money and work essay

Essays About Money: Top 5 Examples and 6 Prompts

With money comes great power; however, power must always come with responsibility. Discover thought-provoking essays about money in our guide.

Money is everywhere. We use it to eat, drink, clothe ourselves, and get shelter, among many other uses. Nowadays, it is an undisputed fact that “money makes the world go round.” The earliest known form of money dates back to around 5,000 years ago ; trade was previously carried out using a barter system. However, over the centuries, more and more nations began implementing a currency system, and money has become more critical. 

In the contemporary world, it seems to be “all about money.” However, it is important not to lose sight of what is important; we must maintain good physical and mental health and healthy relationships with the people around us. Money is necessary; it is just not the only thing necessary. To start your essay, read these examples to write insightful essays about money. 

5 Top Examples On Essay About Money

1. essay on money by prasanna, 2. how money changed human history by jacob wilkins, 3. capitalism: money that make money by ernestine montgomery, 4.  is money the most important thing by seth higgins.

• 5. ​​An Introduction to Saving Money by Jeremy Vohwinkle

Writing Prompts For Essays About Money

1. good uses for money, 2. the “dark side” of money, 3. money’s role in history, 4. morality vs. money, 5. can money buy happiness, 6. how to save money.

“Imagine the world without money. We will eventually come to a point where we will be asking questions like “what’s the point of life”. Hope and goals are some of the important things that will keep a man going in life. Without any sense of achievement or motivation, there wouldn’t be any inventions or progress in the world. People work to get money and then people work harder to get more money. This cycle of life that keeps a man motivated and hopeful is one of the biggest advantages of the system of money”

This essay gives readers a general outlook on money and its advantages and disadvantages. It gives people equal opportunity to work for their dreams and motivates them to be productive members of society, while it also raises the question of greed. Money, without a doubt, has its positive and negative aspects, but it exists and is only becoming more critical.

“But the barter economy was flawed. There was no universal measure for determining the value of an item. It was all based on the subjective opinion of the individuals involved. And to make matters worse, the barter economy relied on both sides wanting something the other had to offer. Trade, therefore, could be sluggish and frustrating. Human beings needed something different, and money was the answer.”

Wilkins writes about how money revolutionized the way trade was conducted. The barter system involved trading any objects if both parties agreed to a deal, such as trading animal skins for fish or medicine for timber. However, the only measure of an item’s value was how much one party wanted it- both sides needed to have something the other wanted. The introduction of money allowed people to put a solid value on commodities, making trade easier.  

“So, if you were to closely observe the dirty, disordered canvas of economic progress during the 20th and 21 st century, you should conclude that, for all its warts, capitalism has been the winner. It has sometimes caused pain; suffered from serious cycles; and often needed the clout of the state- such as we have seen from September 2008. It has also been quite resistant to sensible regulation. Even so, the basic institutions of capitalism have worked, not just in the US and the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and development) nations, but also many developing countries, of which India is one.”

Albeit lengthy, Montgomery’s essay discusses the debate between socialism and capitalism, a topic of which money is at the core. Montgomery describes Karl Marx’s criticism of capitalism: all the money goes to a few people, not the workers. She believes these are valid to an extent and criticizes certain forms of capitalism and socialism. Neither capitalism nor socialism is perfect, but according to Montgomery, capitalism creates a better economy. 

“Being the richest man in the world does not mean you are the happiest man in the world, although money can buy you happiness sometimes, but not always. If we could all appreciate the way life is, the fun, and the beauty I think the world would be better. If people weren’t power hungry maybe we’d have a lesser demand for money. Those people who is money hungry and power hungry need to relax. Money can’t buy you happiness. These individuals need to understand that.”

Higgins implores readers to remember that money is not the only thing people need in the world. He stresses the necessity of money, as it is used to pay for various necessary goods and services; however, he believes it is not a prerequisite for happiness. Material things are temporary, and there are other things we should focus on, like family and friends. 

