Bonus or Burden: Students Combining Work and Study
Ian Li, Gemma Cadby, and Avi Milentis Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success (formerly known as the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education), Curtin University
The profile of students in higher education is ever-changing, with implications for their success and graduate outcomes. One important factor in determining student success is their work status and the nature of work while studying. Previous figures show that many Australian university students work while studying. For instance, Universities Australia estimated that four in five students were employed while studying in 2017. Another analysis found that university students engaged in employment can work substantial hours, particularly later-year students who may work up to 20 hours per week. The current cost of living likely puts further strain on university students and their finances. This is particularly pertinent for students from under-represented and traditionally disadvantaged backgrounds. However, there is a notable lack of more recent data on employment trends for university students in Australia, particularly at the national level.
It is also true that the way university students are engaged in study has changed substantially in the recent past. The trend towards online study has accelerated in the last ten years, particularly since 2020 with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. The ability to undertake study online, coupled with the broader trend towards working from home arrangements, has provided yet more flexibility to facilitate the combination of paid work with university study. This indicates that it is likely that more students are now engaged in paid work while at university. It is also likely that students who work tend to work longer hours.
One big question here is whether being engaged in paid work while at university is beneficial to students. Paid work is, of course, important as a source of income to provide subsistence, particularly with the current inflationary pressures globally. However, even putting cost of living aside, the overall impact on student outcomes is not straightforward. Working while studying is likely to benefit students in terms of boosting their employability, increase their human capital and increase their salaries post-degree completion, particularly if their employment while studying was relevant to their field of study. The recently released Australian Universities Accord Final Report recognises the importance of working while studying, and the relationship to other important issues such as the cost-of-living. Recommendations in the University Accord Final Report include the creation of a national brokerage system to help students find paid part-time employment relevant to their field of study, financial support for unpaid placements, and higher and more accessible student income support. Whether these recommendations are implemented and their potential effectiveness in improving student success are not yet known.
However, along with the benefits of paid employment, there are also trade-offs. Generally, university student employment is associated with poorer academic outcomes. One US study found that working 20 hours per week or more is associated with a poorer grade point average. The last and most recent Universities Australia Student Finances Survey in 2017 found that, for university students who were engaged in work, one in two reported having their studies adversely affected, and one in three regularly missed lectures and classes as a result. Other Australian studies typically generated the same conclusion: that student employment is negatively associated with academic performance. The negative impact of student employment extends beyond grades, and has been found to be linked to greater likelihood of degree dropout.
The current cost of living crisis, together with policy aspirations to boost the number of enrolments and improve student outcomes for under-represented and disadvantaged learners, highlights the need for better understanding of:
how university students engage with paid work while studying,
the nature of this paid work,
the interrelationships between paid work, study and academic outcomes, and
outcomes beyond graduation.
The opportunity for new ‘learning while earning’ qualifications – for example, via degree or higher apprenticeships – is another approach that is gaining traction.
Enhancing the lived experience of students juggling work, life and study, many of whom suffer extreme financial hardship, is also a focus of the Universities Accord Final Report. It is clear there is still much work to be done to inform evidence-based and effective policy responses.
Professor Ian Li is Director of the Research and Policy Program at the Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success*.
Associate Professor Gemma Cadby is Director of the Data Program at the Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success.
Avi Milentis is a Research Assistant in the Research and Policy Program at the Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success.
*The Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success was formerly known as the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education and is based at Curtin University