College students are constantly told to work hard, manage their time and prepare for their futures. But for students who need jobs to help pay for college and everyday expenses, working hard does not always mean earning enough. 

For students at the University of Tennessee at Martin, finding a campus job can be difficult. Even when students find positions advertised on Handshake, getting a response can be another challenge. 

Jada Marable, a social work major from Memphis, Tennessee, said she has applied for campus jobs through Handshake but has struggled to receive responses. She said that even calling employers does not always result in a straightforward answer. 

“There is not enough campus jobs for students,” Marable said, mentioning that some students do not have vehicles. 

For students like Marable, transportation makes finding an off-campus job even more difficult. She does not have a car and said a campus job would fit better with her class schedule while allowing her to maintain her social life and self-care. 

The number of jobs available is not the only problem. It is also whether the pay reflects the amount of work students are expected to do. Between balancing classes, studying and personal responsibilities, that pay does not always seem to match the demands of the position. 

Tennessee does not have its own state minimum wage, meaning workers generally fall under the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. For a college student trying to pay for food, transportation and other expenses, $7.25 an hour is not enough. 

Lacy Collier, a career peer educator at UT Martin, earns $10 an hour through her university job. She said she pays for her groceries, gas and sorority dues. 

Collier said the $10 hourly rate is one of the higher campus rates she has encountered. However, she also acknowledged that if she were completely financially independent, the amount would not be enough. 

Collier receives support from her parents and works a summer job that helps fund her semesters. She also previously held a campus position that paid about $8.25 an hour. 

That raises an important question: If $10 an hour is still difficult to live on independently, what does that say about jobs paying even less? Not every student has the option of relying on family support or working a higher-paying summer job. 

At the same time, Aniya Stokes, a Martin resident who works a tip-based job, has found more financial stability through her work. Stokes said her income varies depending on the day and shift, but she is able to stay caught up on her expenses and feels more financially stable than she did working hourly jobs. 

Still, Stokes said she would like to see employers raise the hourly rate for servers because slower days can mean taking home less money. 

College students should not have to choose between being financially stable and being successful academically. Campus jobs should provide reasonable pay for the work students perform, and minimum-wage workers should have wages that better reflect the cost of supporting themselves. 

Students are already investing time, money and energy into their education. Their pay should reflect the value of the work they contribute, not simply the minimum an employer is legally allowed to offer.