Understanding the Working College Student

Despite the fact that work is a fundamental part of life for nearly half of all undergraduate students – with a substantial number of “traditional” dependent undergraduates in employment, and working independent undergraduates averaging 34.5 hours per week – little attention has been given to how working influences the experiences of students who work or how the benefits and costs of working differ between traditional age-students and adult students.

The high, and increasing, prevalence and intensity of working among students raises a number of questions for policymakers, college administrators, faculty, academic advisors, student services and financial aid staff, and education researchers. Why do so many college students work so many hours? What are the characteristics of undergraduates who work? What are the implications of working for students’ educational experiences and outcomes? And how can policymakers promote the educational success of undergraduates who work? 

Offering a comprehensive conceptualization of the “working college student,” this book provides a multi-faceted picture of the characteristics, experiences, and challenges of this population and a more complete understanding of its heterogeneity and the implications of working for undergraduates.

Publication Information
Stylus Publishing
March 2010
Hardcover ISBN 978 1 57922 426 4, $75.00     ORDER
Softcover ISBN 978 1 57922 427 1, $32.50     ORDER
328 pages