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On Campus Blog
Alex Friedrich

What some MnSCU part-time students are saying about money

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A while back I did a radio piece on how student leaders at Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) system campuses were saying the State Grant formula was unfair toward working part-time students.

Above is a survey that the Minnesota State University Student Association (which represents those at four-year institutions) conducted of part-time students.

The survey sample of qualified students is small -- only 320. But the results are interesting. A few highlights (verbatim from the report):

  • The majority of the students responding were first generation college students, had annual incomes of less than $60,000 per year, and had dependent children.

  • A number of respondents also indicated that they were paying for higher education expenses not only for themselves, but for their children as well.

  • The majority of respondents (nearly three fourths) were between the ages of 25 and 44 years.

  • More than 75% indicated that they worked at least 30 hours per week while attending school, while nearly 40% said that they worked more than 40 hours per week.

  • Nearly half have paid tuition and fees with a credit card.

I'm not sure how to take this tidbit, though:

Although 3 0% of respondents indicated that they currently received the federal Pell Grant, the number of students who indicated that they were Minnesota State Grant recipients was significantly lower — approximately half of the number who received

a Pell Grant.

What does that imply?