USC must ensure that student workers receive the support they need

The coronavirus pandemic has caused turmoil in virtually all sectors of life, including the workplace. In the United States, more than 26 million people have lost their job as of April 23. Torsten Slok, chief economist at Deutsche Bank Securities, told The New York Times that he expects unemployment to hit 17% in April — higher than any rate since the Great Depression. 

Among the recently unemployed are student workers. As colleges across the nation have had to temporarily close down and move classes online due to the coronavirus, thousands of students have had to return home — for some, home is a drive away, while for others, home means crossing borders and oceans. This means that many students who hold on-campus jobs will no longer be able to work.

Fortunately at USC, some students have been able to continue working through the pandemic from home. However, there are many other students who work jobs that require an on-campus presence and for whom working remotely is impossible. USC has announced that all student workers will still receive payment for the hours they are normally scheduled through the end of this semester, regardless of whether or not they are actually working. However, it is unclear whether this can continue in the coming months.

As universities make the transition to remote instruction, they face substantial financial losses. Schools across the country, including USC, have started issuing refunds to students to accommodate for unused meal plans and vacated housing agreements. In addition, they will likely continue to lose money as facilities remain unable to operate and Class of 2024 student enrollment remains up in the air. 

Even if the University does reopen come fall, this does not eliminate the potential for financial aftershocks. If, in the future, USC is no longer able to pay student workers who are unable to work from home, there will need to be protections put in place.

Student workers play an important role in USC’s operations. They ensure that essential University facilities such as the libraries and USC Bookstore, among others, are running smoothly. Student workers are employed in virtually every department and college on campus. The University should ensure that students who have contributed to its operations in such an integral way receive the help they need if the continuance of their jobs is in question, especially given that financial aid is given by semester and doesn’t necessarily apply to summer.

Some students depend on the money they make by working on-campus jobs to afford tuition and other expenses. The federal work-study program allows students with a demonstrated financial need to pay for part of the cost of attendance by working part-time as they are enrolled in classes. Therefore, it would place a significant financial burden on any work-study student if this money was suddenly taken away. These students would then have to find an alternative way to shoulder the cost, which may not be feasible, especially during a time in which many families may already be struggling financially.

To ensure that work-study students still receive the financial support they need through the coronavirus crisis, the University must continue paying work-study funds as long as remote instruction continues. While this means that the University will have to pay salaries for hours that are not actually being completed — essentially giving away money for “free” — its first priority must be to protect its students.

Alternatively, the University could consider eliminating the work-study option temporarily and lowering tuition as a whole. This way, students would still be able to pay for tuition without having to worry about whether or not their jobs will endure the length of the pandemic. This also means that USC would not have to pay money for labor that is not actually being done. 

As the coronavirus crisis continues to evolve, it is not yet clear what the financial future of USC holds. Despite this uncertainty, USC should endeavor to support student workers who are too facing financial uncertainty and make up a valuable part of the student population.