He said "Going into college, I never thought I would need another job, now would I have a worry in the world. After my freshman year, I realized that there was no way to hold down a job while attending classes, film sessions, working out, or going to practice. I had no idea how come walk-on student-athletes did it. With a scholarship check of $600/month, the cost of living on the rise, food, gas, and anything else that was needed, I had to reevaluate my stance on getting a job." He realized that his junior year was the toughest because he and a couple teammates stayed in an apartment complex and monthly rent eventually exceeded his monthly scholarship check. .
In addition, I believe paying college athletes would help to begin creating a sense of financial awareness. One aspect lacking in this topic discussion is the ignoring of the very real fact that a lot of athletes are very financially irresponsible. In an ESPN documentary, it gave an inside view of the financial woes of many professional athletes. It primarily notes that around 60% of NBA players are broke within five years of retirement. Many of these players blamed poor investments, trusting unethical financial advisors and lavish spending habits as the reason for their money troubles. If schools were to begin paying players, they could also help these students build a foundation of financial literacy. This would allow them to introduce these students to financial investors who had their best interests in mind. Whether or not these college athletes went on to play professionally, they would at least, have some type of financial literacy to carry with them into whatever career they choose. Many athletes can't afford to have their parents come to the stadium and watch the games. For example, in 2010, "Duke basketball players were valued at nearly a million dollars while the players were living just $732 above the poverty line and a scholarship shortfall of $1,995" ("The Price of Poverty in Big Time College Sports").