Economic and Marketing Information
FOR INDIANA  FARMERS
Prepared by the Agricultural Staff of Purdue University, Lafayette, Indiana  
April 29, 1967
Earning College Expenses
by W- D. Downey and J. E. Schwartz, Agricultural Economics
"How can I afford to send my boy to college?"
This is a common query of parents everywhere.
There seems to prevail a notion that providing a
college education is a basic responsibility of every
good parent.
A recent study at Purdue University shows
that in a great many cases, students are able to
and do absorb a major part of the financial responsibility for their college education. Nearly
half of the 1,157 students cooperating in this
study said they earned more than half of their
"total college expenses."1 More than a third of
the total earned more than 75 percent of their
college expenses (Table 1). Nearly one-fourth
earned all of their college expenses.
Generally freshmen earned a smaller portion of
their college expenses than students further along
in their college careers. Yet nearly one-fourth of
the freshmen indicated they were responsible for
more than 75 percent of their college expenses.
There was some tendency for upperclassmen to
finance more of their own education, but this was
not pronounced (Table 1). It is clear that earning college expenses is an important undergraduate activity.
Students Find Ways to Finance Their Own Education
University officials report that most students
should expect college expenses of about $1,800 per
year. Today's students have found many ways to
finance these college costs. Important methods of
financing include part-time work on campus, cooperative house living, and scholarships and
loans.
i The 1,157 student respondents in this study represent
about two-thirds of all undergraduates in the Schools of
Agriculture and Forestry. The survey was made in October of 1966 in cooperation with V. C. Freeman, Associate
Dean of the School of Agriculture, Purdue University,
Lafayette, Indiana.
But one of the most important ways of earning
college expenses is the summer job. Last summer,
the 1,157 agricultural students interviewed from
Purdue University earned an average of about
$1,100 during the summer months. From this,
they managed to save well over $600 for their
college expenses.
Summer earnings also varied by classes but not
to the extent one might expect. Freshmen earned
less than sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Beyond the freshman year there was only a slight
tendency for higher classes to earn more in the
summer (Table 2).
Students Work In a Wide Variety of Summer Jobs
Students from Purdue's School of Agriculture
found a wide variety of summer jobs to help meet
their financial needs.  About one-third of the re-
Table 1. Percentage of total college expenses earned
by semester classification; 1157 undergraduate agricultural students, Purdue University, 1966
Semester classification
Percentage of
college expenses earned
Fr.
(1-2)
So.
(3-4)
Jr.
(5-6)
Sr. Alt
(7-8-9) students
(percent of respondents in class)
1-25
19.2
12.7
14.2
9.6
13.9
26-50
16.3
19.5
18.7
20.6
18.8
51-75
4.4
12.2
11.6
17.4
11.3
76-100
23.5
35.6
38.2
38.6
34.2
No response
36.6
20.0
11.2
13.6
21.R
Total
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Number reporting
251
401
267
218
1137-
Average percentage
of expenses earned
by those reporting
55.8
66.9
66.2
69.8
65.1
20 respondents did not report their classification.