Students may think only focusing on school is best, but having a job while attending a university is more beneficial. Student employment is about more than just making money.

While grants and scholarships can help pay for college, it is difficult for many students to earn enough from them to fully pay their tuition bill. Also scholarships are not always an option.

The Average tuition and fees at public four-year colleges and universities increased by 13 percent in 2015 over the five years from 2010-11 to 2015-16, according to the College Board website.

Loans may be a quick way to pay for the remaining amount of tuition and fees, but they can add up soon after graduation.

In 2014, students from NIU graduated with an average of $33,324 in debt and 77 percent of graduates from NIU in 2014 had graduated with debt, according to the Institution for College Access & Success website.

Instead of turning to loans, students should try to work part-time.

“I think students have no choice these days but to work while attending classes,” said Jack King, Director of Student Professional Development.

Affording tuition and fees at public four-year universities is not easy. The Illinois MAP grant is a state funded grant that many students receive based on financial need to assist in paying for college. Gov. Bruce Rauner recently vetoed a bill that would fund MAP grants and award NIU $72,847,200, according to a Feb. 22 Northern Star article.

“[To make up for lost money] I’m going to have to increase my hours at work or even pick up another job,” said Samantha Schweihs, junior, broadcast journalism major.

Some benefits of working in college include learning how to budget time outside of classes, gaining experience, and building a resume. Students can also learn how to resolve conflicts in a professional manner if they ever come across a problem at work.

Part-time jobs can result in money and skills that will benefit students for the rest of their college career and on. It might be difficult to find jobs specific to future careers while attending classes but students should look for internships and any type of work experience to build their resume.

“Every job can be beneficial even jobs that are terrible jobs that you’ve taken,“ King Said. “You’ll learn what you like and what you don’t like.”

Huskies Get Hired is a great resource for students looking for jobs and internships. The service posts jobs and internships available to students and it also has a tool to help students create a resume. There are plenty of opportunities out there for students to increase their work experience and make college more affordable so I suggest they take advantage of this.