Florida’s minimum wage increased to $15 an hour on Sept. 30.
The extra dollar could help some workers pay for everyday expenses. But for University of Florida students working while attending school, the increase may not be enough to significantly change their ability to afford housing.
Katie Curry is a senior at UF who works at Publix as a customer service staff member for at least 10 hours a week.
She has worked at Publix for almost four years and said the company’s tuition reimbursement program helps
support her college education. Her home store also allowed her to transfer to a location near UF.
Still, her income does not come close to covering her housing costs, so her parents pay her rent each month.
Curry is responsible for expenses including gas, some groceries, utilities and her personal spending.
She said she has had to make decisions about spending money, including choosing not to go out to dinner or to the movies so she can save instead.
Curry is a business administration major with a minor in sales, and said she has called out or left work early to study for exams and sometimes does homework on her computer during breaks at work.
“I am always doing school,” she said.
For students who earn minimum wage, the additional $1 an hour may help, but the amount it can contribute toward housing depends on how many hours they work.
Anne Ray, a housing researcher, said a full-time worker earning minimum wage could afford about $50 more in monthly rent after the increase while keeping housing costs at 30% of their income.
But working 40 hours a week is not realistic for many college students.
“A lot of students aren’t working 40 hours a week; they’re working say 20 hours a week and going to school,” Ray said.
At 20 hours a week, a minimum-wage student would have less than $400 available for housing under the same 30% standard, Ray said. She said a student working part-time at minimum wage would not realistically be able to pay rent independently.
Ray said housing affordability also involves expenses beyond rent. Students need to consider utilities and transportation when determining what they can actually afford.
Living farther from campus may mean lower rent, but students could spend more on gas and parking. Ray said living closer to campus and using public transportation could sometimes be more affordable overall, even though housing near campus and other centrally located developments generally cost more.
“Sometimes it might be a better calculation to live closer and to be on a bus route, even if that rent that you’re paying every month costs more,” Ray said.
Ray also said the gap between wages and housing costs affects workers beyond those earning exactly minimum wage. She said rents and home prices increased faster than wages in the early 2020s. While rent increases have since slowed, she said they have remained at a higher level.
“Realistically, somebody who’s working minimum wage, even with the minimum wage going up, is going to need some other kind of support in order for their rent,” Ray said.
Evelyn Kreger, a 19-year-old out-of-state UF student, works to cover her own tuition and housing.
Kreger works as a barista at 7 Brew, where she makes drinks including coffee and refreshers. She said the job traditionally pays minimum wage, but tips bring her pay to around $20 an hour.
“Working is a requirement for me to continue studying at UF,” she said.
Kreger said all of her income goes toward tuition and housing. When she picks up additional hours, she puts that money into savings.
Her parents help pay for groceries, which she estimates at about $100 a month. She said most of her other personal needs are covered through sorority payments bundled into her tuition costs.
Kreger said Gainesville’s living expenses have forced her to work more than she would like.
“I feel as if I am overworking myself to generate enough money to support myself,” she said.
The workload can affect other parts of her life. Kreger said balancing school, work and extracurricular activities can be overwhelming, and she often sacrifices sleep to keep up with her commitments.
Kreger said she supports Florida’s minimum wage increase. She is from Ohio, where she said she earns $11 an hour, and considers $15 an hour to be high.
But she does not expect the increase to significantly change her financial situation. She still faces the larger challenge of paying for college while working enough hours to support herself.
“I am still scraping together hours to work and study while balancing my activities,” she said.