Opinion: Is the 80/20 System the Best Option?

by Kaedi Strother

Kaedi Strother

When you work, what do you expect? Why work at all? Maybe you work for the experience, but most employees work and expect a full paycheck, especially if they worked hard and for long hours. So, shouldn’t students expect the same?

There are a large variety of jobs a student can do on campus. And the student gets to pick up their hours and how long they work. But when it comes to paychecks, there’s a catch.

No matter how long the student works, their paycheck is still affected by the 80/20 system: a system where 80 percent of the paycheck goes to tuition, and 20 percent goes to them. This is a system meant to automatically pay a portion of the student’s tuition. But this also means they get very little money. Now, the question arises: Is the 80/20 system the best option?

First, students fulfill real responsibilities and often complete the same amount of work as

real employees, yet they do not receive the same pay. Second, students also have expenses to pay. Things like gas, food, textbooks, and other essential items. Receiving a small portion of

their paycheck makes it harder to cover all their expenses. And third, some students might work many hours, multiple days a week, while also balancing classes, and the effort is just not

matched. They still bring back a small portion of what they worked hard for.

The system isn’t intended to be unfair, but the way it affects the student is. Especially

if paying off their tuition isn’t what is immediately needed. Students should be able to choose where their money goes and when they want it to go. This will teach students how to be financially independent and manage their finances. It will also give them the ability to pay

off expenses more easily and motivate them to work more because they know they will get

the full amount.

They deserve to feel that the effort they put in is valued, and they should reap the rewards of

their labor. As this institution searches for more ways to support students financially, the

question remains: is the 80/20 system the best option?