Economic Life of Zambia’s University Students: The case of the University of Zambia.

Abstract

The University of Zambia has a cross section of students which includes school leavers, non-school leavers and in-service students. Some of these students are on Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) bursary sponsorship scheme while others, are sponsored by their employers or are self sponsored. However, students indicated that they face economic challenges in pursuit of university education. This study found that 85% of the respondents rated the cost of living at the University of Zambia as high, even though the majority are on Government sponsorship. In order to cope with the high cost of living, 21% of the respondents engage in business activities, 15% in vacation employment while 64% do not engage in any activities to raise extra funds. The high cost of living at the University of Zambia has a negative effect on the academic performance of most students.