Ferris State University is the most affordable four-year college in Michigan. At least that is what Google first shows when asked for “affordable four-year colleges in Michigan.”
If you ask any student on campus why they decided to attend Ferris, you often hear about its convenience or a specific program offered, but intertwined with most answers is the university’s cost. An affordable school with a high acceptance rate, accessible scholarships and a walkable campus is appealing. It was for me when I decided to enroll.
While, on paper, this may look good, it does not properly reflect all areas that students deal with financially. We often forget those hidden costs, especially when trying to get by day-to-day. Everyone has their own. Mine is continuously buying fresh fruit. I want raspberries, but the mold beats me to them more than I would like to admit. Something small, like produce going bad, shouldn’t have a large effect on my pocket until I think about it.
See, as a student, time is money. If we didn’t have classes, we could work more hours and make more. But we have classes and are limited to working 20-some hours a week, so money is tight. When you think about it, two five-dollar containers of raspberries cost what I get paid in one hour.
How is it reasonable to assume that the average college student can afford to live on $260 a week? It is not. Reasonable is understanding that because Ferris is viewed as low-cost, a large chunk of students attending does not rely on external financial aid. In this economy, students I know who have never had a job are now working. Although the school has many useful resources to help with this, there is one blaring issue that students face. Low wages through on-campus employment.
Ferris does abide by Michigan’s newly increased minimum wage, at $10.33 an hour, and offers students in select positions yearly raises. The student positions range from desk work to food service. The appeal of on-campus jobs for students is that they are flexible with schedules, something that outside employers tend to be difficult with.
It is also important to recognize that by being the largest employer in the area, Ferris’ pay rates set an average for other employers nearby. Therefore, starting wages at other potential employers, like fast food and retail, are lower than in other areas in Michigan. Many students like myself have gone from working entry-level positions paying $17 an hour in their hometown, to making $10.33 an hour as a student employee at Ferris.
If the cost of goods in town reflected the pay gap, perhaps students would be less frustrated. But because of the township’s proximity, costs are often higher, as there’s less competition nearby. One good example is gas. I have noticed that gas prices in Big Rapids are often higher than in Grand Rapids. Add in less public transportation and commuting in Big Rapids starts to get expensive.
Ferris has been vocal about wanting to support its students and see them succeed. Many resources are offered to help students with income inequality. I should know, as I worked over the summer to open the Bulldog Food Pantry. At the end of the day though, Ferris is still a business. Enough revenues need to be made to afford the expenses. According to the Ferris State University 2023-2024 Fact Book, 68.1% of total revenue was recorded from tuition and fees, while compensation accounted for 68.4% of total expenditures from the last operating year. The rate of students employed to staff is relatively 50/50.
As it stands, student employees are Ferris’s lowest cost in terms of compensation. So, it would cost the least to raise student wages compared to faculty, who are paid appropriately.
From a business aspect, there are multiple areas to cover when large changes like raises occur. I am not concerned about Ferris as a business however, I care about my education, my financial security and my future. I am speaking as a student who works the maximum hours each week, has scholarships and still struggles to make enough money to even save for after graduation.
Ferris, as an employer, needs to be realistic when it comes to their students. At this point, the school is short-staffed with student employees. Perhaps if wages were competitive, this would not be an issue. If the university truly wants to see its students succeed and grow then they need to provide the resources to do so.
Raising the minimum student wage would benefit students by reducing their stress, financial restrictions and increasing their quality of living. The university should be focused on the students currently enrolled, not future enrollments. The university has successfully found 56 million dollars in funding for two new buildings, so I am confident that a fraction of that could be reallocated to student wages.