US students work jobs as tuitions rise

Students in the United States are forced to work multiple jobs to pay the rising tuition fees for private and public universities, at the same time as taking on a full course load, Press TV reports. An eight percent rise in tuition and other fees for the US public colleges this year increased the pressure on the students already troubled by an unstable economy and severe cuts in state funding. According to National Center for Education Statistics, 45 percent of “traditional” undergraduate students aged from 16 to 24 were engaged in fulltime work while enrolled. Figures also show that the US colleges and universities are charging more than USD 50,000 on average for a year’s tuition, while the national average salary for Americans stands at about USD 42,000. Many are calling on the White House, Congress, and university administrators to do something about the rising tuitions and the growing burden it places on the students. Many students have also been forced to take out heavy student loans to pay for their tuition. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the debt stemming from the outstanding student loans stands at USD 870 billion, leaving the average student to graduate with a loan debt of around USD 25,000.