Lure of fast cash draw poor students to illicit jobs

[MarrickG]

What will poor students resort to in order to raise money for their school fees and to support themselves?

Desperate times call for desperate measures, it seems, as these students prove.

Students by day, escorts by night

Fast money drew this graduate to escorting. Social science graduate Amber (not her real name), 23, tells her family she is in sales, but works as a social escort. She felt that making money from working in her family business was "too slow", and chanced upon a recruitment advertisement by social-escort firm Velvet 6 Management while searching for a better job.

When asked if escorts are any different from prostitutes, her reply was: "Nah, no difference. Prostitute, whore, courtesan, escort - they all have the same meaning."

NUS student-escort says: "What to do? I have to eat and pay my bills"

Are local university students strained by rising costs? By day, a third-year economics major who wants to be known only as Lynn attends classes at the National University of Singapore, usually clad in a simple getup of jeans and a tank top. But at night, while most other undergraduates are asleep, Lynn trades her casual wear for a wardrobe of resplendent dresses and works as a social escort, a job scorned and labeled distasteful by most. “It’s not exactly the most glamorous of jobs,” Lynn said. “I’m keeping it from my parents and most friends. But what to do? I have to eat my meals and pay my bills.”

Lynn belongs to a handful of varsity students taking on part-time jobs to finance their tuition fees and daily expenses. These students usually come from lower-income families with parents who are unable to foot the steep bills tagged to a tertiary education.

It is unclear how many such students there are, but like Lynn, some are holding jobs that involve long hours while others engage in menial labor. Some of these students say their grades have suffered from having to balance both work and studies.

Lynn's father, a truck driver, took a pay cut earlier in January and makes barely enough to sustain the household’s day-to-day expenses, let alone finance Lynn’s university education. To see herself through her degree, she has been juggling her studies with part-time jobs since she enrolled at NUS.

She said the nature of her job leaves her no time for schoolwork. “I usually can’t meet deadlines and sometimes I flunk modules,” she said. “But it’s better than not being able to afford my degree and then having to sell myself for the rest of my life.”


I wonder how many of our university undergrads have to resort to such means in order to get an education. But with work taking up so many hours of their time, most don't even have the time to study. What is the point?

And with tough times ahead, with possibly more financial burden on them, things will probably get worse.

 

[Dreamer1]

If this is true,then PAP deserve to be condemned till the end!
I hope NOT!

 

[benita]

unfortunately this is true. tuition fee at NUS, NTU is about 6 to 7k and at SMU is 9K +.dyears ago it was around 2K or less and giving a couple of tuition could enable many of us from up north to get by and survive.

if a local undergrad whose family can barely earn enough , how to fund the kids to tertiary education.< SIM and other private are even more costly>

taking on part time could only earn u $7 to $8 /hrs and at the expense of studying time. local uni course are very demanding. so the easier way out is to do escort or FL for many " troubled" undergrads.

I have met several undergrads and understand their predicament....it is even worse for female undergrads from Malaysia when they have to take care of lodging, fee , and textbooks and school material.....

 

[Watchman]

So is the job market really that good with the times ?

 

[Thick Face Black Heart]

The PAP prostitutes Singapore to foreigners and SG girls in turn prostitute themselves to foreigners for school fees. It has come (cum?) full circle.

SG - prostitution hub - from the very top echelons all the way down to the rank & file.

Sad. Sad.

 

[Dreamer1]

unfortunately this is true. tuition fee at NUS, NTU is about 6 to 7k and at SMU is 9K +.dyears ago it was around 2K or less and giving a couple of tuition could enable many of us from up north to get by and survive.

if a local undergrad whose family can barely earn enough , how to fund the kids to tertiary education.< SIM and other private are even more costly>

taking on part time could only earn u $7 to $8 /hrs and at the expense of studying time. local uni course are very demanding. so the easier way out is to do escort or FL for many " troubled" undergrads.

I have met several undergrads and understand their predicament....it is even worse for female undergrads from Malaysia when they have to take care of lodging, fee , and textbooks and school material.....

I support the idea of giving scholarships to SMART,foreign students

But if PAP is doing all these charities at the expense of our own citizen students,I say FUCK PAP.the guy who made this decision deaserve to go to HELL and burn forever.

Curse him/her!curse him/her!

 

[GoldenDragon]

I don't see anything wrong with these activities. It is the same reason why people are attracted to PAP. It is $$$ and more $$$. Selling body or selling soul, that is all.

 

[SQguy]

The rates for local FL will drop and that is good!

 

[vamjok]

i want to start a new cca in nus, whoreclub. if i can be the OKT there, wah sure huat man. special discount rate for nus student and lecturers, sure earn one man

 

[GoldenDragon]

i want to start a new cca in nus, whoreclub. if i can be the OKT there, wah sure huat man. special discount rate for nus student and lecturers, sure earn one man

NUS students bo lui even with discount given. Lecturers spend a little kpkb. NUS chio gals will be in demand at the high end nightclubs like Lido and TAM. Once customers hear NUS undergrad, value of gals will go up. Same for stewardess.

 

[Coolsaint77]

Why surprised? Many local girls have been screwing around for a long time for free... they now realised they might as well make some money out of it.

On a serious note, the tipping point that makes a girl sell her body is... the realisation that she can never afford most of the things she wants in life even if she works for another twenty years. It's the same logic young girls from 3rd world countries sell their body - all the things they want in life are unattainable.. well.. almost. When cost of living spirals beyond reach we will see more of this.

