The rise in minimum wage in New York has caused several changes for students working on the Oswego State campus.

     The wages are said to rise to $15 an hour by 2022, increasing slowly each year until then. This can benefit students wanting to make more money at on-campus jobs, but it may come at a price.

     On December 31, 2015, minimum wage rose to its current rate of $9.75. It will increase another dollar at the end of 2016. Sophomore Carmellie Gorres, who works at Lake Effect Café, is excited about the pay increase because she said it means more spending money in her pockets.

     “There are pros and cons,” Gorres said. “It’s nice to get a bigger paycheck, but at the same time I will have to pay more for my coffee.”

     For students who are struggling to pay their bills while continuing have some spending money on the side, this pay increase will help them out financially.

     Junior Kirstin Swartz who works at Pathfinder Dining Hall, said she believes that college students need to make more money with all of the costs they have of living on campus or even off campus. The extra money will help them out with a large portion of the bills they have, Swartz said.

     “It [will] motivate students to work at the dining halls and get not just more money, but more experience,” Swartz said. “It also will make more students eligible for school scholarships from the dining hall.”

     After working in the dining hall for more than six months, Gore said opportunities open up for scholarships that other students can’t apply for. Many students believe that with the pay increase, working at the dinning halls will be more worth their time.

     Michael Flaherty of Auxiliary Services said that since students will be making more money at places run by Auxiliary Services, food prices have been raised.

     Places on campus like the Lake Effect Café had to raise their prices to make up for the pay increase. For example, a small coffee that previously cost $1.39 will now be $1.54.

     “Over the next five years, we will be making every effort to look for ways to save money, but the reality is, as our customers are seeing in fast food outlets and restaurants in New York State, prices will increase,” Flaherty said.

     This not only affects the price of coffee, but it could change the cost of meal plans. The prices for returning students remain the same but for new students the plan costs around $100 more per semester.