Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-06-08
Nationwide Work of
"Y" Education Committee
Opens Door to Opportunity
Total Of S1,053 Ex- Service Men Given
Scholarship Awards TotalIing in
Value $4,625, 226 in Universities and
Colleges and in Vocational Schools

not need any help for the second sem
ester and what might have come to
me can go to some other fellow. But
let me say that the 500 you gave me
opened the door of opportunity to me
which otherwise would have remained
closed"
SO wrote an ex-service man. a stu
dent in a southern college. to state
supervisor of the educational service
of the National War Work Council of
the Y. NJ. c.. A., which conceived and
executed what is probably the largest
single educational enterprise under
taken for ex-service men subsequent
to the World War, by which s1,o53 of
these men were given scholarship
awards totalling in value s4,625,226 in
universities and colleges and in voca-
tional and other schools below collie
giate grade.
These funds wore allotted to the va
rious states on the basis of popula-
ton and a committee was appointed
for each state to administer the
funds. This committee in turn appor-
toned the fund to the various coun-
ties, also on the basis of population,
and appointed local committees--made
UP of business men, school superin-
tendents, college professors, lawyers,
other professional men and ex-seryice
men--to receive applications for
scholarships, determine the fitness of
applicants and make awards. There
were 1922 of these committees, with
over 1000 volunteer members. and the
men in the most remote sections had
equal opportunity with the men in the
large centers of population to benefit
under the fund.
or the 81.053 scholarships awarded
12,473, totaling in value s1.095.441
were in institutions of collegiate
grade, and 69,075, totaling in value
S3,519,784, were awarded in vocational
and other schools under COLLEGIATE
grade. OF these last 33.714, valued at
s1.27a,206. were awarded in Y. NJ. c.
A. resident schools: 14,126, aiued at
1891 were awarded in non-Y. NJ
{. A. resident schools; and FLAPS. val
ued at s1,25S.405, were awarded in
correspondence schools.
average of the scholarship awards in
resident Y. NJ. c. A. schools is s35
while the average in resident Monty
M. G. A. schools in s62. due largely
to the special study that has been
given by the Y. NJ. c.. A. in recent
years to cational training, in an en-
deavor not only to learn the needs
of men but to find the best methods
OF supplying these needs at the least
possible cost consistent with effective
service.
Many men living in remote places
found it impossible to attend resident
schools but still desired to take up
some form of educational training.
! Here the correspondence schools we're
invaluable and proved exceedingly
heipful. especially to these isolated
men. The demand for this method of
instruction was so great that the Y.
Nj. c. A. established a correspondence
school, with headquarters in New
aork, IN an endeaVor to meet this
need upon the same lines that mems
needs were being met by the local Y.
NJ. G.. A.. namely, maximum service at
minimum cost. This school is now
established and will be a permanent
feature of the Y. NJ G. A. 1t now
reaches into the remotest sections OF
this country and into other countries,
and ultimately will have a world wide
clientele
In all sections OF the country, the
Funds were available to eX-serVice
men without regard 10 creed or color.
IT was required only that man
should be able to show an honora BILE
discharge from the army, navy or Ma
rine Corps, or, being q citizen of the
United States shows an honorable dis
charge from one of the Allied armies.
and that he should be qualified by
character and otherwise to take the
course he selected. In the south,
where large numbers of negro men
were enlisted. the funds were divided
dollar for dollar in accordance with
the number of white and negro men
who were enlisted
The policy in awarding scholarships
was to supplement the efforts of the
men in their endeavor 10 secure an
education and not to provide for the
entire expense involved. The collegi-
ate awards throughout the country
averaged SSS, manifestly not enough
to cover mans expenses, but by the
testimony of large number of the
recipients, this supplemental help
meant just the difference between
achieving their ambitions and being
obliged to give them I'D or at best
to indefinitely postpone their realiza =
ton. The committee proceeded upon
the idea that the funds would serve q
larger purpose in thus experimenting
the efforts of large number of men
in providing large sums of money for
a comparatively few.
These funds. remaining from the
money given by the people in the big
campaign of November, 1918. for edu-
cational work by the Y. NJ c. A.
among the men serving under our
colors, have been thus used in an en-
deavor to open the doors of opportu-
nifty to these same men as they have
sought to readjust themselves to civil
life.
The following are typical of thou
sands of letters of appreciation which
have come in from the men:
From the South-"The money YOU
gave me was greatly needed and was
exceedingly useful but the inspiration
in the thought that men We're inter-
ested enough in my welfare to provide
this money for me meant far more to