5. ​​ An Introduction to Saving Money by Jeremy Vohwinkle

“A financial emergency may take the form of a job loss, significant medical or dental expense, unexpected home or auto repairs, a hurricane or major storm, or something unthinkable, such as a global pandemic. The last thing you want to do is to rely on credit cards with their hefty interest fees or to be forced to take out a loan. That’s where your emergency fund can come in handy. Historically, the formula for an emergency account is to have enough readily available cash to cover three to six months of living expenses.“

Vohwinkle’s essay gives readers some suggestions on how to save more money. Most importantly, he suggests setting up an emergency fund, as all other saving techniques stem from there. He also suggests creating an automatic savings plan and cutting down on “spending leaks,” like buying coffee. You might also be interested in these essays about celebration .

In this essay, write about why money is necessary and the ways to use it for the greater good, and include ways in which it can be used (investing, donating, etc.). For each point, you make, be sure to explain why. Of course, this is entirely subjective; feel free to write about what you consider “good uses” for money. 

On the other hand, money also has a negative side —research on money-related issues, such as taxpayer-funded corruption and trading of illegal goods. In your essay, explore this side of money and perhaps give solutions on how to stop these problems. 

Money has played a progressively more important role throughout human history. Discuss the development of currency and the economy, from the barter system to the digital world we live in today. You need not go too in-depth, as there is a lot of ground to cover and many eras to research. Be sure to cite reputable sources when discussing history. 

Many people warn of “selling your soul” for financial gain. In your essay, you can write about the importance of having solid values in this day and age, where money reigns supreme. What principles do you need to keep in mind? Explain how you can still value money while staying grounded; mention the balance between material needs and others. 

As stated in Higgins’ essay, more people have begun to prioritize money over all else. Do you believe that money is truly the most important thing? Can it alone make you happy? Discuss both sides of this question and choose your position accordingly. Be sure to provide precise supporting details for a stronger argument. 

Enumerate tips on how you can save money. Anything works, from saving certain things for special occasions to buying more food in the grocery rather than eating out. This is your opinion; however, feel free to consult online sources and the people around you for extra advice. 

For help with your essays, check out our round-up of the best essay checkers .If you’re still stuck, check out our general resource of essay writing topics .

Martin is an avid writer specializing in editing and proofreading. He also enjoys literary analysis and writing about food and travel.

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Guide to The NY Times’ Five Best College Essays on Work, Money and Class

So, you might ask, “What can I learn from this year’s crop of college essays about money, work and class? And how can they help me craft my own memorable, standout essays?”  To help get to the bottom of what made the Times ‘ featured essays so exceptional, we made you a guide on  w hat worked, and what you can emulate in your own essays to make them just as memorable for admissions.

