Book Review: “Understanding the Working College Student: New Research and Its Implications for Policy and Practice”
This article is part of NASFAA's occasional book review series, where members share their reflections on books, published within the past five years, on higher education themes of interest to financial aid professionals. The opinions offered and statements made do not imply endorsement by NASFAA or the authors' employers and do not guarantee the accuracy of information presented. Would you like to suggest a book for a future review? Email us at [email protected] with your recommendation.
With the rising costs associated with higher education, one is more likely to encounter students on our campuses engaged in some sort of employment to assist with paying their educational expenses while balancing their school and work responsibilities. The authors of the compiled essays in “Understanding the Working College Student: New Research and Its Implications for Policy and Practice,” edited by Laura W. Perna, examine how this shift has affected students and colleges and how various stakeholders can best address these changes in the future.
Reviewed by Thomas Becker, director of financial aid, Bank Street Graduate School of Education
In the introduction, Perna, a vice provost for faculty at the University of Pennsylvania, considered one of the nation’s foremost researchers on college access and affordability, outlines three goals she hopes the book will achieve:
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Allow readers to develop a comprehensive understanding of the working college student.
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Provide a more complete assessment of the positive and negative implications of employment on students’ educational experiences and outcomes.
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Offer recommendations for policymakers, administrators, and researchers to consider regarding improving the educational experiences and outcomes of working undergraduate students.
The book examines the appropriateness of the conventional mindset, which assumes most college students are of traditional age (18-22) and have minimal to no work commitments, despite evidence that indicates work is a substantial part of the lives of more than half of all undergraduate students in the United States. It also outlines the diverse backgrounds and motivations of working students, explores the impact employment has on their educational outcomes, and examines how factors such as the type of employment, hours worked, and college policies regarding enrollment, cost, and academic achievement shape their educational experience.
As someone who worked full-time while obtaining both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees, I see the usefulness of this data from both a personal and professional standpoint. Looking back on my college years, my experience on- and off-campus was different than the experience of the students I knew who worked on-campus or worked fewer hours than I did. Specifically, I feel I missed out on certain educational and social opportunities that were more readily available to students who worked less. I also didn’t feel as connected to campus life and the institution because of the amount of time work took away from my ability to focus on those activities.
The essays are organized and follow a logical flow. The chapters dealing with aspects of student identity are grouped into one section, which discusses how work can be used to improve student engagement. The individual essays all follow a similar template. Each outlines its topic or theme and then presents relevant facts and research to support that theme. The essays then attempt to either draw logical conclusions about how the data illustrates or refutes the author’s main point, or use the data to make informed suggestions for improvement. Every piece ends with a brief conclusion.
The sameness of the format, along with the strict focus on research, may present a challenge for those who aren’t accustomed to reading scholarly texts on a regular basis. Still, I found salient and interesting information and observations in each chapter.
However, I feel the book falls short in two areas. First, the chapters deal solely with undergraduate working students. With more fields requiring advanced degrees, Perna and her contributors should consider expanding their focus by researching and writing about working graduate and doctoral students. Second, because this compilation was originally published in 2010, it includes several examples of outdated data and old regulations. Readers, especially newer professionals, should consider consulting newer research and examining how it compares to the data, conclusions, and suggestions outlined in this book before making any significant policy changes.
That said, I believe this book makes valuable points and offers smart suggestions about working college students. It would be most useful to administrators and constituents who are interested in understanding how students pay for college, the effects of different types of employment on students, and the ways colleges can improve educational and institutional outcomes for working students.
“Understanding the Working College Student: New Research and Its Implications for Policy and Practice,” edited by Laura W. Perna. Routledge, foreword by Glenn DuBois, Routledge, pp. 346.
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Thomas Becker has worked in higher education for more than 23 years. He has worked in various areas related to awarding and processing aid, financial literacy, and training and compliance. He currently serves as the director of financial aid at Bank Street Graduate School of Education in New York City and he holds two degrees from Stony Brook University: a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in higher education administration. he enjoys volunteering with prospective college students, assisting them with completing financial aid applications and identifying resources to help them pay for college.
Publication Date: 5/27/2025
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