The financial struggle of being a student in Lebanon

For many university students, being a student already feels like a full-time job. There are lectures, assignments, exams, presentations and deadlines and then there is the other job waiting when university ends.

In Lebanon, however, working while studying is no longer simply about gaining experience, independence or having some extra spending money. For an increasing number of young people, it has become a financial necessity.

Since the economic crisis began in 2019, the meaning of “being a student” has changed. As prices have risen and household incomes have struggled to keep up, many parents can no longer comfortably cover every expense for their children. And students are increasingly aware of that reality.

They see their parents calculating expenses, stretching salaries until the end of the month and worrying about bills. Asking for money can therefore feel less like a normal part of university life and more like another burden to place on their families. So they work.

Karim: Finance by day, waiter by night

Karim studied finance at a private university in Lebanon. Like many students, he wanted to concentrate on his degree and build a future in his field. But university itself comes with a price, and so does simply being a young person in Lebanon.

During the week, Karim focuses on his studies while working as a waiter to help pay his tuition. On weekends, when many university students are finally able to rest, he works double shifts in the restaurant. His weekends are therefore not really weekends. A typical Saturday can mean spending hours on his feet, serving customers, working through the busiest hours of the restaurant and going home exhausted only to wake up and do it again the following day.

“I know I need to study and prepare for my future, but I also need to work now,” Karim explains. “You can't just ask your parents for everything when you know how difficult things are for them.” For him, the job is not necessarily where he sees his future. It is what allows him to contribute to the present.

Sarah: One student, several jobs

Sarah studies translation. After university, instead of going home, she starts another part of her day: teaching languages privately to several students. When those lessons are over, she has another commitment, dance classes, where she works as an instructor at night. Her schedule can feel like three lives squeezed into one. University is for her education. Private lessons provide an income. Dance gives her another source of money and allows her to continue doing something she enjoys.

The result is that the time other students might spend meeting friends, relaxing or simply doing nothing is often spent working. She is studying to become a translator while already learning another lesson outside the classroom: how expensive independence can be.

Johnny: Studying law after a night shift

Johnny is a law student at a public university. His studies already demand time and concentration, but his days do not end when his classes do. At night, he works a full-time customer service shift. While his classmates are sleeping, Johnny is answering calls, dealing with customers and completing his workday. He then has to switch back into student mode for lectures, readings and exams.

His decision to work is deeply connected to his family situation. His mother cannot work, and Johnny feels the need to help support his father and contribute to the household. For him, the salary is not simply “pocket money.” It is part of the family's income.

The cost beyond the paycheck

Karim, Sarah and Johnny are only three examples. There are many more students across Lebanon living a similar reality, each with a different story, a different job and a different reason for working. And the impact goes beyond money.

For young people, constantly worrying about finances can mean carrying a weight that has little to do with their university studies. Instead of thinking only about exams, assignments and their future careers, they may also be thinking about how many hours they need to work this week, whether their salary will last until the end of the month, or whether they can afford to ask their parents for money again.

There is also the guilt. Many students know that their parents want to give them everything they can. They want their children to study at the best universities, earn respected degrees and have opportunities that will secure their future. But the reality of Lebanon's economic situation has made that increasingly difficult.

For students, watching their parents struggle can create a difficult feeling of helplessness. They want to focus on becoming the best version of themselves, but they also feel responsible for easing the pressure at home. So, they work. Not necessarily because they want to, but because they feel they feel like they need to.

When studying is no longer the only thing to worry about

There has always been something admirable about students working while studying. It teaches responsibility, discipline and independence. But there is a difference between choosing to work and feeling that you have to. Perhaps the hardest question for young Lebanese is one many students quietly carry: “How can I ask my parents for money when I know they are already struggling?”

The Lebanese student experience has changed. University is still about education, friendships and discovering who you want to become. But for many young people, it is also about surviving the present while preparing for the future.

They are students. But increasingly, they are also workers, contributors and sometimes even providers. And somewhere between the lecture halls, restaurant shifts, private lessons and night calls, a generation is growing up faster than it expected to.