How hard is it to work your way through college?

Tuition is constantly becoming more expensive. Many articles have highlighted the rising costs of tuition and how it affects students.

A recent Atlantic article raised concern about college students affording tuition. With rising costs and expenses, being able to afford college can be more difficult than it used to be.

Financial aid is also less than it used to be, according to the article. With the added expense of loans and more on college students, students will get jobs to try and combat expenses.

The Tab decided to ask students who work during school how they feel about these rising costs.

Students at Penn State who work while they are in college said there are obstacles such as scheduling conflicts and time management.

“There’s not a holistic effort to reduce costs there’s more demand for tuition costs than students can afford,” said senior Rob Gelb who works at McLanahan’s Downtown market.

When working in college expenses can impact a lot of decisions for those students.

Tatum McGeary, a freshman who works as a Hostess for the Penn Stater, said that there is an “additional stress” for her because she has to “plan ahead financially.”

Along with classes and getting involved with organizations around campus she also has to budget her money and time for loans.

Senior Victor Newman, who is a barista at Starbucks, said that work is a commitment and he has to prioritize hours to help make money while he is working through college.

As a worker, he has to be committed and cannot skip out on his job. He also has to fit his hours in on the weekends so he can manage school and work.

Along with commitment, students who work in college have added responsibility.

“You’re adding responsibility to your everyday life,” said Francesgladys Pulido, a freshmen who works at the library.

Although paying for college is becoming more difficult there are some tips that working students use to manage a job and school.

Tatum said she uses a detailed calendar and prioritizes weeknights to study for school. She also tries to get her work done in advance when she has time.

“Time management is the biggest part of managing my time between work and school,” said junior Sarah Pyryt, who works for Campus Dining.

Sarah said she finds herself making to do lists to keep herself organized.

Working through college can combat tuition costs and help with personal expenses. However, some students expressed their concern during the interviews.

“It’s definitely a struggle,” said Victor Newman. Victor works about 12 to 20 hours a week at Starbucks, along with taking 18 credits and holding a position in his organization.

Other students we spoke to said they work about 10 to 20 hours a week.

Having a job in college can also help offset the costs of loans. Students who were interviewed said they would use some of their paycheck to help pay for loans and personal expenses.

There are more strain on students in the long term with higher tuition costs said Nick McKnight, a senior who works at the library.

Although there is an initial strain from working and time management according to students they agreed that working in college is necessary.

Sarah said she know that college is harder to afford but getting an education is important and she hopes to be able to get a job with her college degree.

“It’s totally necessary for the prices we pay,” said Victor.

With the rising costs of tuition working through college can offset some of the costs, but the real question is how manageable is it?

Students are working part-time jobs along with classes and jobs. With rising costs it can be hard to make ends meet. Student who were interviewed agreed that tuition is rising and its concerning to see the end result.

College is meant to further education and help students get jobs, but at what cost?