With the cost of earning a college degree increasing every year, many students filling out college applications also try to look for work to supplement their income. However, according to a new study by the National Bureau of Economic Research, finding part-time work has become significantly more difficult in recent years, reports The Chronicle of Higher Education.
According to the report, college students worked an average of 22 hours per week in 2000, compared to just eight hours in 2009. The authors of the report blame the economic crisis as a primary reason that students are working less while going to school. However, Judith Scott-Clayton, author of the study, believes the number of hours worked per week by students will increase over time as the economy stabilizes.
The study also highlights the rising costs of tuition and the current state of the employment market, and how students will be affected. Scott-Clayton wrote that for the first time, students who filled out college applications in 2009 were more likely to go to college and not work than hold down part-time jobs while they studied.
If you're fortunate enough to find a job while you earn a degree, make sure that your studies are not affected. Although college can be expensive, sacrificing grades for part-time work may be harmful in the long run.
Tags: college applications