When Mom and Dad Can't Shoulder Tuition: YU Students Working Through School

By: Yaelle Frohlich

Posted: 11/25/09

About 70 percent of Yeshiva University (YU) students receive some sort of financial aid, declares the YU website. With YU's tuition standing at $15,797 per semester compared to the $2,300 of New York's city colleges for in-state residents, most YU students and/or their parents must have strong motivation to join the so-called YU family.

Most YU students have their education paid at least in large part by their families. "I guess the truth is, if I were paying the bills I would most probably not be here," said one student at Stern College for Women (SCW).

However, there is a demographic of YU students who have chosen to attend YU despite being required to shoulder a significant portion of their own tuition or living expenses. Many of these individuals must work while pursuing full-time undergraduate studies. The Observer conducted a survey interviewing these students (whose names have been substituted by letters to protect their confidentiality) about this challenging experience.

L (Sy Syms School of Business (SSSB) '12) and L's parents split the cost of college fifty-fifty. L works about 10 hours per week as an office secretary for the non-profit organization Keren, and also tutors on Sundays for extra cash. "It is definitely more time consuming," says L about working, "…At times I can't attend something socially because I have other commitments, or other times I find myself too tired to socialize. My parents will not let me go 'penniless' and I have never found myself desperate at times, but trying to be more financially independent is tricky when I am a full-time student working a part-time job."

L received a large scholarship from YU and has taken out loans to help defer tuition costs. "After my scholarship," notes L, "YU was significantly cheaper than some other schools I had applied to."

P (SCW '10) is not financially independent from her parents. However, she says she feels obligated to work "to help defray smaller costs with one or two part time/temporary jobs," such as teaching at Hebrew Sunday school and substitute-teaching in elementary schools on Fridays and during college vacations. "During this recession, it was a question whether or not I would continue at Stern," recounts P, who is pursuing a career in Jewish education and maintains that she could not envision herself pursuing her B.A. anywhere else. "Thank G-d, my parents thought it worthy to pursue it and thanks to financial aid and student loans, G-d willing it is possible."

YU is the biggest supplier of financial aid for YU students, says University Director of Student Finance Robert Friedman. While YU offers merit scholarships, the biggest chunk of aid is in the form of need-based grants that do not need to be repaid. Financial information taken into account when awarding aid includes: FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) forms, family income, family assets (such as trust and mutual funds), stocks and bonds, number of family members and number of family members in college at the same time. The university does not look at the value of the parents' retirement fund or home, but does look at the value of any second homes.

Friedman said that students who claim total financial independence on their aid applications are required to prove their independence. "It doesn't happen very often [that a student is totally financially independent], I'll be honest," said Friedman "…[but occasionally] there are situations that I wouldn't wish on anybody: orphans, wards of the court, mom and dad are incarcerated, deceased…Those people do get funded very well by YU and outside sources."

Friedman says that one potentially positive aspect of student loans-such as the FAFSA loans that automatically range from $5,500 through $7,500 per year from freshman to senior year-is that they can establish a student's credit rating. "Having no credit in this capitalist society can hurt you," elaborates Friedman. "But if you've had a loan and paid it on time, then you can borrow…Also, we find in statistical surveys that students that do borrow for their own education…they're perhaps taking their studies more seriously."

"[YU has] been totally involved in my ability to be here through extensive contact regarding Student Aid," says P. "They have been tremendously generous in providing scholarships and loans, and I am totally indebted to them for enabling my education here at SCW. Tuition prices are relative, so while they have reduced it substantially it is still a large sum, but thankfully much less than the "sticker price"."

This is M's (SCW '12) first semester working while in school, and she has found it difficult to maintain her grades. "I started working this year," says M, now an administrative/research assistant for a psychologist in New Rochelle, "and intend to use the money I generate to cover as much of my basic expenses, i.e. travel and food, as I can."