• Contradictions are the stuff of great literature . “I belong to the place where opposites merge in a…heap of beautiful contradictions,” muses Tillena Treborn in her lyrical essay on straddling rural and urban life in Flagstaff, AZ, one of the five pieces selected by t he Times this year. Each of the highlighted essays mined contradictions: immigrant versus citizen; service worker versus client; insider versus outsider; urban versus rural; poverty versus wealth; acceptance versus rebellion; individual versus family. Every day, we navigate opposing forces in our lives. These struggles—often rich, and full of tension—make for excellent essay topics. Ask yourself this: Do you straddle the line between ethnicities, religions, generations, languages, or locales? If so, how? In what ways do you feel like you are stuck between two worlds, or like you are an outsider? Examining the essential contradictions in your own life will provide you with fodder for a fascinating, insightful college essay.  
• The magic is in the details — especially the sensory ones. Sensory details bring writing to life by allowing readers to experience how something looks, sounds, smells, tastes, or feels. In his American dream-themed essay about his immigrant mother cleaning the apartment of two professors, Jonathan Ababiy describes “the whir,” “suction,” and “squeal” of her “blue Hoover vacuum” as it leaps across “miles of carpet.” These descriptions allow us to both hear and see the symbolic vacuum in action. The slice-of-life familial essay by Idalia Felipe–the only essay to be published in The Times’ Snapchat Discover feature–opens with a scene: “As I sit facing our thirteen-year old refrigerator, my stomach growls at the scent of handmade tortillas and meat sizzling on the stove.” Immediately, we are brought inside Felipe’s home with its distinctive smells and sounds; our stomach seems to growl alongside hers. Use descriptive, sensory language to engage your reader, bring them into your world, and make your writing shine.
• One-sentence paragraphs are catchy . A one-sentence paragraph, as I’m sure you’ve gleaned, is a paragraph that is only one sentence long. The form has been employed by everyone from Tim O’Brien to Charles Dickens and, now, the writers of this year’s featured Times college essays. “I live on the edge,” Ms. Treborn declares at the beginning of her poetic essay on the differences between her mother and father’s worlds. “The most exciting part was the laptop,” asserts Zoe Sottile, the recipient of the Tang Scholarship at Phillips Academy in her essay about the mutability and complexity of class identity. Starting your essay with a one-sentence paragraph—a line of description, a scene, or a question, for example—is a great way to hook the reader. You could also use a one-sentence paragraph mid-essay to emphasize a point, as Ms. Treborn does, or in your conclusion. A one-sentence paragraph is one of many tricks that you have in your writing toolkit to make your reader pause and take notice.
• The Familiar Can Be Fascinating. The most daring essay this year, a rant on the imbalances of power embedded in the service industry by Caitlin McCormick, delivers us into the world of a family bed and breakfast with its clinking silverware and cantankerous guests demanding twice-a-day room cleanings. In Ms. Felipe’s more atmospheric piece, we enter her home before dinnertime where we see her attempting to study while her sisters giggle and watch Youtube cat videos. These are the environments these students grew up in, and they inspired everything from frustration at glaring class inequalities to gratitude for the dream of a better life. Rather than feeling like you have to write about something monumental, focus on the familiar, and consider how your environment has shaped you. How did you grow up—in the restaurant business, on a farm, in a house full of artists, construction workers, or judges? Bring us into your world, describing it meticulously and thoughtfully. Tease out the connection between your environment and who you are/what you strive for today and you will be embarking on the path of meaningful self-discovery, which is the key to college essay success.

About Nina Bailey

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Written by Nina Bailey

Category: advice , Essay Tips , Essay Writing , New York Times , Uncategorized

Tags: advice , college admissions , college admissions essay , college essay , college essay advisors , common application , tips , writing

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Does More Money Really Make Us More Happy?

• Elizabeth Dunn
• Chris Courtney

A big paycheck won’t necessarily bring you joy

Although some studies show that wealthier people tend to be happier, prioritizing money over time can actually have the opposite effect.

• But even having just a little bit of extra cash in your savings account ($500), can increase your life satisfaction. So how can you keep more cash on hand?
• Ask yourself: What do I buy that isn’t essential for my survival? Is the expense genuinely contributing to my happiness? If the answer to the second question is no, try taking a break from those expenses.
• Other research shows there are specific ways to spend your money to promote happiness, such as spending on experiences, buying time, and investing in others.
• Spending choices that promote happiness are also dependent on individual personalities, and future research may provide more individualized advice to help you get the most happiness from your money.

Where your work meets your life. See more from Ascend here .

How often have you willingly sacrificed your free time to make more money? You’re not alone. But new research suggests that prioritizing money over time may actually undermine our happiness.

• ED Elizabeth Dunn is a professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia and Chief Science Officer of Happy Money, a financial technology company with a mission to help borrowers become savers. She is also co-author of “ Happy Money: The Science of Happier Spending ” with Dr. Michael Norton. Her TED2019 talk on money and happiness was selected as one of the top 10 talks of the year by TED.
• CC Chris Courtney is the VP of Science at Happy Money. He utilizes his background in cognitive neuroscience, human-computer interaction, and machine learning to drive personalization and engagement in products designed to empower people to take control of their financial lives. His team is focused on creating innovative ways to provide more inclusionary financial services, while building tools to promote financial and psychological well-being and success.

