Students Work Hard To Pay off Tuition
By: Riley Cottingham
Staff Writer
As the cost of Green River College averages over five thousand a year, students seek out jobs that take away precious time for school work and other activities.
Despite the difficulty of maintaining jobs at school, there are a variety of viable options students can choose from to keep work from taking over their school life. One of the main problems with working and going to school is that the schedules can conflict.
Depending on the professor, this can significantly impact the final grade, even if the student is still able to keep up with their assignments. Balancing work with school would be nearly impossible if it were not for employers who accept flexible schedules.
Green River student Maxwell Frack is a Cashier at both Winco Foods in Federal way as well as the student store on campus. He set up availability times with his employer in order to keep his schedules from conflicting.
“I set my availability in a way that takes in time from home to school and school to work on the hours of work won’t break my school hours… and my employers have to adhere to those hours,” said Frack.
His work hours are rarely consistent. For students looking for a job, it is important to note that negotiating work hours with employers creates a balance between work and school. Some students avoid balancing work and school altogether, opting to take up jobs over schooling during the summer.
Green River student Brenned Ricciardi worked as a Dog sitter in the summer of 2019.
“It was flexible and [I was] not having to pay taxes through income. I work with people [instead],” said Ricciardi.
Getting jobs while at Green River College has become more necessary throughout the last decade. According to CommunityCollegeReview.com, a significant price surge from 2010 to 2016 raised the cost of college tuition 30 percent and the cost of out of state college 20 percent — adjusted for inflation.
The cost of tuition for Green River has risen significantly to the point that getting a job is almost always a necessity. If a student decided to live on campus and stick to student loans, they could easily stack tens of thousands in debt. Having a job can put off some students, even if they can manage it.
Going to school while having a job may not be ideal, but students will find that the sooner they start saving, the sooner they will pay off their loans. If getting a job is too inconvenient for the student, applying for scholarships is another viable option.
There are high hopes for students at Green River, and there are plenty of ways to gain finance, as students also find the time to sharpen their minds.
Photo Cred: Flickr
