Money hurting college students

Subin Lee Money is a big problem in college. The majority of the college students are broke, unless their parents fully financially support them.

There are lots of places which students need to spend their money. First of all college itself is a big money eater. “The cost of college is constantly on the rise.” If the student is not financially supported with scholarship, financial aid, or from their parents, it is very difficult for them to pay for school. Housing is the next biggest issue. Unless students are commuting from their homes, students will need to get a place to stay either in dorms, or in apartments nearby. Then there are textbooks, which are not cheap at all. Most textbooks are priced from 20~200 dollars, especially for major classes with those really thick hardcover textbooks. Not just that, but students also need money for their own expenses, such as shopping, food, and own recreation.

Therefore many students take part time jobs to earn money for themselves. These jobs can be in campus, or off-campus. Either way, it consumes a lot time. Either in the weekday or weekends, most students will probably at least work 10 hours a week. With minimum wage being around 8 dollars, 8 dollars times 10 hours equals 80 dollars, yet that is not a lot of money and less if tax paid. Is 80 dollars worth 10 hours? Students might be able to get better jobs with higher wages, but those jobs would probably require more hours and more skill. And in most cases, the workplace would not be near school, which additionally takes more time as well.

Working conclusively takes away much time, meaning extra study time or rest time or play time is taken away. Though money is an inevitable issue, it is an important issue for college administration to consider for students.