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Essay On Money: 100, 250 Words Samples

• Updated on  
• Nov 9, 2023

Why do you think money is important? Can we live without money? Does money have its own value? What’s the difference between hard money and digital money? When we plan on buying something, we have to pay a certain amount. Let’s say you want to buy a wristwatch worth $50. How do you compare that commodity with money? Do they have equal value? Is there any authority that states the value of money ? These and several other questions about money can make one wonder why money is given so much importance. Let’s go in-depth with an essay on money and find answers to all these questions.

Table of Contents

• 1 What is Money?
• 2 Why is Money So Important?
• 3 Essay on Money in 100 Words
• 4 Essay on Money in 250 Words

Also Read: Essay on Chandrayaan – 3

What is Money?

According to Wikipedia and Oxford Dictionary, Money is simply a medium of exchange. Some even consider money as one of the most important resources , which is used to make transactions of goods, services, or repayment of debts within a specific country or socio-economic context.

Money can have various forms, coins and banknotes in physical form, and electronic balances in bank accounts in digital forms. Money serves as a unit of account, facilitating the measurement of value in terms of prices, and as a store of value, allowing individuals to save purchasing power for future use.

Learn Why Financial Literacy is Important for Students.

Why is Money So Important?

What makes money such an important resource is its acceptance across the globe in multiple transactions and services. From serving as a medium of exchange to facilitating financial activities, the importance of money goes beyond our everyday needs. Here are several reasons stating the importance of money.

• Money serves as a convenient medium of exchange that facilitates the buying and selling of goods and services, making transactions more efficient than barter systems.
• It provides a standardized unit for measuring the value of goods, services, and assets, allowing for easier comparison and assessment of value across different items.
• Money enables individuals and businesses to store wealth and purchasing power over time, facilitating savings and investment for future needs and goals.
• A stable and reliable monetary system encourages investment, trade, and economic growth, fostering overall prosperity within an economy.
• By using money, individuals and businesses can avoid the high transaction costs associated with bartering and the inefficiencies of non-monetary exchange systems.
• The use of money encourages specialization in the production of goods and services, leading to increased productivity and efficiency within an economy.
• Money is essential for the functioning of financial markets, banking systems, and investment activities, which are crucial for the allocation of resources and capital within an economy.

Also Read: Essay on National Unity Day 

Essay on Money in 100 Words

El dinero or money is used as a medium of exchange, unit of account, and store of value. It facilitates trade, allowing for the smooth exchange of goods and services, while also enabling efficient allocation of resources and encouraging economic growth. As a unit of account, it provides a standardized measure of value, simplifying the comparison of different goods and assets. 

Moreover, money acts as a store of value, allowing individuals to save and plan for the future. Its role in reducing transaction costs, enabling specialization, and supporting complex financial activities highlights its significance in the functioning of contemporary economies.

Essay on Money in 250 Words

Modern economics is heavily dependent on money or we can say that money is the pillar of modern economies. As a medium of exchange, it simplifies trade by providing a universally accepted method of payment for goods and services, eliminating the inefficiencies and limitations of barter systems. Its characteristic fosters the development of complex market systems, encouraging specialization and the efficient allocation of resources.

Apart from being a medium of exchange, money functions as a unit of account, providing a standardized measure of value that enables individuals to compare prices and evaluate the worth of different goods and services. This uniformity in valuation streamlines commercial activities and allows for effective planning and decision-making in both personal and business contexts.

Money serves as a store of value, allowing individuals to save and accumulate wealth over time. This feature empowers people to prepare for future expenses, emergencies, or long-term goals, providing a sense of security and stability in an uncertain world.

In addition to its role in daily transactions , money fuels economic growth by facilitating investment, entrepreneurship, and innovation. Financial institutions utilize money as a tool to allocate capital efficiently, enabling the development of new businesses, industries, and technologies that contribute to overall economic prosperity.

