The idea that a college student can work her way through school at minimum wage is a myth, according to a new report from The Education Trust, a college access advocacy organization.
The state-by-state study found vast differences between what low-income students earn and what they’re asked to pay, as student debt continues to occupy Democratic candidates on the 2020 campaign trail.
As comedian Hasan Minhaj put it in his Congressional testimony earlier this year, “People aren’t making more money, and college is objectively way more expensive.”
The study focuses on low-income students, specifically first-time, full-time undergraduates from families earning up to $30,000 a year. It shows their affordability gaps by state, which means the difference between the net price of college after scholarships and financial aid – including costs like textbooks, room and board – and what a minimum wage worker can earn in 10 hours.
More than ten hours is an unreasonable workload for a full academic schedule, according to the Lumina Foundation’s “Rule of 10,” cited in the report. The report also references studies that argue working over 15 hours a week slows students down in achieving their degrees.
The report found that in most states, low-income students’ affordability gaps come out to thousands of dollars. For four-year public institutions, the affordability gap is over $3,000 in almost every state, and the state average is more than $6,500.
Meanwhile, the report points out that the alternative to debt – or taking a lighter course load – is working longer hours, which impacts students’ academic performance and increases their risk of dropping out. In all but three states, students need to work at least 15 hours a week to afford the net price of college, the report found. In some states, like New Hampshire and Pennsylvania, the number is as high as 40 hours a week, a full work schedule.
