Can Students Lyft Themselves?
By: Jocelyn Caraballo
Over the past few years, finding work through apps like Uber and Postmates has become increasingly popular. Many people are attracted to the flexibility these jobs offer when it comes to when and where you work.
It’s no surprise that college students would find these opportunities enticing. Working when your hectic schedule permits and being your own boss? Rudolph Turner, a student at Rutgers University, drives for Lyft and says being able to make his own schedule is one of the best perks.
At first glance, this may seem like a great dynamic playing out in the workforce. It’s almost as if work within the gig economy is perfect for the college demographic. However, what circumstances cause students to opt for gig work in the first place?
College has become more and more unaffordable for the average student every year. In New Jersey, tuition prices continue to increase while funding towards higher education continues to be cut.
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) reported that from 2008 to 2018, per-student funding has dropped by 24% in New Jersey. The state has also seen a $2,075 raise in average tuition of 4-year public colleges and universities. In these circumstances, students and their families are left with the task of covering the rising costs of school.
Turner has been a driver for Lyft, a ride sharing app, for a couple years. Turner was encouraged by his parents to pick up the job.
“My dad had been working for them for a little bit and he told me it was a good side hustle,” said Turner.
In regards to making money quickly, a perk that Turner found with Lyft is the ability to cash out right away. For example, if he makes a $200 drive on the weekend, he can withdraw his money immediately.
“That way I don’t have to wait, I can pay for the things I need to right away,” said Turner. ”The only downside is they do take a percentage.”
While he did not disclose his income status, he did express how much the extra money helped him get by at school. When asked what he uses his Lyft income for, Turner said it mainly goes towards food, clothing and the occasional college partying.
“My mom gives me money to help out here and there,” he said. “ I also save up doing rides in the summer, I’ll use that money for food and groceries.”
While Turner said he has not struggled much with food insecurity, a 2018 report published by the Rutgers University Department of Human Ecology revealed that 36.9% of Rutgers undergraduate students were food insecure. That’s over one third of the undergraduate population. The study also found that food insecurity has a relationship with lower GPAs.
One of the challenges for students who work in the gig economy is ensuring that their work does not detract from their schooling. Turner says to avoid this, he tries to get his driving done on the weekends.
“I’ll usually do scheduled rides while I’m in school and I’ll make sure they’re really far drives… that way I know I’ll make a lot of money at once,” he said, Some of these rides, he explained, have been from New Brunswick to Brooklyn or Connecticut, which could be over 2 hours of travel time, back and forth. The longer his drives are, the more money he makes — and spends.
Uber and Lyft drivers like Turner are expected to cover their own expenses, which cuts down on their paycheck.
“I took a long drive from North Jersey to South and my car broke down on Route 295,” said Turner. “I had to pay $400 out of pocket to get it fixed.”
With education becoming increasingly expensive, it’s understandable why students would turn to this seemingly flexible gig work. They don’t have much of a choice in the financial circumstances they are in.
