A recent report issued by the University of Washington indicates that more than 50% of high school seniors are working part time. The statistics break down this way: 20% of the seniors are working 15 hours a week or less; 40% are working 15 hours or more; and 40 percent are not working at all. Most seniors who are employed work at minimum wage jobs in restaurants and retail stores.

While the Washington study found that students who worked more than 15 hours per week could have difficulty finding enough time for studying and school activities, a study by the University of Minnesota concluded that high school seniors who worked up to 20 hours per week were more confident, had better time-management skills, and did better in school than students who did not work part time.

Tip:  Even if you are working part time to save money for college, you should still apply for all the financial aid available to you. How can you find out about these funding programs? Reference Service Press makes it easy. Check out our series of award-winning financial aid directories for undergraduates that identified billions of dollars in available funding.