Coping with cash crunch on campus

Current economic troubles have forced many businesses to cut part-time employee hours or reduce their staff. Many students living with smaller paychecks (or with none at all) have turned to university services to help with job searches.

In order to help students find part-time jobs to fit their schedules, the University Career Center holds career fairs to engage students in finding a career of their interest.

“Even though it’s a tough economic time, there are jobs available,” said Sue Story, the director of the center.

Story said her staff sees 50 to 60 students every day. The career fairs have attracted the attention of large crowds of students; the number of those attending has reached around 600.

Story expects a large turnout at the next career fair, which is scheduled for Wednesday Feb. 4, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the second floor in the University Student Commons. She said since the recession, students’ interest in career fairs and searching for a part-time job has peaked.

The recession is adding to the stress. Large businesses are going bankrupt, money across the nation is scarce and deep cuts have been made in VCU’s budget. Finding and keeping a job at a time like this isn’t easy, even for college students.

“I got a job at 821(Café) a month ago, but they had to let me go because they didn’t have enough money to pay me,” said mass communications major John Robertson.

Shawn Lawrence, a social work major, is uncertain about job proposals.

“I think that people are hesitant to hire when they know the economy is going to get worse before it gets better,” Lawrence said.

Businesses aren’t the only ones affected by the recession. Homeowners and families with children in college are also suffering.

“Jobs are being cut, some families are losing their homes, and savings and investments are worth considerably less than they were a year ago,” said John M. Bennett, senior vice president for finance and administration at VCU. “The result is that students are being squeezed financially.”

“Students often work because they have to, and then only work enough to break even to pay whatever bills and expenses they may have, with little else for extraneous spending,” said computer science major Sean Burns.

Though students hold part-time jobs to make ends meet, they still have access to loans, financial aid and other means of acquiring funds for college.

“The majority of students qualify for need-based financial aid,” Bennett said. “So, we know that VCU students are serious about pursuing their education and that they have to watch what they spend. For that reason, we do everything we can to be sure that we are providing value for every dollar.”

Bennett said about 70 percent of VCU students are working while attending school. Students dedicate themselves to school despite the lack of a large cash flow.

“Working keeps me active and gives me something productive to do with the time that I have. It gets me up on weekends and helps me balance my time,” said photography major Shannon Crooks. “But in some cases, it can really add stress to a busy school load, and in those cases it is hard to put all my effort into all my work.”

WHAT Career Center Career Fair
WHEN Feb. 4, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
WHERE University Student Commons 2nd floor
WHY To help students find jobs, learn about career options