Going to College Part Time Has Perks and Perils
Some part-time college students share their tips for success
Dawn Kolb started college like most students: high school diploma hot off the presses and bags packed for a four-year degree. She was a full-time civil engineering student at the University of Pittsburgh ready to do it all. But after her father died, Kolb found herself wading in an unexpected pool of hardships and took two years off from the rigors of the classroom to figure out what she "actually wanted to do with [her] life." After struggling to keep her grades up in a full load of classes while also working full time, Kolb made another big decision: Go to school part time.
"My grades were not handling it, and I needed to find a way to pass and still make money," says Kolb, 29, who graduated with a bachelor's degree last year after eight years of study in computer science. "Most people who go to school part time are going for a reason—they can only handle so much."
The number of students going to college part time is on the rise. But is it worth it? While being a part-time rather than full-time student certainly has it perks, unexpected challenges can lurk in the fine print.
Students choose to go to school part time for a number of reasons—to pursue internships, raise a family—but it usually comes down to money, says Salme Harju Steinberg, president emeritus of Northeastern Illinois University. "It's the only choice some students have," she says. "It's the only way these students have access to higher education."
To take on the brunt of the ever-rising costs of higher education, part-timers typically work full time (47 percent work 35 or more hours a week) and take half the credit hours of full-time students. In 2005, 85 percent of college part-timers were employed while cracking the books, compared with just half of full-time students.
But those who go to school part time can often land themselves in a tough spot. The majority of part-time students have a higher-than-average college debt than full-time students, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Part-time students are also more likely to leave school without a diploma. And while students sometimes interrupt their enrollment for financial reasons, when they return they often receive less financial aid because their temporarily increased earnings hinder eligibility. That on-again-off-again relationship with school can also hurt their chances of receiving financial aid they don't have to pay back. "The proportion of loans is growing by leaps and bounds, while grants are diminishing," says Youlonda Copeland-Morgan of the College Board (and a former admissions dean for Harvey Mudd College).
Most part-time students end up taking two more years than full-time students to earn a bachelor's degree. But for some, graduation can take up to 10 years, leaving many students more discouraged and ready to drop out: There's a 19 percent gap in bachelor's degree completion, with part-time students trailing. Part-time enrollment has a negative effect on those students' postsecondary outcomes, NCES reports.
This isn't a coincidence. A larger percentage of part-time undergrads are from low-income backgrounds and often have to place a priority on work over study.
But part-time studies can work and have its advantages. Kristi Galakas, a part-time student at the University of Virginia, says she has been able to take classes with other part-time students, such as a war history class with Iraq war veterans and nursing classes with nurses already on the job. By spending less time in the classroom, she's been able to add the title of Miss Virginia and founder of the campus prelaw magazine to her résumé. "Being a part-time student shouldn't hold you back," says Galakas, 26. "More and more grad programs and employers want years of work experience. I now have a little more to offer."
Indeed, says Kolb. "Time management became a lot easier to handle, and I wasn't as stressed out," she says. Kolb averaged 12 credit hours a semester and 25 work hours a week. Copeland-Morgan says getting a mentor before and during college is one of the best decisions part-time students can make. "Going to school part time can mean losing critical peer and professional relationships and support," she says. "If they don't have mentors, it can be hard to stay focused and address issues."
"The student needs very good advising on courses he or she will need. They don't want to end up taking courses they can't use for graduation because it could put them back a year or even two," Steinberg says, adding that full-time students have more leeway in that regard. "And knowing that financial aid is limited is crucial for overall planning."
It's also important to honestly ask yourself a number of questions, such as, "Am I willing to go to school for a longer period of time?" and "How will this benefit me specifically? Will I be challenged enough academically?"
"You have to be happy," Kolb says. "I would have much rather taken a long time with school than feel overwhelmed and kill myself to still finish. It's a very personal decision."