Freshman Financial Trouble Especially Difficult to Aid

Financial difficulties are especially troublesome to the Freshman of limited means at Harvard unless he is sufficiently brilliant to obtain some form of University aid. Statistics show that new men should not expect to earn more than $300 by part time work during the school year or the chance of academic success is drastically endangered.

Between 200 and 250 Freshmen each year apply at the Student Employment Office for assistance in securing work and about 50 per cent of these men--a record comparing favorably with that of other colleges--are placed either as student waiters or with some outside business concern.

Freshmen are able to earn about $20,000 from these positions, 50 per cent of this amount is paid to the 45 waiters while the remaining 60 men in outside positions receive the remainder.

Another difficulty in the path of the first year man is the general preference of business houses for upperclassmen because they are more experienced in most types of work. This means that the first year men--who form only about ten per cent of the 1900 applicants at the Office--usually can not be placed in the better positions.

The general run of positions secured by the Office include chauffeurs, clerical workers, playground supervisors, salesmen, translators, tutors, and waiters. There is also an entertainment bureau which supplies lecturers, entertainers, and orchestras and is open to all students who have special abilities whether they have financial difficulties or not. More than 300 engagements were filled by the bureau last year. Window washing and snow shoveling services were also proven popular successes last year.

When a man makes application or assistance, he is classified according to his financial requirements--needy, less needy, least needy. The last group is usually taken care of by loans from the University, although the amount received by each man averages a little under $100. Of the first group, it is possible to place about 60 per cent of the applicants and these men are able to earn something over $200, or about 75 per cent of their average needs which run a little over $300