Dartmouth Seeks Growth of Its Scholarship Funds

THE RECORD reads something like this: NAME: Tom..... AGE 18 HOME TOWN: Madison, Wisconsin

FATHER'S OCCUPATION: Shoeworker, with an annual income of not over $2,300. BROTHERS AND SISTERS: 5—Oldest brother in Navy; one brother attending Columbia Medical School; one sister attending University of Wisconsin and two sisters in High School.

By extreme thrift the family has acquired a small home, worth about $5,000, and some insurance. The family is able to contribute about $100 toward the education of each of the older children.

Tom is a member of the Class of 1953 at Dartmouth. With his award of scholarship aid, work at the Dartmouth Dining Association, and summer earnings together with the slight help from home, Tom will make out satisfactorily at Dartmouth.

Tom went on the freshman trip and climbed Moosilauke. His '53 beanie entitled him to carry a junior's desk and two chairs from South Fayer to the Phi Gam house. He got a bloody nose and a skinned knuckle in the Freshman-Sophomore Rush. With a break he may make thirdstring left guard on the freshman football team.

Tom was anxious to attend Dartmouth. The College, after carefully reviewing his secondary school record and the statement from his alumni interviewing committee, selected him for admission. Since his scholarship application form indicated that he would be able to meet only a small fraction of his budget, the College granted him substantial financial aid.

Although it is the College's policy either to grant adequate aid or no aid at all, substantial aid, in the amount which Tom requires, is granted to only a relatively few men because Dartmouth's scholarship funds are limited.

Tom is, then, an exception. His record and his need, when considered with many other applications, indicated to the College that he deserved to receive the support necessary for him to attend Dartmouth.

There is no single reason why Tom is now a Dartmouth man. The policy of granting financial aid is, in a broad sense, a reflection of that feeling of obligation to human society which Dartmouth shares with most similar independent colleges. In this individual case, the College felt that Tom, as a promising young man of 18, could best grow into maturity and be pointed toward accomplishment through the experience of a Dartmouth education. President Dickey often speaks as did President Hopkins before him, of "the impact of undergraduate mind upon undergraduate mind." The stimulation that Tom can both give and receive in this area of education is immeasurable. His economic point of view is bound to be very different from that of a man coming from an affluent home—not necessarily offering better perspective, merely different perspective. Also his placement on the map encourages the possibility of different thinking from the men of the South or either coast. These and other fascinating differences, racial, religious, etc., provide young men at Dartmouth that rare opportunity to perceive beyond their own horizons.

Dartmouth's deep conviction of an obligation to human society and its belief in the desirability of a diversified student body are borne out in the College's record of granting financial aid. Financial-aid money is not available, as such, for the College to spend. At present most of Dartmouth's scholarship aid must be met from general funds which, if scholarship endowment were sufficient, would be used to defray current operating expenses. Only 25% of scholarship aid can be met from endowment; the rest must be taken from general funds. Each year Dartmouth alumni assure that the College shall not have to drop its level of financial aid through their vital support of the Alumni Fund which provides "general funds" of more than enough to meet scholarship needs.

The rising cost of a college education has forced the Trustees to authorize a yearly scholarship expenditure of up to $250,000, whereas $132,000 was the average pre-war allotment. In 1940-41 the average freshman scholarship was 5375; today it is $700. If Dartmouth is to maintain the traditional character of its student body, the overall expenditure may well have to be further increased in the future.

Dartmouth men understand the nature of their college. They know that ever since Eleazar Wheelock's Indian students learned to twist their tongues around

"Moor's Charity School" what is now called Dartmouth College has been a charitable institution dedicated to the education of qualified men regardless of their ability to pay. Unlike the schools of 1775, however, modern Dartmouth does not give "coats, jackets, breeches, shirts and stockings." Dartmouth does give what amounts to at least two out of a student's four years of college education. Since the tuition fee still covers only about half the cost of a Dartmouth education, every student attending Dartmouth is on "financial aid."

Dartmouth has been able to dispense "charitable gifts" throughout its long history because it has, in turn, received many gifts from circumspect individuals. The College has received over 200 scholarship funds, which, with endowment and general funds, enable from 20 to 25% of the student body to receive direct financial aid; also, an estimated 35% more of Dartmouth's students work during the summer to earn money for college. In all, over half of the student body is using College aid or employment during the school year or summer to attend Dartmouth.

