There is no doubt that college is hard. With intense classes that include extensive research papers and projects, as well as extra circular activities that are almost necessary to survive at a school like Longwood, students don't have much time to do anything else. Yet a lot of students must find jobs, on or off campus, just to pay their way through school, or just to be able to afford things like books and food throughout the semester. A recent study by Citigroup and Seventeen magazine finds that almost 80 percent of students hold at least a part-time job during the school year. For most of these students a job is more of a necessity than for fun.
As a student who holds an on-campus job here at Longwood, I am sometimes frustrated. Students usually only get paid minimum wage, starting at $7.25 an hour, with the opportunity to get a raise of 25 cents every semester they commit to the job. Yet here at Longwood, students are only paid once a month. This can cause problems for students who need to pay bills or need to cover other expenses.
While Longwood does provide a variety of jobs, with the opportunity to grow and climb the ladder in many of these jobs, getting paid only once a month is a joke. How can Longwood promote citizen leadership without giving students more realistic finical responsibilities and expectations for quality of life?
Is there a better way to stretch out payments to twice a month, allowing students to see compensation for jobs throughout the month instead of waiting for one day a month to spend all funds on payments?
Some students can't find jobs on-campus, as they are competitive and fill up really quick. Several students prefer to leave campus and take a job off-campus with the opportunity to learn more real world life skills and management, and earn at a quicker pace.
At what point must the university feel accountable to provide help and jobs to students who need the financial aid to simply survive on a campus in a town as desolate as Farmville can be?
Granted, it is essential for students to learn how to manage finances and assume responsibility for their spending, but there must be a better way to do this, as students have a need to work and pay for various costs.
Students attending Longwood University should expect at least $6,450 a year for in-state residents. According to collegecalc.org, this is three percent above the national average for four-year tuition at public institutions. Longwood also charges an additional $4,890 of tuition in “other fees” that students must pay. What these other fees are is somewhat unclear, but can reasonably be chalked up to athletic fees as well as other maintenance, clubs and campus fees. Students elected to live on-campus have to pay housing costs of about $8,876. Students electing to live off-campus should budget at least this amount, since there are limited options around the town of Farmville.
Even though Longwood is ranked eighth by collegecalc.org amongst four year colleges for affordability in Virginia, the options for work and a constant flow of money is scarce.
There are monthly payment plans for students, in regards of tuition, yet students need to pay a $50 fee when applying for the payment plan.
Longwood would benefit from making raises more available, as well as making payment twice a month so students can manage their money more effectively throughout the month and semester. Being able to offer this type of payment for student in on-campus jobs would benefit their money management skills and force them to learn how to budget more realistically, rather than a once a month payment that rarely happens in the “real world.
Even though I only get paid minimum wage at my own on-campus job (minimum wage; $7.25/hr), the little bit of money I would receive bi-monthly would help me cover costs that occur during different times of the month and semester. A chunk of money once a month, while exciting and needed, gets spent awful quickly on bills and other payments I'm responsible for. It leaves me quickly short of funds, eagerly awaiting next month’s payment and hoping I have room for leisure expenses.
As students, we are always told not to stretch ourselves too thin, yet what if it is a necessity for a student to work two jobs, as well as a full load of classes just to graduate and live comfortably.
A serious evaluation of student payment distribution needs to be had, as well as more opportunities for students to strive in campus jobs, and earn a competitive student salary.
