With 1,900 international students attending Webster University’s home campus, there has been a bigger demand for on-campus jobs. The problem is, there is not enough for everyone.
For the average college student, finding a job – whether on- or off-campus – is relatively easy. But for those on a student visa, the only form of income they can have is working a job within campus.
Unlike a domestic college student, international students must follow a set of guidelines to keep their student visas active. One of the requirements is to only work campus jobs in their respective schools. If they fail to comply, they could lose their visa. Additionally, international students can only work 20 hours a week during the semester.
Mehakdeep Purewal, who is from India, works as a student assistant at the Academic Advising Center. She is getting her master’s in Criminal Justice with a minor in Paralegal Studies. She began classes in the fall and started her campus job in January.
While Purewal may have an on-campus job, she knows of others who struggle to find employment at the university.
“I’ve observed we have limited job offerings. We don’t need that much manpower. But still, people apply for one certain job, and there are 50 to 60 applicants for that particular job,” Purewal said.
The reason that many foreign-born students fail to find work is due to the lack of available on-campus jobs.
“They are literally struggling because there are some financial issues people are facing, especially international students, because they have a lack of resources. I have a number of friends who have applied to on-campus jobs, but they’re getting rejected,” Purewal said.
Even for those who have jobs, keeping up with the cost of living remains a concern. Purewal tried to find on-campus housing but was unsuccessful, forcing her to find a place elsewhere.
“When I came here, there were no rooms available. So, I had to search for off-campus accommodations. It took two weeks to get an off-campus accommodation,” Purewal said.
Purewal works 15 to 20 hours a week with a job that pays her $12 an hour. She lives in an apartment with her parents’ support, as she would be unable to afford it on her own.
The lack of available on-campus jobs has prompted some students to take a different approach, one that can place their education and student visas at risk.
Taraneh Shalchi, an international graduate student from Iran, says she knows of people who work off-campus.
Shalchi, who is studying for her master’s in Business Analytics, has been a student employee since December. Like Purewal, she works 20 hours a week for $12 an hour. She currently lives off-campus with family.
“One of my acquaintances told me that they work off-campus. I always was worried about them, that something will happen to them,” Shalchi said.
To protect her friend, Shalchi is declining to provide further information. However, she notes this person tried to seek an on-campus job.
“They told me that they have to work because they have to pay for their tuition and other things,” Shalchi said.
The risks for students working outside of campus are serious, including losing their visa status and being asked to leave the country before finishing their studies.
“I think Webster can provide students with more jobs because I know a lot of students are looking for a job on campus. There are not enough jobs on campus, unfortunately,” Shalchi said.
Purewal is in agreement.
“I think Webster University should give more opportunities for international students to work on campus because people who are citizens here have opportunities; they can work off-campus, too – and they don’t have any restrictive number of hours, they can work 30 to 40 hours a week,” Purewal said, adding the university should also consider offering international students more financial aid options such as scholarships.
