Does Frederick Community College Pay Their Student Employees Living Wages?

Student employee speaks on their experience working for Frederick Community College (FCC).

Frederick Community College offers students positions in most buildings on campus, but is the pay worth the convenience of working on campus?

Jasmine Goodman, 19, is a psychology major that lives in Frederick, Maryland.  She works as a peer mentor for the Student Success office at FCC, where she greets and checks in students who are visiting the office. She was introduced to the job through her membership in the Partnership for Achieving Student Success (PASS) program.

On-campus jobs for students tend to be convenient as hours are flexible and work around students’ class schedules. These kinds of jobs are desirable for students with busy class schedules because they can just stay on campus to work.

Although many student positions do not have health/insurance benefits, Goodman highlights flexibility as the main contender to students seeking part-time jobs. These positions are low-stress and allow for the student to stay within the comfort of campus, and form relationships with their employers.

In terms of pay, Goodman noted that her pay was minimum wage and that she works about 20 hours a week. The current minimum wage in Maryland is $13.25. The cost of tuition at FCC after aid is $4,222, according to FCC’s website. It would take over four months to pay off a year of tuition.

The average cost of living in Maryland is $2,330 for one person according to LivingCost.org. The pay student employees receive at FCC would not cover this. Goodman said she receives help from her family to cover the cost of food, living expenses, and tuition.

Goodman believes having this job on campus has been an incredibly positive experience for her because of the people she is surrounded by, students and staff alike.

“It has been a good experience so far,” she said “Other staff [members] are amazing. Just that homey feeling when you get to build that relationship.”

Although the job might not pay above and beyond, Goodman believes that the experiences students get from working on campus is worth it. Goodman recommended an on-campus job to anyone interested because of the flexibility.