College Kids Are Not Loving This Summer

The summer of 2009 is proving to be a reality check for college students and recent grads. Instead of rollicking trips abroad or working at no-pay internships that their families can no longer afford to bankroll, college kids are grinding out the steamy days of summer doing manual labor—and they're happy to have the work.

Many of the employers hiring students to paint or do landscaping happen to be colleges, USA Today reports. Why are universities hiring? One reason is so that students have the money to enroll come autumn. Otherwise, students may have to drop out, or perhaps move back in with their folks and transfer to a less expensive school closer to home, another growing trend.

At least students are catching a break when it comes to college loans; a new law passed in which grads pay back loans based on how much they earn, rather than any set amount per month. In most states, if you earn less than $16,000 a year, you won't have to make any monthly loan payments. This might bring slackitude to new heights (lows?).