Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol.
Already have an account?
By submitting, you consent that you are at least 18 years of age and to receive information about MPR's or APMG entities' programs and offerings. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about MPR, APMG entities, and its sponsors. You may opt-out at any time clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email communication. View our Privacy Policy.
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?
On Campus Blog
Alex Friedrich

MSUSA: How hard it is to study part-time and work

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

I picked up this Minnesota State University Student Association handout on part-time students and their debt -- I think it was at a recent legislative hearing -- and found some of the stories pretty powerful.

The handout is above, but here are a few snippets that struck me:

From MSU-Moorhead:

"It's a constant, sickening pressure to know I will be in crushing debt for the rest of my life repaying these loans while I raise my daughter by myself with very minimal child support. ... I will have a poorer academic experience than I would like, because I will be working more than I would like to ..."

From Winona State:

"I work until 1 a.m. and get up at 7 a.m. to go to class. It makes it hard to focus on both work and school, it's hard to stay awake to do what I need to do for class ... and it's hard to stay awake for a 10-hour shift when you don't get enough sleep."

Again from MSU-Moorhead:

"As a single mother ... I will note that grants are slanted against (a)'non-traditional' student like myself, who had some college earlier in life, and then returned when I actually knew what I wanted to do, then was turned down due to high credit load."