Should Students Be Paid for Internships and School Jobs?

Students are told to get experience, build resumes, and stay involved. But when that work is unpaid, it creates a quiet divide between who can afford to take on opportunities and who cannot.

If time is money, then unpaid internships and school roles are asking students to work for free. Not everyone has that kind of flexibility.

💼 The Reality of “Experience”

Internships, leadership roles, and student ambassador programs often expect time, energy, and full commitment. But what happens when students also need to work a part-time job?

Many students:

• Skip unpaid internships because they cannot afford the hours

• Choose jobs that pay instead of ones that align with their goals

• Take on both and get burned out trying to balance everything

This is not about laziness. It is about access.

💸 Why Unpaid Roles Are a Barrier

When school districts or nonprofits offer unpaid student roles, it often favors students with financial support. Those without it are left behind or forced to pick between money and opportunity.

This gap affects college applications, professional connections, and long-term confidence. Experience should not depend on who can afford to take the hit.

🔍 What Fair Compensation Could Look Like

• Pay students minimum wage or offer stipends for school-based work

• Provide free transportation, meals, or tech for unpaid internships

• Offer community service or class credit that actually counts

• Create paid peer mentor or ambassador roles in schools

Supporting students means respecting their time. That includes how we value their contributions.

💬 Final Thoughts

Telling students to take every opportunity is not realistic when those opportunities only exist for people with extra time or extra money.

If we want everyone to grow, we have to make growth affordable.