Dartmouth's financial aid program, directed by the Committee on Scholarships and Loans and headed by Professor Francis J. Neef, coordinates all scholarships, loans and direct college employment. These will be discussed here in order.

The College's scholarships classify easily in three types: Regional Scholarships, granted to students from specified regions of the United States, Special Scholarships and General Scholarship Funds.

The Dartmouth Alumni Association of Chicago Scholarships are examples of the regional type of award. In 1935 the Chicago alumni established a scholarship, which now amounts to s700 to be awarded to a candidate from the state of Illinois. The association continued its contributions and now has two scholarships, almost three, and is working for funds which will allow it to have one man in each undergraduate class at Dartmouth.

Also grouped with regional scholarships are the twelve Trustee Scholarships on the Cohen Foundation. These S700-$ 1,000 scholarships are awarded each year to candidates from any area in the United States under the same general terms as "regional scholarships."

The 25 Wheelock Scholarships, the largest of the Special Scholarship Funds, are awarded annually to entering freshmen "who have given outstanding indication of capacity and desire to make productive use of the varied opportunities offered at Dartmouth."

Most of the scholarships awarded by the College are assigned from the General Scholarships Funds. These scholarships, varying from $100 to $1000, are given in annual awards sufficient to balance the student's budget.

Loan funds, available for men of restricted means are closely coordinated with scholarship awards. These loans, usually repaid to the College within five years after graduation, allow the College financial aid resources to reach the greatest number of men. Over half of the loan funds have been established by alumni associations and classes. The Dartmouth Women's Club of Massachusetts set the pattern for this type of aid. Their fund, built steadily by annual contributions of from $500 to $1000 since 1932, was followed by the Philadelphia Alumni Association in 1936 and has been joined by sixteen other such organizations, the latest being the Dartmouth Club of Worcester, Mass.

Employment, along with scholarships and loans, is a third opportunity open to Dartmouth men of limited means.

The College employs several hundred men directly in jobs ranging from leaf rakers on Buildings and Grounds crews to table waiters in Commons or desk attendants in the library. The College employment bureau also keeps in touch with "outside" sources of work in and near Hanover. Some of the most desirable positions offered are those with the Dartmouth Dining Association. The D.D.A. jobs give a man complete board for approximately two hours of work daily. The student earns two meals for working two hours; the third meal is paid for by funds from the Cohen Foundation. Professor Neef points out that the interpreting of this grant on a "meal" basis rather than "twothirds of a student's board" often leads to confusion. Several students, financially wise beyond their college years, have said, "Well, if I sleep through breakfast, and that is the meal that the Cohen Foundation pays for, then can I have the money?" That is no tip for members of the undergraduate body who may be reading this article—the answer is no. Breakfast is nonnegotiable.

The William N. Cohen Fund of $400,000, the largest single scholarship endowment ever received by the College, is part of the $1,200,000 made available to Dartmouth in 1941 through the bequest of William N. Cohen of the Class of 1879. Each year approximately 172 men on financial aid benefit directly from the Cohen funds; 12 men receive the liberal awards of the Trustee Scholarships on the Cohen Foundation, and about 160 men receive one-third of their board, plus the further advantage of being able to devote that free working hour each day to social or extracurricular activity with their fellow students.

Dartmouth has much to offer the man of limited means through scholarships, loan funds and employment. Since all financial aid is administered through one office, Professor Neef can sit down with an applicant and explain exactly what the College is able to offer towards balancing the student's budget. This enlightened system of administration insures that all applicants will receive maximum atten- tion and grants of aid, depending on their need.

The need of students attending Dartmouth is no greater than that of students at other comparable colleges. The total cost of a Dartmouth education, including clothing, room, board, etc., is no more and, indeed, in some cases less, than that of other similar institutions. The College is especially anxious to scotch unfounded opinion to the contrary and to publicize its financial aid program. Last year the Committee on Scholarships and Loans distributed to the New Ha-mpshire schools a poster which listed scholarships available for New Hampshire men. Alumni and friends of the College can do Dartmouth a great service, along similar lines, by acquainting prospective students with Dartmouth's scholarship opportunities.

