Démos, a non-partisan public policy research and advocacy organization, has released a new report urging additional financial supports to help students cover the cost of living expenses, especially housing and transportation, so that young students can work less, study more, and finish their degrees.

The report, Work Less, Study More & Succeed, found that among young adults motivated to seek a postsecondary education, too many are sidelined by the financial burden of paying for school while meeting their other financial obligations.

To finance their educations, 58 percent of young community college students enroll in school only part time, and 61 percent work more than 20 hours per week. Yet research clearly indicates that full-time enrollment and part-time employment of less than 15 hours per week provides the optimal situation for young students to concentrate on their studies and finish their degree.

Surveys of students who have left college without earning a credential routinely cite employment and finances as the main reasons for student departure: one study found that nearly 40 percent of students who worked full time while enrolled dropped out within three years, compared to 19 percent of students who worked part time and 13 percent who did not work.

Posted 10/01/09 to www.NASFAA.org. Redistribution to non-NASFAA institutions is prohibited. Please submit Web site questions or comments to Web@NASFAA.org.