Il n sad
G'r-lsr.r. aa expensive summer Journey, subscilp-
tons To boat and ball clubs. and contributions in
ed - poor stad,nte. These are not among the
proper and ordinary expenses of a college course.
President Eliot gives table exhibiting four scales
a. annual expenditure which are classified a. toll
lows: Least. Si90; Economical, $G15; Moderate
$3.50; Ample. 1866. Under The 6Ist two heads no
allowance is made for servant. for socctes, and
'uhscription to sports The least annual eX-
persc for board is placed ut $40; the highest at
S3Of. Tie cost # fuel aut lights ranges from FL
1913; for books from 80 10 $50; OF clothing from
$50 10 500 1 fcw students keep th'ir cXpcndl-
tures with.u 500. This President Eliot SAYS, it is
possible to do without injury 10 health, and
without Suffering Of any sor hut il requires ex-
trcme economy, aud the faculty Of making little
10 q great way; aud tins il Is truly said, " not many
Young men possess The great majority Of stu
dents whose parents neither rich nor poor
rp,nd from $3.50 to $3.50 year. ca'c Is given OF
n student without uIopcrty or relatives T. AID him,
>.ho lived upon $3.50 p,T year. Above $50 per an
num- President LOT SAYS there Is 40 longer ques-
ton If necessary ordinary expense. but only OF
unnecessary and extraordinary expense Very few
students, however wealthy, spend more than 81
500
In many other colleges the expenses Of living are,
of course. much less, but they are hardly insttu-
tons presenting the advantages OF Harvard. Ia
co,lcrcs Of equal rank presume that the actual
and necessary cost is about the same. Even in Har'
ward poor young man of good habits aud correct
notions about appearances, might live. We think
upon even q less sum than The least given In the
above estimate. Everything depends upon the man.
II he makes study the business Of his lifo,
and is willing to undergo not hardships. but
trinirg Inconvenience which will kill nobody. he
will be surprised IN find upon how little ho can sub
set. No matter how small may be- a students re-
sources if ne be- in real earliest he viii, somehow,
push through. Help comes almost always 10 those
who are willing to help themselves. No one Is
looked upon with more kindly consideration
than an ingenious young man seeking in
tcllcctual culture under difficulties, and every
day, by his diligence and requirements,
showing that ne is worthy Of encouragement.
Such a man will hardly fail unless health fails, or
some other un-r mountabIe misfortune overtakcs
him II his ambition be to set through Harvard or
Yale or any other college, he will be pretty sure to
get through: while no amount Of fortune will be of
any service il its pos,cSsor is in college merely be
cause b. is rich and might far as results are con-
cernod, be just as well anywhere else.