noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', intransitive verb
working one's way through school; self-supporting study
Specifically refers to studying while working to pay for one's own school expenses, often under financial hardship.
彼はアルバイトをしながら苦学して大学を卒業した。
He worked his way through college and graduated.
苦学の末、ようやく資
After years of working and studying, I finally obtained the qualification.
noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', intransitive verb
studying under adversity; studying in harsh economic circumstances
Emphasizes the difficult conditions under which one studies, not necessarily implying self-support; often overlaps with sense 1.
貧しい家庭に生まれ、苦学して医者になった。
Born into a poor family, he studied under adversity and became a doctor.