Money plays multiple roles in our lives; it is a physical or digital representation of currency; it is a fundamental pillar of modern economies, underpinning the intricate web of commercial activities, financial systems, and societal well-being. Its importance lies not only in its tangible properties but also in the complex functions and structures it supports within the global economic framework.

Money is globally accepted as a medium of exchange in multiple transactions and services. From serving as a medium of exchange to facilitating financial activities, the importance of money goes beyond our everyday needs. To buy goods or services, you are required to pay a certain amount, which is fulfilled by paying money. 

To write an essay on money, you need to highlight the key aspects of this essential resource. The multiple transactions in which money is used in our day-to-day lives make money an important part of our lives. Give examples of how money can change our lives and what would happen if we were out of money. Highlight the latest trends in the financial sector and what governments are doing to save our money from inflation. 

Here are the 5 strongest currencies in the world: Kuwait Dinar (KWD), Bahraini Dinar (BHD), Omani Rial (OMR), Jordanian Dinar (JOD), and Gibraltar Pound (GIP).

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With an experience of over a year, I've developed a passion for writing blogs on wide range of topics. I am mostly inspired from topics related to social and environmental fields, where you come up with a positive outcome.

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Money and Work Performance Essay

Introduction, reference list.

The idea of public service motivation can offer a partial explanation to this analysis. The Ideal of Public Service by O’Toole clearly demonstrates main differences between traditional and modern approaches to the study of what motivate people.

The traditional approach to a public service as an idea was a worthy thing to do, and a prescribed behaviour expected of public officials. Contemporary public service motivation approaches are using empirical research to discover why people seek jobs and remain in the public service, and whether the assumptions of earlier theories are correct (O’Toole, 2000).

The idea and ideal of public service motivation is that those in official positions of public authority regard the interests of the whole society as being the guiding influence over all public decision-making, that their personal, class, or group interests are to be set aside when making decisions. In addition, they are public servants purely out of a perceived duty to serve the public.

This idea emanated from earlier works of Aristotle and Plato which were Politics and Republic respectively. Public officials set aside personal interests. The idea is that he sees it as his duty to serve his community. The duty to serve the community surpasses a commitment to family, tribe, or self. Aristotle realized that it would be probably unrealistic and impossible for a man, naturally, a selfish animal, to do that, but as an ideal, it would have both inspirational and motivational force.

Adam Smith, a moral philosopher and father of modern economic, filled the gap between naturalism and utilitarianism. He gave the natural order first school and individuals in the second. In his work of Moral Sentiments, he identifies six motives, which naturally derive human conducts.

These are self-love, sympathy, the desire to be free, a sense of propriety, a habit of labour, and the propensity to exchange, or trade (Roll, 1954). From these motives, he portrays a man as the best judge of his own best situations, and given a chance, he will not only get his own best advantage and balance his motives, but also strive for the common good.

Types of motivational bases

Some scholars have argued that there are three types of motivational bases, such as rational base motive, this includes participation in the processes such as policy formulation, commitment to programmes, and advocacy for a special or private interest.

The norm-based motive considers issues such as a desire to serve the public interest, loyalty to duty, and the government and social equity. Finally, the affective motive type of motivational base includes a commitment to programmes from a genuine conviction about its social importance, and patriotism of benevolence.

These scholars further propose that people should connect their work motivation to individuals’ performance. For productive workers, managers should carefully attend to these different types of motivational base. Management should shift their focus to physical surroundings, concerns, and crises that may arise in work or personal lives.

Accidents, diseases, and hazards such as stress generally result in low productivity and inefficiency, high turnover, absenteeism, and medical claims. When there is a deliberate effort by the workplace to reduce the incidence of these, both the agency and the employees benefit. There is a greater productivity when there is a healthier workforce, and a better quality of work life.

“Many experts argue that people do their best work when they are motivated by a sense of purpose rather than the pursuit of money”. Explanation and critical evaluation

Theoretical approaches.

We can look at this issue critically from the existing theories that support the idea of work and motivation.

