Evening star., 1896-12-12
STUDENTS WORK THEIR WAY.
Manner In Which Assistance is Given
to Poor Young Men at Columbia.

Manner In Which Assistance is Given
to Poor Young Men at Columbia.
From the New York Sun.
Year by year the number of students in
the colleges of the country who are self
supporting increases. The many things
which student can do in his spare hours,
and the various societies that aid students,
make this possible. In former years Yale
was called the rich mans college,, and
was considered an institution at which no
poor student could work his way through.
This has been all changed, and the number
of selfsupporting students is proportion
ately as large at Yale as at any other uni
versity except those in the cities
1t is to these latter that the poor student
is most apt to go. They offer many more
advantages than do the others. In a town
where the college is the great institution of
the place there are few openings for the
student. In large city there are hundreds
OF opportunities of tutoring, translating, or
acting amanuenSiS. So needy students
flock to Columbia in New York city, and
the University of Pennsylvania in Philadel-
pEia. In Columbia and the City College
there are committees aid to the stu
dents. These committees either directly
lend money to impecuniots students, TAX
ing their notes. payable so many years af-
ter graduation, or find suitable employ
ment for them. The student hands in his
capable of working at, and as soon as a
place is heard of the student is notified
Professor Kemp, who is chairman of the
committee on aid at Columbia, was recently
asked about the ways and means employe ed
by conscientious but poor students who
work their way through Columbia
Every year. he said. about u per cent
of the students apply for aid. The majori-
ty are those who are taking postgraduate
courses. but there are many undergradu-
ates. We generally find places for them
which pay enough to keep the wolf from
the door.
''Of course, we cannot do much to help
the freshmen and sophomores for they are
not capable enough. but we generally find
congenial employment for the post gradu-
ates. One of them spent his last vacation
IN Europe as a companion to some boys
During the last election one of the polit-
ical organizations hired sixty Of the stu
dents to watch the polls, at from three to
hve dohars day. We obtained employ
istratorS.
Most Of the boys make their living by
tutoring. We have any number who pre-
pare young men for college in the classics
and sciences. Most of these students we
never hear of. They apparently studiously
avoid US. as do those who obtain work on
Saturdays in the retail stores. We can, at
moments notice, supply students who
will translate any letter written in mod
ern language and many small down town
firms have the students go to their offices
On mail days.
I'VE supply lecturers On scientific SUBJ
jects from among the students and few
have given such lectures, explaining the
magic lantern pictures, which lend them,
before large audiences, for which they re-
celve reasonable rates. Others take classes
, of boys out on Saturday, explaining the
botany and geology of the metropolitan dis
trict. A great many act as book agents
and some few are draughtsmen. In this
way We obtained between 1900 and s., 600
worth OF employment last year for needy
students. We were, however, unable to
help 30 out of 169 applicants But these
figures, in addition to the students who do
not apply to us, show the great number of
students working their way through col
lege.
But this is but one branch of our work.
We find cheap. clean rooms, with respecta-
BILE people for the students, and helped over
fifty in that way during this month Those
students. bringing letters from the commit
tee. have free medical advice at the College
OF Physicians and Surgeons. Every year
we give scholarships. emitting the winners
to free tuition, to 10 per cent Of the class.
So you see, poor student, can go through
college. if he is but willing to work, lust as
well as the opulent one"