 

[iconchia]

This is so talking coxk!!

Everyone knows that in Singapore, money is the last thing that will keep you from advancing your studies, if you have the aptitude and capability to do so. Many of our local banks offer deferred interest loans for Singaporean students. You only start repaying your loans (with interest) after you graduate. Even then, the interest is low. Besides the bank, there are other avenues too, like clans, associations and societies.

If living expenses is a problem, can always do tuitions or other part-time jobs. There's absolutely no need to turn to prostitution. The only reason I can think of it that the student needs more money to keep up with the expensive lifestyles, e.g. branded stuffs or regular clubbings.

For foreign students, the avenues are of course limited. But then again, they should seek help from their own countries rather than Singapore.

 

[jw5]

Why surprised? Many local girls have been screwing around for a long time for free... they now realised they might as well make some money out of it.

On a serious note, the tipping point that makes a girl sell her body is... the realisation that she can never afford most of the things she wants in life even if she works for another twenty years. It's the same logic young girls from 3rd world countries sell their body - all the things they want in life are unattainable.. well.. almost. When cost of living spirals beyond reach we will see more of this.

It's not about wanting things in life that they can't afford.
It's about the values imparted to these girls by their parents.
Even if cost of living spirals, people can always adjust. Very few of these girls are suffering from extreme poverty.

Since their parents imparted these values or failed to impart the right values, they should rightfully accept it.

 

[vamjok]

This is so talking coxk!!

Everyone knows that in Singapore, money is the last thing that will keep you from advancing your studies, if you have the aptitude and capability to do so. Many of our local banks offer deferred interest loans for Singaporean students. You only start repaying your loans (with interest) after you graduate. Even then, the interest is low. Besides the bank, there are other avenues too, like clans, associations and societies.

If living expenses is a problem, can always do tuitions or other part-time jobs. There's absolutely no need to turn to prostitution. The only reason I can think of it that the student needs more money to keep up with the expensive lifestyles, e.g. branded stuffs or regular clubbings.

For foreign students, the avenues are of course limited. But then again, they should seek help from their own countries rather than Singapore.

1: the bank only loan you 90 percent of the school fee, you still have to think of money to eat, print notes (quite siong) and transport.

2: there are cases parents income is just nice to pay all the bills, sons/daughter above 16 have to figure out how to find cash for the next meal.

3: in general kids from such family do not do that exceptional well (except few rare cases). the idea of scholarship will tide them over is in general out.

4: i have seen this case myself before, mother got cancer, father income all goes to the hospital bill. the 2 girls have to work partime while studyingi n poly and find cash for their meals.

don't just see things on the surface, sometime life is not so straight forward. i also believe beside being a whore there are others ave to resolve the situation. the issue here is these kids need help, just that they are not well informed. at the wrong place at the wrong time and sway enough not to meet someone willing to help them or know about their situation.

 

[iconchia]

1: the bank only loan you 90 percent of the school fee, you still have to think of money to eat, print notes (quite siong) and transport.

2: there are cases parents income is just nice to pay all the bills, sons/daughter above 16 have to figure out how to find cash for the next meal.

3: in general kids from such family do not do that exceptional well (except few rare cases). the idea of scholarship will tide them over is in general out.

4: i have seen this case myself before, mother got cancer, father income all goes to the hospital bill. the 2 girls have to work partime while studyingi n poly and find cash for their meals.

don't just see things on the surface, sometime life is not so straight forward. i also believe beside being a whore there are others ave to resolve the situation. the issue here is these kids need help, just that they are not well informed. at the wrong place at the wrong time and sway enough not to meet someone willing to help them or know about their situation.

Yes, I agree there are exceptional cases where the family is really poor. But assistances are available even in the schools themselves. I don't see the need to become prostititutes to earn enough for the 10% school fees and living expenses.

My family was not well to do when I was studying in the Uni. I took a bank loan, plus work two part-time jobs to support my education. During the four years, I led a frugal and thrifty lifestyle. It was more than sufficient. I even managed to save some money to start repaying the loan.

 

[king_of_abalone]

Sell their bodies, get fast cash, buy luxury stuff, but so what?

Next time when finding nice and rich young guy to marry, what if the guy's father had bought her services before? Or his uncle? Or his elder brother? Sure malu big time, man....

 

[Papsmearer]

unfortunately this is true. tuition fee at NUS, NTU is about 6 to 7k and at SMU is 9K +.dyears ago it was around 2K or less and giving a couple of tuition could enable many of us from up north to get by and survive.

if a local undergrad whose family can barely earn enough , how to fund the kids to tertiary education.< SIM and other private are even more costly>

taking on part time could only earn u $7 to $8 /hrs and at the expense of studying time. local uni course are very demanding. so the easier way out is to do escort or FL for many " troubled" undergrads.

I have met several undergrads and understand their predicament....it is even worse for female undergrads from Malaysia when they have to take care of lodging, fee , and textbooks and school material.....

In my time, when there was only NUS, the school fee I think was only a few hundred $ a year. Certainly, no more than $1500. Now the PAP gives free scholarships to FT students, but native born sinkieshave to sell their backside.

 

[longbow]

Should offer loan lah. Offer loan to cover fees + living expenses. No need to pay principal just pay interest only (can be waived depending on economic condiiton) with principal payment starting 2 years after graduate (hopefully have job and working by then).

Those that have completed NS get a 50% discount of uni fees.

GIC so busy setting up micro lending business in india only kena swindled each time.