It’s eight o’ clock in the morning at DI Hub’s Design Innovation Dining Hall. Culinary Services members inspect the area and work to get food ready for the dozens of students up early or preparing for a long day of classes. “Everything is going good.” says Ankur Chaudhari, one of the staff members. He’s a food safety manager at the DI Dining hall. “For this job, I’m mostly doing the post-production sheets and the feeding menus in the Amex systems.

Zak, one of the higher-ups at the Dining Hall, sits nearby. “They’re phenomenal, they’re all unique in a different way, and they think differently than we do, and it’s a learning experience to me and to them.” He says, commenting on the many international studies who work in Culinary Services. The young men and women that come from different countries to be students here…they are very rich in their culture and community, and it’s an awakening for all of us.”

Like many student workers, campus work allows those seeking a degree from the university a way of paying for the costs of college such as tuition, and rent. “My cost is something around $19,000 per semester per year.” Says Chaudhari, an off-campus resident. “And rent is around 500 per month or something like that.”

When asked about wages and tuition, Zak steps in, however. He says the university would have to clear questions regarding student wages and numbers. But he does mention hours. “With him being an international student,” Zak explains, “they only allow them to work 20 hours a week. I wish it was more.” He remarks. University officials did not respond to several responses for comment and interviews. The varying restrictions are one of the things that varies about student work, but many similarities exist in Kent, and other areas around the country: The feeling everything is not enough.

In recent times, especially spurred by rises in tuition, housing costs, and inflation, there have been widespread pushes in universities across the country and the world for higher wages for student workers. Those in favor believe the means to provide for students exists, but universities are unwilling to give student what they want.

One vocal organization is United Students Against Sweatshops. Madison McCartha, the USAS chair for Kent States local group 27, says the university has the opportunity to better support its student workers. “We believe that as a university our primary dedication and goal is to serve our students both in education and in success life-wise.” she says.

USAS has been involved during the term in actions to demand higher wages. Back in September, members chalked the sidewalk in front of the Academic Success Center. “Our goal is helping students find the best ways for them to advocate. If that means we hold events where we can chalk in areas where students and university leaders will see such as The K, that’s the best path forward.”

Student workers in contact with USAS, she says, have reported many difficulties due to the high costs of college. Many, she says, walk a hard balance between school and work. “Students are limited when they work with the university to only 28 hours a week, and that’s stated to prioritize academic success and progress for students.” She says. “But unfortunately, that tends to harm them because when they’re only capped at 28, they’re going to work as many hours as they can on campus and then seek a second job because those wages just aren’t adding up.”

Student workers aren’t given sick pay, McCartha explains, and many end up having to take second jobs and have to seek other sources of food such as charities. “I know a lot of students have expressed concerns that they’re unable to consistently get groceries and have had to heavily rely on food pantries in the community, such as Flashes Fighting Hunger. While we love those programs, we think that students shouldn’t have to rely on them as much as they do.”

International students are also more vulnerable, as they are restricted further from the types of jobs and hours of work they can do. “They can only work 20 hours a week, and that’s by federal law.” McCartha says, “So these sub-wages being given to students who don’t have the opportunity to work the same amount, and can’t get off campus jobs, furthers that feeling struggling and the inability to make ends meet.”

Some student workers say they’ve had an easier job managing everything. Students interviewed anonymously working for the Information Desk in Kent’s Student Center says scholarships help pay for much of the costs of college. “For me, I get paid 12 an hour as supervisor.” says one. “And with my scholarships and everything, tuition is about like 8500. So I pay on my loans now, and I’d say it’s sufficient enough for me.” she said. “But I’d say it’s only sufficient enough to make the minimum amount of payments.”

While in other areas, student have participated in strike action, McCartha says USAS is more restricted. “Unfortunately, in the state of Ohio, neither graduate students or undergraduate students are legally allowed to unionize, so we don’t have necessarily that same opportunity.”

She does say, however, that there has been progress. Recently, the university put together a “Wage Investigation Task Force” which some members from USAS are also apart of. She spoke positively about what she’d heard about it. “I believe it’s been a great success so far and I hope to say that the university actually takes what we recommend through this task force and that the administration and the president’s cabinets, along with vice presidents and whatnot, take this feedback genuinely and are able to come in good faith to the bargaining table.”