Equity Theory

We can also refer to this theory as inequality theory. The main motivating force behind this theory is to strive for equity due to perceived degree of inequity. The equity theory operates on the principle of exchanges i.e. inputs and investment and outcomes. Employer must recognize the existence of these inputs and consider them relevant for them to function. If they are not, then a potential case of inequity may exist. Outcomes are various things an individual may receive.

Inequity exists whereby the ratio of an individual’s outcomes to inputs departs to a significant degree from the ration perceived. Workers may feel under-rewarded if their inputs into a job are higher than what other workers put. Usually, this happens in cases where a worker considers himself hardworking, but has same or low salary as his colleagues.

This theory does not limit itself to inequities that do not favour individuals alone. Equity, balance, or reciprocity exists when outcome and input ratios for the individual and the reference source are equal. Conversely, and the motivating force of inequity occurs when there is a departure either way from this steady state.

From this theory, we can assert that money, which is a reward, may be the main cause of motivation in working rather than sense of purpose. Thus, a poorly paid employee will not perform at his best when the reward (money) is also poor.

Goal-setting theory

Goal-setting theory relates higher levels of intended achievements to higher levels of performances. Theory further stretches that when an individual has specific goals or standards of performance to meet, the performance effects would be more pronounced than when specific goals are missing. Goal achievement leads to the pleasurable emotional state we call satisfaction; failure to achieve a goal leads to un-pleasurable state of dissatisfaction.

Goal commitment focuses on performance as a direct consequence form of motivation. However, a commitment to a goal depends on a set of factors, such as authority, peer groups, publicness of goal statement, incentives, punishments, satisfaction, goal intensity, competition, and attribution. These sets of factors may influence the commitment level of perceived ability or expectancy of attaining a given goal.

Although scholars have taken several positions with regard to goal-setting and motivation, the theory does not make any assumptions based on the effectiveness of varied methods individuals may use to set their goals. The focus of theory is on motivational mechanisms rather than the methods used for setting goals. Therefore, we can say that the theory does not regard money has the basis of the best performance but rather the commitment to goal achievement.

Two-factor theory

Frederick Herzberg prefers to refer to this theory as motivation-hygiene. Two-factor theory has a dual nature approach to sources of job satisfaction, and finally job motivation. This theory considers job satisfaction as an “outgrowth of achievement, recognition (verbal), work (challenging), responsibility, and advancement (promotion)” (Frederick, 1966).

The presence of all these in a job “satisfy basic needs, positive feeling and improved performance will occur” (Frederick, 1966). There are five intrinsic aspects of the work itself that satisfy personal growth and self-actualization (Frederick, 1966).

Job dissatisfactions results under conditions where work takes place and these conditions may include company policies, administrative practices, supervision, interpersonal relations, working environment (physical), job security, benefits, and salary. We refer to these as hygiene factors.

Availability of these factors eliminates job dissatisfaction and improves performance, up to a certain level. For exceptional achievement, management must now turn to motivation. Job must provide an enabling environment for workers so that they can achieve meaningful goals. This is the intrinsic scope of work. Employees must have control over the job to enable them realise a sense of personal growth and achievement.

From Herzberg’s point of view, money is not among the five intrinsic scope of motivation. Money only features in cases where it may be the cause of job dissatisfaction. In short, we do not need money to perform the best work.

Vroom’s Theory of Work and Motivation

Vroom’s theory puts forward the idea that people tend to prefer certain goals or outcomes over others. Experiences of feelings of satisfaction relate to certain outcomes (valence).

Employees prefer a positive valence as an outcome and vice verse (Vroom, 1964). Intrinsic motivation is the desire for competence and self-determination. Workers can achieve a sense of motivation by freely choosing work or what to do. This enhances a sense of self-determination and competence through the use of positive feedback.

Money is a part of extrinsic reward. Employees highly regard extrinsic rewards because of control and informational (feedback) aspects they possess. Motivation will only occur where there is a noticeable and positive feedback. Thus, money is essential in motivating workers perform their best but not among the intrinsic drives that motivate people to work.

