Uni students who work while studying usually have better pass rates - report

A new report from the Education Ministry reveals that university students who work while studying tend to achieve better pass rates compared to those who do not work at all. According to the report titled Working while studying - have students' working patterns changed?, the proportion of tertiary students engaging in paid work during their studies has increased significantly in recent years. This trend was particularly pronounced in 2022, with approximately 57 to 60 percent of students working during term-time, marking a notable rise from previous years. By 2024, this figure had slightly declined to 52 to 54 percent, yet it remained well above pre-2021 levels. The report highlights that employment among students has grown steadily, increasing from roughly half of all students during teaching months before 2021 to nearly two-thirds in recent years. Despite this increase, the traditional seasonal pattern, lower employment during teaching months and higher engagement outside of them, has persisted. Most students who worked during the academic year held low-intensity jobs, earning less than $1465 per month. Part-time students were more likely to be employed than full-time students, even though full-time students comprised the majority of the student population. The report further notes that certain groups of students faced higher work intensities, with earnings exceeding $2628 per month. These included part-time students, those enrolled in non-degree-level courses, and students from Māori and Pacific communities. Differences in work intensity across these groups were described as substantial, indicating that some students were disproportionately burdened by their employment commitments. Course completion rates varied accordingly, with students in low-intensity work achieving an 88 percent pass rate. Those in moderate-intensity work saw a slight decline, while those who did not work at all or were in high-intensity work both recorded similar completion rates of around 83 percent. Students in very high-intensity work had the lowest completion rate at 80 percent. The report also identified gender and ethnicity-related disparities. Men’s completion rates decreased more sharply when they worked extensively, and European and Asian students maintained relatively stable completion rates across different work intensities. In contrast, Māori and Pacific Peoples students showed greater vulnerability to reduced completion outcomes as work intensity increased, with Pacific Peoples students being especially affected. Victoria University of Wellington Students Association president Aidan Donoghue noted that the high level of employment during term-time is likely to continue through 2026 due to rising financial pressures on students. He pointed out that living costs, including fees for catered accommodation, have outpaced the StudyLink living allowance, forcing many students to seek additional income. Retail and hospitality sectors remain popular choices due to their flexibility, allowing students to work evenings or weekends without conflicting with class schedules. Donoghue shared his personal experience of working overnight shifts at McDonald’s to manage expenses. He emphasized that the link between minimal work and improved pass rates could reflect the heightened motivation of students who rely on employment to afford their education. However, this comes with a trade-off between financial stability and study time. Donoghue acknowledged that the growing reliance on part-time work has impacted campus dynamics, potentially affecting efforts to attract new students. As financial challenges persist, the balance between work and study will remain a critical issue for many students.