Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-04-14
Communicated

he question mas pSeu I1-STN 0S ~
WGv the College CT Hawaii. taE-sup-
ported institution, should charge
Zee CT s. for its correspondence
courses. This just query is answered
by the college as follows:
First. All instruction given by the
College Of Hawaii is absolutely free.
The slight expenses incident to GER
tain courses are wholly for books or
materials that the student himself
retains or consumes as personal prop
erty. 1t is natural that this regulation
should also apply TO the correspond
ence courses. or course in dealing
with the correspondence student, as
with the local student. the teacher
might simply tell him what books and
supplies are needed. and allow him =
purchase them for himself. This, how
ever. would in all cases involve pro
tracted delays. and. as the college fur
nishes everything at cost, would cause
much greater EXPENSE to the student
The custom CT charging for books
or eupplies that are used by the stu
dent as personal property is universal
in all colleges. universities. end the
majority Of public high schools. This
fee is often called a Laboratory fee"
and never represents charge for in
struction.
Fees of this character are charged
by the Mckinley High School. Oahu
College and ether local schools. public
and private. We understand that one
Of the economies to be affected by
the incoming superintendent Of pub
lie instruction is to this same effect,
namely. that the schcc!-children are
to pay for their personal supplies.
Second There are about 25 state
colleges that offer correspondence
courses similar to these OF the Col,
Iege Of Hawaii In ncne of these ia
stitut;cns are the courses. entirely
free; that is, the student must at least
nay fer the cost of necessary text
bnoks and postage charges. The gen.
eral practice is to charge a nominal
fee to cover these and ether Incidental
items e expense. In cur correspond
ence courses we furnish all the text
books (which cur resilient students
purchase for themselvesl and pay pos
tage one way. These and, other minor
EXPENSES amount to about, S. This
.hoct-f"a is Verv small as compared
with the fees Of private correspond
anee schools. which range from $25
to $50 per course. vs. y u r.
Third. The two institutions in the
United States that have developed
their corresnondenco courses to the
largest extent are the University of
Wisconsin and the University of Chi
cago. We have at<hand the announce
rnents Of these institutions and quote
directly from them. IA
University of WISCONSIN, "The
price Of full unit course of 40 as
.signments is only 500. payable in ad-
vance. This fee covers the, entire
expense of instruction. and postage
one way. All necessary textbooks.
drawing outfits, apparatus etc. are
extra 4 H. -. IT,
in another place the following state
ment is made:
The Low Cost The fees for cor
respondence STUDY are put upon the
lowest operating basis. II is indiyid-
ual instruction of the highest order.
given under the most Struthworthy
conditions. The motive Is public serv-
ice. and profit is entirety eliminated.
F Those who care to analyze the ex-
pense will bear in mind the fact that
the correspondence student is usually
engaged in a gainful occupation or
profession, whereas the residence stu
dent temporarily suspends his earning
power. The correspondence student
NAV also be said to be turning his
leisure time into economic values by
this method These and many other
factors contributed toward establish
ing this as an inexpensive system of
achieving an education
The University of Chicago: "FX-
pense. All fees are payable in ad-
vance. The naturalization fee is S..
the tuition for each minor course is
S., and one major course. $16. Text
looks which can not Fbe borrowed
must he purchased by the student
The student is required to paw neces-
sary postage for sending and return
of the lessen papers,"
The fees which have been received
from cur correspondence courses are
segregated and used only for the
work Of these courses. No surplus,
however. has accumulated in this
form, as we frequently have to supply
students with several textbooks,
which they retain.
Fourth Our experience with. the
corresDCndeuce courses in Hawaii has
heen that MANY persons amply who
have no serious intention of complet-
ing the course. The charge for text
books serves as a test of the gen
uine interest Of the applicant. If this
tee were wholly removed We would
have a great manv applications from
persons whose interest was purely
temporary. and who would drop the
course shortly after receiving the free