Admission to Dartmouth is not dependent upon the applicant's financial resources. At present, the College awards no "prize" scholarships. Qualified men are awarded grants of aid almost wholly on the basis of need. These facts allay the somewhat prevalent misconception that men must be, first, of superior caliber to be selected for admission to Dartmouth and then, on top of that first requirement, that all men granted financial aid must be "among the elect" in some even higher echelon of excellence. Ideally, if a man is good enough to be admitted to Dartmouth he is good enough to be considered for financial aid. This statement requires explanation, however. Although it is true that all men admitted to the College are "good enough to be considered for financial aid," it is likewise true that all requests for aid are not granted. Some of these men cannot be given aid because they could, by careful management, live on funds already available to them; others who should legitimately receive aid, must be refused because the College resources are, unfortunately, not adequate to make the ideal hold true in all cases. This necessity of refusing aid to some worthy men heightens the responsibility of the Committee on Scholarships and Loans, and of Professor Neef in particular.

The Committee, therefore, requires that a scholarship applicant submit, as soon after his notification of admission as possible, a detailed account of his proposed budget, stating what he will need and what resources he has. A parents' statement is also required, substantiating the applicant's budget. These sources of information, together with other financial references, supply the information upon which the Committee must base its decisions. Applicants are informed of decisions as soon as possible each spring.

Professor Neef explains, "In order to qualify for aid men must show need and also reveal through their previous records that they have made some effort in earning and in economy. When men are granted aid on entrance, they are alloted an adequate amount, either through a scholarship, employment at the Dartmouth Dining Association, or a combination of these, to make it possible for them to balance their budgets during freshman year, so that they will have no financial worries.

"We do not commit ourselves, with the exception of special scholarships, that aid will be continued throughout the four years as we, of course, have no way of knowing what sudden financial reverses might come upon the College, and if no definite commitments are made, then no promises are broken. However, we tell the boys that it is our intention to carry them throughout the four years on some form of aid, either on the scholarship fund, or on our loan funds, or a combination of both. Special scholarships are definitely awarded for four years on the assumption that the student will meet our requirements in every way."

On the matter of continuing scholarships, the Committee's policy is both unusual and very sound. It is quite possible for a student doing C-plus work, but not fulfilling his promise of superior accomplishment, to be dropped from the financial aid roles, whereas a man with a comparable average who is working to the best of his ability will be continued.

Professor Neef says that the Committee on Scholarships does not have "any fixed grade which a student must attain in order to continue to hold a scholarship. Our statement covering requirements is, however, quite definite: a student must show that he is cooperating at all times in keeping his expenses down to a reasonable minimum; that he is working during his vacation periods, and that he will pick up whatever part-time or full-time board employment he can find during the college year (men who fail to conform to this employment regulation definitely jeopardize their chances for continuation); also a student must show at all times that he is taking full advantage of the opportunities that Dartmouth offers. This last statement is very inclusive, as it covers not only classroom work but his general living, and means that he is conforming in every detail to the College requirements.

"We are quite generous in interpreting the academic rating of a student during his first semesters while he is becoming acclimated to the College. If an instructor assures us that the candidate is doing his very best and is showing definite purpose in his classroom work, we play along with him during his first and second semesters. If his instructors' reports, however, show that he is indifferent and negligent, our interest wanes. Beginning-with sophomore year we assume that a student has found himself, and we can be a bit more demanding. Each student is judged on his own potentialities, and we do not expect a boy whose previous record shows that he is only capable of doing good solid average work to turn out a Phi Beta Kappa score. Conversely, we do not hesitate to remove from our aid list a student who is capable of doing work of superior quality and who persistently deteriorates as he goes through college."

It must be emphasized here that the College expects that men on financial aid shall have sufficient time and resources to participate in extra-curricular and social activities. Participation in drama, athletics, music, etc., is encouraged as being well within the pattern of Dartmouth living; scholarship men, although expected to be sensible in their expenditures, are not discouraged from joining fraternities. What little difference, then, to be found between the Dartmouth life of the man on aid and the man not receiving support from the College, is to be found in the fact that the man on aid must budgettime and money—more carefully.

Men on financial aid are a representative group of students; inevitably, some record exceptional achievement while at Dartmouth. Charles Milton Pearson '42 was one of these men. "Stubby" was killed in action as a Naval aviator at Palau in March of 1944. Before being graduated from Dartmouth he established himself as one of the most outstanding men the College has had the privilege of aiding in recent years. He received financial aid and worked for the D.D.A. throughout his four years at Dartmouth.

