Vanderbilt Aid Society

After the financial crisis of 1893, Vanderbilt found itself strapped for cash and so did many of its students. Though students in the divinity school often received funding from the Methodist Church to assist them in completing their studies, this funding was not available to students from other disciplines. One such student sent a letter to Chancellor Kirkland requesting a $50 loan to allow him to continue his studies. Mrs. Elizabeth Elliston, a friend of Kirkland’s, was happy to provide the funding, inspiring Kirkland to facilitate the founding of the Vanderbilt Aid Society, then called the Ladies Aid Society for Students at Vanderbilt University, an organization dedicated to this purpose. Though the organization provided aid in the form of loans which hadto be repaid, rather than the grant-based opportunity VU aid offered by the university now, this assistance gave many students the helping hand they needed to continue their studies at Vanderbilt.