New-York tribune., 1901-07-18

A STRUGGLE FOR EDUCATION.
PROFESSOR HOsFORD OF OBERLIN.
GIVES SOME FACTS ABOUT GIRLS
WHO EARN THEIR WAY
THROIrGH COLI EGE
PROFESSOR
THROUGH COLLEGE,

"A girl Of ordinary ability and intelligence can,
and often does. her way through college. al
though the amount Of energy. business tact, good
health and common sense needed is very consid-
erable, says Frances J. Hosford associate profes-
sor OF Latin in Oberlin
A large proportion of our girls wholly or
partly seh-supporting but most OF them receive
some help from home. even when they also aid
themselves. We have girls. however. who are en-
tirely sslf-supportlng. These girls usually begin
their college course with a small sum OF money
although some have not done But in ordinary
cases a girl who has the qualities requisite fc-
successful self-support at college earn save
800. 500 500 before she
II never advise a girl to with less than 800
II she can money IN vacations CT receive
help from home. enough for her clothes. travelling
expenses and incidentals she make her s1eD
last through the year, with what she can earn on
the ground. Some do with less. and few
everything here but It is at the risk OF health and
scholarship.
LAS to the rnethods-domestic work in some form
is the only sure resource. Some GO into families
and work for board. Others board themselves and
! work by the hour ar sewing. ironing. caring for
rooms etc. A good compromise is to take a room
at the college home fitted for self boarding. and
then find a place 70 wash dishes to pay for din
ners In this way the time IS less broken than
when living in family and the food is better
than when the student provides all Of her own
meals.
I'm the long vacation girls can sew, work In
Kitchens, wait tables at summer hotels or can
vass for books pictures. A girl who contem-
plates self-support in college must. far as my
experience goes, give up the hope OF attaining her
end by office work tutoring, etc. unless she has
special qualifications for such work. OF course. a
girl who can furnish any OF skilled labor is at
a great advantage, but many times she would best
that advantage by earning and saving more
money before she begins.
Most Of the girls VINO undertake this. and who
carry 1t through their freshman year. succeed in
taking the full college course unless they pre-
vented by ill-health family difficulties.
I'm the majority OF cases 1t is disaster for a
relative OF girl situated come with the girl
to help her girl who Is obliged to make her
way through college is usually the most enterpris
ing and capable member of her family. and the
relative becomes burden upon the student.
1T Is misfortune for a college girl TO involve
herself In heavy Indebtedness ! have known young
women TO mortgage the best years of life for their
college course. But have a small loan fund,
which is intended TO supplement the efforts OF
these students. During the last half of their
they can borrow $50 a year without interest This
has tided many a struggling girl. and the
sum is small enough to be readily and quickly
paid after graduation
"Our Jones loan fund affords a remarkable in
stance OF what little money do. 1t originated
in 1853 in a bequest OF $529 AZ. Small sums the
largest less than Sl00, have been added to this
little nucleus. II stands upon the college
books as 1000 of interest bearing principal This
accumulated interest is loaned to students
Kept by them one, two three years, returned
and loaned again, In swift succession From the
little sum there have been made 395 loans aggre-
eating $6,S26 We have security and yet very
little Is unreturned. This fund has saved from
FAILURE and disbursement many q struggling
college girl who has gone out to do good work in
the world. The only trouble Is that fund is
not half large enough for our needs"