She reports that YU has been generous with aid, but inflexible in light of her family's recent financial circumstances. "YU has kindly subsidized half of my tuition from my first semester here until now," she informs, "but did not give me any additional financial help when my father's income dropped by 40% due to the economy last year."

R's parents paid the YU bills initially, but R (SSSB '08) must eventually pay them back. Now that he has graduated, R works over 40 hours per week. While he was a full-time student, he took advantage of the work-study program, working 15 hours per week as a Shabbat waiter and in the beit midrash (study hall) to earn money for food and other expenses. "I took light course loads," he says about his college years. He is able to keep his expenses to $800 per month, including rent and food, outside of YU housing.

YU did provide financial aid to R, but R feels that the institution failed to take into account his family's unique circumstances. "They helped in some ways," he explains, "but did not understand that my dad was only working part time and mom was not working at all."

There was a time when R considered transferring out of YU. "I wasn't happy, but I went to Israel and I had too many credits to go elsewhere," he explains. "And my parents made me stay saying that they'd help with the rest."

C (YC '10), who also lives off-campus, has also experienced frustration with his financial aid package. "My parents do not support me at all," he says. "I pay it all out of my own pocket; any loans I take are my responsibility to pay."

C, who finds himself without enough money for basic expenses like tuition or rent, food and electricity nearly every semester, believes that the criteria for determining aid need revision. "While Yeshiva University has offered me aid every semester," C explains, "it has not taken the potential misrepresentation of actual finances as calculated from FAFSA results. Just because a student's parents earn a certain amount of money during the school year, by no means does that mean they can afford to give an electronically generated amount corresponding to their salaries. This may not be a problem limited to Yeshiva University, but it is something requiring investigation."

C works 15 hours per week as an intern for a Jewish organization and leins (performs the weekly reading of the Torah portion) every Shabbat to meet his monthly expenses. His financial responsibilities greatly impact several aspects of his life. "It [working and financial burdens] isolates me from the majority of my friends," he says, "as they do not understand and cannot relate to the stress I am constantly under. It also interferes with my ability to concentrate in class, as I am frequently tired from work and/or preoccupied with thoughts of food, rent, tuition, credit card bills and bounced checks."

Despite his struggles, C does not regret his choice of university. "I wanted to be part of a program which values Jewish studies and in which I could be openly Jewish without risk of malignance," he states. "At the end of the day, I do not regret going to Yeshiva University."

J (SSSB '11), responsible for 80 percent of college costs, has a similar story. "[YU] helped tremendously, but when my family's situation got worse because of the economy, refused to adjust my financial aid package," J says. J works 10 to 12 hours per week and has never been in the situation of lacking money for basic expenses, but, like other students surveyed, reports that having a job during school "decreases social life time."

S, a 2010 graduate who attended a public high school, pays for all expenses independently, aside from tuition. S works 25 to 30 hours per week as part of the Federal Work-Study Program. "It is a huge part of my college life," says S about the job, "but I wish I had more time for my studies."

"I am great at saving," says S, a trait she credits with preventing the situation of ever being without money for basic necessities, "but I am always working to make money."

YU has helped S. "They [YU] have aided me so much, I am so thankful for scholarship and the work I have been able to attain through YU," says S.

The Federal Work-Study (FWS) Program, which is government funded, has no cap on the number of participants and can be entered by eligible students at any point during their college career providing that their FAFSA form is on file. The program encompasses both on- and off-campus work. FAFSA applicants are asked on their application to check off whether they would like a FWS job. If they are eligible, YU may offer them a Work-Study job even if they haven't checked off that they would like one.

During the 2008-2009 academic year, 370 YU students (110 women and 260 men) were working just on campus. However, "nearly everybody except for 3 [students] made less than $2500 for the year," acknowledges Friedman, cautioning that the work-study program is not a viable option to cover any major tuition or living costs, or to make up for a family's financial support. "…Undergrad students are not able to supplement payments. If somebody loses a job and can't make payments, a student can't just get a job and make up for that, because they're earning $75 to $100 bucks a week…you only have five to seven or eight hours to work."