Among his many other honors and accomplishments, Stubby was a member of Alpha Delta Phi fraternity, Green Key, Casque and Gauntlet, Palaeopitus and Phi Beta Kappa. He was awarded the William S. Churchill Freshman Prize, which goes to that member of the freshman class who, in the judgment of the Dean of Freshmen, "possesses to the greatest degree the qualifications of manliness, uprightness, fairness and respect for duty." In his senior year he was awarded the Barrett Cup, the Dartmouth Cup and the Archibald Athletic Prize. He received six D's in football and basketball and was captain of both sports in his senior year. During his first three years at Dartmouth he was President of the Class of 1942 and in his senior year delivered the Valedictory Address at Commencement.

The higher cost of living has forced many men into the unfavorable financial position of being "almost able" to attend Dartmouth. Although rising costs have naturally been reflected in an increased tuition fee, the Trustees have provided that the "added fee towards the cost of education shall be remitted to all men on scholarship and also that additional scholarship funds shall be made available to insure that "almost able" men shall not be "called out" without a chance at bat.

The College believes that the "added fee" philosophy of allowing those men, financially able, to pay more towards their education, without increasing the burden on men of limited means, is a realistic approach to the College's serious financial problem. President Dickey said, in his announcement of May, 1946, "Society in its own best interest, in its private educational institutions as elsewhere, cannot long continue to subsidize those who can afford to pay their way at the expense of excluding the qualified man who requires some assistance to get the education he needs to make his full contribution as a useful citizen." In effect, the College had the choice either of keeping the tuition fee low for all men, thus being forced to contend with an increasingly unsatisfactory financial aid situation, or of increasing the fee and being able to maintain its financial aid level. This "positive approach" to the problem is working out well and may require further development.

The College is working hard to increase the financial aid available to its students. Aid must be increased. The character of the student body, as all Dartmouth men know it, is in danger of change. Change may be slow, but it will also be inexorable unless the College fulfills the obligation to itself and to society of enrolling firstrate men regardless of their financial resources. Consequently, plans such as the Webster Scholarships have been made to reinforce Dartmouth's position and further increase its number of well-qualified students.

The proposed Daniel Webster Scholarships have been in committee for more than two years. A recommendation for their establishment is now pending with the Trustees.

If approved, they will provide "prize" scholarships from a nominal $100for those recipients requiring no financial assistance, to a maximum of $l400 for those men of very limited financial resources living a great distance from Hanover. "Awards will be distributed on a national basis with particular emphasis on the Mid-West, the Far West and the South."

All plans for projects such as the Webster Scholarships inevitably meet in a discussion of the College's scholarship-aid budget. The 75% or more of the budget which must be met from current funds must be decreased by scholarship endowment if the aid program is to attain stability. The $250,000 limit now authorized for financial aid, although it represents a substantial increase over pre-war figures, should be further augmented. The College is actively working on these problems and is even now planning beyond solution. The College's opportunity is great, the need is urgent and the rewards of providing deserving men with an education, regardless of economic background, are wholly without limit.

OCTOBER MORNING

THE BIG JUMP

GORDON FERRIE HULL Appleton Professor of Physics, Emeritus

FRATERNITY YARD

CHAIRMAN OF SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE: Prof. Francis J. Neef, who directs the College's coordinated program of scholarships, loans and employment, discusses a student's budget in his Personnel Bureau office.

GAVE LARGEST FUND: The late Judge William N. Cohen '79, donor of the $400,000 endowment which annually provides financial aid for about 172 men. The fund is part of a total bequest of $1,200,000 made to Dartmouth in 1941.

ALUMNI COUNCIL MEMBER: W. Murray Hawkins '19 of Los Angeles, who has been elected to represent District VII on the Dartmouth Alumni Council.

THE PHOTOGRAPHS appearing on the next four pages are from the Campion Collection of Meservey Pictures. Taken by Bob Meservey '43 as part of a year-round series portraying Dartmouth life, they will appear in TheDartmouth Scene, a book to be published this fall by James Campion, Inc., reproducing nearly a hundred of the most striking Meservey photographs.