Money and Motivation

Houran notes that people should not work without payment (Houran 2012). Pursuing money to cater for the family and offer the necessary comfort and security is reasonable and is different from seeking money with ill motives. People should earn fair wages depending on works they do.

Likewise, employers should also know about this. Thus, money becomes the centre of focus between the employer and employee, which should not be the case. This because most of the above theories indicate that money is necessary but not an intrinsic source of motivation and best job performance.

Scholars have concluded that money involve two main issues. First, money as an incentive is necessary but also relies on the organisation and working conditions to make it effective. Organisations have different cultures of rewarding their employees with money. Organisations should learn under what conditions financial incentives become effective. They must also note changes such incentives draw from employees.

Second, financial rewards work best when employees receive them as groups. This is because most organisations insist on team works for best performances. This implies that organisations that have cultures of rewarding individuals only serve to encourage individualism and disregard for team work. Therefore, for an organisation to maintain high productivity, it must reward people as groups or teams.

We have established that money is not the most important or effective source of motivating employees. There are other forms of motivation that organisations can apply so as to motivate their workforces.

According to job characteristics theory, there are five main ways an organisation can motivate its workforce. Management can enhance work motivation by implementing these factors among employees so that they can perform at their best.

Autonomy, this is where employees have personal feelings of responsibility for their works and considers the outcomes their own.

Task significance , the job has significance influence over employees.

Task identity, people prefer to use their personally valued skills to complete a task. The employee can notice a sense of a job beginning and ending. Thus, he can see the final transformation product of his work.

Variety, the worker derives motivation from performing a number of truly challenging tasks. Thus, the worker must use his different and important set of skills.

Feedback, this shows the level of a task accomplishment. The feedback may come from a work itself or from the manager.

A part from the above factors, employees can also get job motivation from rotation. This mainly works to eliminate job boredom and monotony. It may involve performing different roles in an organisation periodically. Job rotation offers the balance and employee needs in order to avoid job boredom and enhance job satisfaction and motivation.

Management may use these factors to enhance motivation and job experience among workers. However, some factors like individual trait and motives influence the work outcome and motivation. Therefore, any plan to enhance job motivation and best performances require careful planning.

Holzer and Callahan argue that institutions that have been the recipients of exemplary awards use various state-of-the-art approaches for motivating people (Holzer and Callahan, 1998). People recognise money has important motivator, but it is not the only motivator. High-achieving agencies integrate human, resource management policies, plans and processes.

Many workers get motivation from the desire to find someplace where management recognise their qualities, regarded as human beings with aspirations, where they experience the purpose of their work, and where they have the opportunity to be consulted on matters that have impacts on their working lives.

Factors such as improved working and relationship management, communication, training to improve skills, and improving the physical, working environment may all serve to motivate the workforce in any working environment.

Strategic motivation should consider the old theories of motivational to be important, but strategic motivation goes beyond these methods and techniques. Identification, recognition, and application are some of the modern, dynamic systems of motivation that can create a mission-driven team of performers.

According to Farazmand, some of the examples of these high-road and visionary motivational forces include (Farazmand, 2002),

• Creation and instilment of a “real purpose” of “public service” among strategic person;
• Promotion of trust with a promise of future career beyond the narrow notion of “careerism,” a sense of belonging to the organization, to the cause they serve, and to their nation as well as to the faith they cherish;
• Maintaining a sound compensation system that is both equitable and efficient in order to not only prevent organizational brain drain but also attract the most competent talents to the public service;
• Create an inter-organizational mobility and rotation system that would enable both organizations and strategic personnel to move freely without obstacles; and
• Promote the “knowledge and skill-base” of these strategic people periodically to keep them up to date and equipped with the cutting-edge knowledge they need to manage, and function, in the organizations in the information age.

This can be done by in-service training programs, seminars, conferences, and workshops (Farazmand, 2002).

Daft, R. 2010, Organization Theory and Design, 10th ed, South – Western College, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Farazmand, A. 2002, Modern Organizations: Theory and Practice, Praeger Publishers, Westport, CT.

