Considering the price of college -- books, tuitions, fees, etc. -- it is little wonder why so many students have to work in order to pay for school. 

Many parents can no longer afford to accept the financial responsibility of their college-bound children which, in turn means that more college students than ever are having to literally work their way through school. 

According to Sebago Associates, 57 percent of all college students have a job.  For some, that job is a way to pay for school and is often their livelihood as well. For others, a job is just a way to get extra spending money. Whatever the reason may be for having a job while in college, for many students having to juggle both work and school is a frustrating situation. 

Matt Crawford, a 3-D animation student at Collin College waited until he could save up enough money for school before going back. 

“I wanted to avoid more debt. I already have student loans from my previous times, and I didn’t want any more. So I just saved up until I could get back in. What’s frustrating is that my current job pays well, but I don’t love it and that takes the personal aspect out of work. To me, it’s just a job to get through school.”  Crawford said. 

Depending on the career field one has chosen to pursue while in school, getting a job in that field while still earning a degree is a consideration. While many students aren’t currently working at a job directly related to their desired degree, Crawford believes that still being a student can sometimes work to one’s advantage when pursuing a job in a related field. 

“In my field, it’s typical to be very competitive. A lot of companies like to take kids before they graduate and try them out. They sometimes give jobs to people before they even go to school so they can consider a career path,” Crawford said. 

For criminal justice student Robbie O’Rourke, the chances of getting a job in criminal justice is slim to none without a degree.

“It’s hard to get a job without a degree. People just demand a minimum amount of experience in jobs now. To get a job in my field, it usually requires 60 credits or more of school. Even if you don’t need a degree, they like to know you have it,” O’Rourke said.

Theresa Hilton considers herself lucky when it comes to work and school. Like many college students, Hilton still lives at home with her parents. She believes that without her parents, she wouldn’t be able to go to school. She currently works for her parents at an office.  

Without my parents to help me, I wouldn’t be able to afford school.  The only thing I really have to pay is my cell phone bill and my tuition.  Living at home makes it easier; my parents pay for pretty much everything,” Hilton said. 

While Hilton is at Collin College getting her basics, she is unsure of what she wants to do.  For years Hilton wanted to be a doctor. After thinking about it for the past couple of years, she decided that it wasn’t what she wanted to do.

“I’ll probably end up doing something like teaching. It’ll be something dealing with kids,” Hilton said.  She believes that already having a job in one’s desired field before graduating increases the opportunity to make more money. 

“I think you would make more money working your way through school in a job directly related to what you’re going to school for because you’re learning as you go.”  Hilton said.

Though some students do have jobs that deal with what they are studying, others have to settle for the run-of-the-mill jobs that are usually offered to college students. The average college student makes roughly $7.50 an hour and works 25 hours a week.  Hilton believes that regardless of whether one gets a job just out of high school with no plans of going to college or stating that one is in college on a job application, the pay is going to be the same. 

“I don’t think it really matters. I think you get the same amount in college as someone just out of high school. A college degree is going to get you more money,” Hilton said. 

O’Rourke feels the same way in terms of not having a degree. 

“It’s harder to get a job out of high school that is going to pay more than the minimum wage. Now it’s just harder to get a great job without a college education in general,” O’Rourke said.