At YU, hourly pay for work-study job ranges from $8 (for clerks, for example) to $16 (for web design and database positions).

"We haven't seen spike in students getting jobs," says Friedman, "but we have seen a spike in financial aid applications." Friedman says that most students in need of financial aid do not turn to Work-Study. "Although I kind of wish they would," he admits, noting that YU competes against the less expensive community colleges, "because [otherwise] we may lose families completely to a lower cost alternative."

B (SCW '11) is an out-of-towner who decided to attend YU for its Jewish environment and events, as well as its challenging dual curriculum. "My parents can hardly afford to pay for a small amount of college tuition," she says. "The rest is student loans under my name."

B works as a children's tutor. "I go over homework and help reinforce what they have learned in their school," she says. "I work about four a hours a week to cover the amount of money I need for travel, groceries and other basic expenses. I honestly enjoy my job, but sometimes there are activities organized by school or friends I'd like to participate in that I cannot because I need to work."

When B has not made enough money for the week or month, she takes out more on her loans. "I try to spend under $200 a month, which may seem like a lot," she explains, "but travel for work and Shabbat is already more than half of that."

"Yeshiva University has been generous with financial aid," she says, "yet the amount that I am expected to pay is still immense."

H, another SCW student, has a scholarship that covers her tuition. While her parents buy her books, she is responsible for her own room and board. H works off-campus ten hours per week as an assistant for a retired professor. "I don't spend money on clothes" to cut expenses, says H, who pays YU $400 per month.

G (SSSB '11), depending on the semester, is required to pay 40 to 50 percent of the tuition. G says his work is not measured in hours. "[I] organize a certain aspect of NY/NJ advertising for one of the big non-profit organizations," says G. "I also waiter when I have a free moment to spare, and sometimes in Shabbat when I really need to (for events like Sheva Brachot, weddings, kiddushes…"

Like other respondents, G says that social activity takes the biggest hit from his schedule. "I never have a single moment to spare," G explains. "Zero social life whatsoever."

G's social isolation may be exacerbated by his living arrangements; he does not live in university housing. "Dorming is far too expensive," he says. "I wish I could dorm. [However,] they [YU] have been relatively generous in regards to tuition."

"I am satisfied with the decision [to come to YU]," G adds, "and am glad I am here."

E (YC '13) student who is paying 40 percent of his way and whose parents pay 60 percent, is not required to work during school. Nevertheless, he waiters and does NCSY advising. This work, he says, "provides a more social atmosphere," which helps his social life. He says YU has helped a lot with his financial situation.

N (SCW '10) is a graphic design major who takes out 75 percent of her tuition on loans. "I wanted to attend Yeshiva for the Jewish environment," she says about her decision to come to Stern College. "I also knew that they are very good about giving out scholarships."

In addition to her seven courses, N works 10 or more hours a week as a freelance art director. "I'm responsible for every aspect of the graphic design and production of the advertising campaign," she says, describing her position, "including designing the look of the ads and posters, logos, and getting it all out to newspapers and magazines on a weekly basis."

Her job and full-time studies can be challenging to manage. "Sometimes it gets really hard to balance my work for work and my work for school," she says, "especially since my client is practically impossible to work with and extremely unprofessional."

"Yeshiva has been extremely generous with academic and need-based scholarships," says N. However N's job and financial aid package is no guarantee of freedom from financial pressure. "I'm actually worried about affording the tuition next semester," she reveals.

However, N does not regret pursuing her degree at YU. "Even though it's more expensive, I am very happy with my decision to attend Yeshiva because I absolutely love the classes, teachers and the friends I have made here," she says.

D (SSSB '10) is completely independent financially from her parents, on a full scholarship from YU and living in university housing. She works 20 hours per week as a marketing analyst, working from home much of the time. "Basically I just write reports," she says about her job. "It's very boring."

The imperative to work during the school year affected D's choice of field of study. "I chose the easiest joke major so I could work part time and have a social life and still come out with a B.A.," she states.