More than half of working students juggle school and work for money reasons — report

MORE than half of Filipino working students cited financial reasons as their motivation for juggling their studies with work, a report from a data forensic company showed on Tuesday.

The Nerve found that 56% of working students cited wanting to “gain financial independence” as reason for balancing work and studies, while 46% said they want to “gain real-world experience and relevant skills.”

“Closely related among current students is the fact that they needed to provide and support their household expenses in terms of helping improve their family’s life,” Antonio Joaquin N. Mercado, a strategist at The Nerve, said during the report launch.

In terms of challenges, 56% of respondents said they struggle with time constraints, while 36% and 33% cited physical health and mental health concerns, respectively.

“Many cited that they struggled in terms of their personal and social time, and so finding these responses, time constraints, closely related to those that say physical health concerns and mental health concerns, it takes a very troubling picture of how being a working student can actually take a toll on one’s well-being,” Mr. Mercado added.

The report found that 46% of working students drop out of school due to limited financial capacity, while others were forced to drop out due to family responsibilities (38%), and difficulty in work and life balance (29%).

Moreover, the study found that ambition did not emerge as an issue for working students with more than eight out of ten respondents saying they were eager to upskill. Six out of ten said they were actively seeking opportunities to learn and upskill and more than one in four (26%) said they wanted to upskill but are concerned about time and cost.

For these reasons, Mr. Mercado noted that workshops, short courses, and micro-credentials became a popular option for upskilling due to their practicality.

The study noted that flexibility in time and finances is the most crucial way to help lighten the burden of working students.

“It is the alleviation of these financial pressures, or just a form of assistance in these financial pressures, which could prove to uplift their situation and empower them towards achieving their dreams,” Mr. Mercado said.

“However, more than just being able to provide flexibility in terms of work and study schedules, what we also want to emphasize is that supporting working students must go beyond just relevant real-world experience must be embedded to ensure not just educational achievement but career readiness.” — Chloe Mari A. Hufana