Should College Athletes Be Paid Essay

According to the American Psychological Association, more than a third of college students struggle to afford basic needs like food and stable housing (American Psychological Association). College athletes, who often have to deal with more than the average college student, spend a large amount of time to achieve greatness in their sports. Due to their focus on sports and academics, and not their finances, people often wonder, how is college athletes’ health affected by financial insecurity? There is an argument to be made that college athletes deserve better financial compensation for their work but due to rules, and regulations in the NCAA (National Collegiate Athlete Association), they are barred from being treated fairly. College athletes

Most college students are already deep in debt before they finish school, as stated by the American Psychological Association, “College students in the United States graduate with an average of $29,200 in student loan debt.”(American Psychological Association). College students accumulate just under $30,000 dollars in debt before their careers even begin, which means that they have to live frugally to meet the demands of their debt. Their struggles can get so bad that some college athletes report not having enough money to be able to travel home during the holidays or to pay for food (Compensation for College Athletes). College students put their health and well-being aside to work toward their futures. But how does this affect college athletes? Unlike many college students, who, if they need to, have the opportunity to pick up a job, college athletes are too busy working to improve their skills in their sports. The article “Compensation For College Athletes” states that college athletes on average spend more than 40 hours a week practicing and training for their sports, and they risk their health and safety just to do so (Compensation For College Athletes). Simply put, athletes don’t have the time for a job. This leaves college athleteswith expenses to pay off, but no way to pay them off on their own. The NCAA does allow athletes to be paid by scholarships (Compensation for College Athletes), but

As of January 17th, 2022, 20 states allow college athletes to profit off of their NIL, which has allowed for more tremendous success for athletes (Navigating a New (Paying) Era For College Athletes). Players in these 20 states have been able to find success, like Mo Hasan, a quarterback at the University of Southern California, who was recently able to sign with a podcast network and generate revenue through advertisements (Navigating a New (Paying) Era For College Athletes). Not only does this benefit athletes by allowing them to make profit, but it can also help with the stresses that they receive through school. According to the American College Health Association, 63 percent of college students report feeling overwhelming anxiety and 42 percent felt so depressed it was difficult to function (Improving College Students’ Mental Health). With this money, already struggling college students can search for and receive professional help pertaining to their situations if they need it, including therapists, physical therapy, and other things that may not be covered by their insurance, or readily available from their