College students often rely on federal work-study positions and other jobs on and off campus to make ends meet. However, with campuses shut down amid the COVID-19 pandemic, many students have had to look for other sources of income to pay bills.
“Across the country, we are seeing many colleges and universities make quick decisions on learning environments, budgets and access to university services that have trickle-down effects to student employment opportunities,” said Bridget Schwartz, president of the National Student Employment Association (NSEA), via email. “Offices that manage student employment are also contending with shifting regulation flexibilities and guidelines and job availability that is not unlike that of the overall job market.”
Zyriah Robinson, a recent graduate of the State University of New York at New Paltz (SUNY New Paltz), said she was very concerned about losing her student activities manager (SAM) position. Her role included monitoring and providing tech support for the student union building — a place to eat, socialize, hold club meetings and host events. But when COVID-19 first hit, the school shut down for two weeks.
Meanwhile, Robinson pondered going back to work. She was considered the “Senior SAM,” the one with the most experience due to her tenure. And though she felt responsible, her “health came first,” she explained, as did the health of her family.
Thus, when her supervisor asked the group of seven SAMs whether they would come back to work if the school reopened, they all opted out of their contracts. “We didn’t know what COVID was at the time. We didn’t know how it would affect us,” Robinson said.
During the height of the pandemic in upstate New York, Robinson and her twin sister moved back home — this time to their cousins’ place, a 2-bedroom apartment in the Bronx. During quarantine, they had to juggle remote coursework and babysitting their 5-year-old cousin who was in pre-K at that time. The child’s parents worked in health care, and the circumstances were challenging given five people were living in the apartment when Robinson and her sister moved in, she said.
Therefore, “it is important that schools and the (U.S.) Department of Education acknowledge the importance of continuing to provide support, especially to our underprivileged students,” Schwartz said.
