Southeast Missouri State University's student wage will rise to at least the state's minimum wage of $13.75, starting on August 28th.
Director of human resources Holly Bauwens said student workers on campus are paid a minimum of $10.50 per hour for no more than 20 hours per week. There is no pay maximum.
Under the $10.50 pay minimum, students working 20 hours a week would make around $420 every two-week pay period before tax. However, once the minimum wage starts, students who work 20 hours a week will receive around $550 before tax.
According to the United States Department of Labor, SEMO was able to pay less than minimum wage because universities could be certified to hire students and pay only 85% of the state minimum wage.
Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe signed House Bill 567, which “extends the wage requirement to public employers as well as private.”This means student workers will receive state-regulated minimum wage.
Additionally, House Bill 567 will raise the minimum wage to $15.00 per hour, starting on Jan. 1, 2026.
Hawk Leader in the Office of Admissions and political science and Spanish double major Camilla Ricaurte said the extra money would help her afford more and pay back her parents.
“I would be able to pay for my groceries,” Ricaurte said. “I'm very fortunate that my parents helped me pay for the school and like my apartment, but everything else is a lot harder, and obviously I would like to pay my parents back,” said Camilla Ricaurte.
It is unclear if the school being required to pay students more will result in fewer student job opportunities on campus.
Bauwens said it will be up to individual managers to look at the expenditures in their budgets to see if there will be fewer hours, layoffs, or reduced hirings following the pay increase.
“I think that overall, definitely, the student labor will be looked at as with any other expenditure that we have, managers will need to work within the parameters of their budget,” Bauwens said.
Some other student workers feel the minimum wage remains too low for the work they do on campus.
Student painter with facility management and senior exercise science and management major, Brayden Mulins, said minimum wage is still not enough for a student to make a livable wage.
“As far as paying off bills, it would make it a little bit easier. But honestly, I still need to see a pay wage of around closer to $16, $17 to actually make a decent living, because right now, I'm still relying on my fiancée for a lot of things, and that's not really fair to her,” Mulins said.
Ricaurte agreed, “I get paid $13.30 an hour, so I get better than other student workers. But for my student workers who are beneath me, or just a different position than I am, it's not enough, especially when, someone at Chick-fil-A who does less, gets more than one of these student workers,” Ricaurte said.
This is a developing story; check southeastarrow.com for updates.
Except as may be otherwise provided pursuant to sections 290.500 to 290.530, and notwithstanding subsection 1 of this section, effective January 1, 2025, every employer shall pay to each employee wages at the rate of not less than $13.75 per hour, or wages at the same rate or rates set under the provisions of federal law as the federal minimum wage applicable to those covered jobs in interstate commerce, whichever rate per hour is higher. Thereafter, the minimum wage established by this subsection shall be increased by $1.25 per hour, to $15.00 per hour, effective January 1, 2026.
The Southeast Arrow, a student-run news publication with Southeast Missouri State University, originally published this story.