Frederick, H. 1966, Work and the Nature of Man, World Press, Cleveland.

Holzer, M. and Callahan, K. 1998, Government at Work: Best Practices and Model Programs, Sage, Thousand Oaks, California.

Houran, J. n.d., Money and Employee Motivation . Web.

McClelland, D. 1985, ‘How Motives, Skills, and Values Determine What People Do’, American Psychologist, vol. 3 no. 40, pp. 812–25.

O’Toole, B. 2000, The Ideal of Public Service: Reflections on the Higher Civil Service in Britain, Routledge, Abingdon, UK.

Roll, E. 1954, History of economic thought, Faber and Faber, London.

Vroom, V. 1964, Work and Motivation, Wiley, New York.

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2024, February 28). Money and Work Performance. https://ivypanda.com/essays/money-and-work-performance/

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Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Money and Work Performance." February 28, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/money-and-work-performance/.

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Essay on Money for Students and Children

500+ words essay on money.

Money is an essential need to survive in the world. In today’s world, almost everything is possible with money. Moreover, you can fulfill any of your dreams by spending money. As a result, people work hard to earn it. Our parents work hard to fulfill our dreams .

Furthermore various businessmen , entrepreneurs have startup businesses to earn profits. They have made use of their skills and intelligence in getting an upper hand in earning. Also, the employee sector works day and night to complete their tasks given to them. But still, there are many people who take shortcuts to success and get involved in corruption.

Black Money

Black money is the money that people earn with corruption . For your information corruption involves the misuse of the power of high posts. For instance, it involves taking bribes, extra money for free services, etc. Corruption is the main cause of the lack of proper growth of the country .

Moreover, money that people having authority earns misusing their powers is black money. Furthermore, these earnings do not have proper documentation. As a result, the people who earn this do not pay income tax . Which is a great offense and the person who does this can be behind bars.

Money Laundering

In simple terms, money laundering is converting black money into white money. Also, this is another illegal offense. Furthermore, money laundering also encourages various crimes. Because it is the only way criminal can use their money from illegal sources. Money laundering is a crime, and the people who practice it are liable to go to jail.

Therefore the Government is taking various preventive measures to abolish money laundering. The government is linking bank accounts to AADHAR Card. To get all the transaction detail of each bank account. As a result, the government comes to know if any transaction is from an illegal source .

Also, every bank account has its own KYC (Know your Customer) this separates different categories of income of people. Businessmen are in the high-risk category. Then comes the people who are on a high post they are in the medium-risk category. Further, the last category is of the Employee sector they are at the lowest risk.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

White Money

White money is the money that people earn through legal sources. Moreover, it is the money on which the people have already paid the tax. The employee sector of any company always has white money income.

Because the tax is already levied on their income. Therefore the safest way to earn money is in the employment sector. But your income will be limited here. As a result, many people take a different path and choose entrepreneurship. This helps them in starting their own company and make profitable incomes .

Every person in this world works hard to earn money. People try different methods and set of skills to increase their incomes. But it is always not about earning money, it’s about saving and spending it. People should spend money wisely. Moreover, things should always be bought by judging their worth. Because money is not precious but the efforts you make for it are.

Q1. What is Black Money?

A1. Black money is the money that people earn through illegal ways. It is strictly prohibited in our country. And the people who have it can go to jail.

Q2. What is the difference between Black money and White money?

A2. The difference between black money and white money is, Black money comes from illegal earnings. But white money comes from legal sources with taxation levied on it.

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A Doll's House

Henrik ibsen, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

A need for money affects all the major characters in A Doll’s House . In the beginning of the play it is revealed that Torvald was recently promoted and will receive “a big fat income,” however he still chastises Nora for spending too much, arguing that they need to be cautious financially. Mrs. Linde is in desperate need of a job following the death of her husband, and after her replacement of Krogstad at the bank leaves him threatening to turn Nora in in order to get his job back. Indeed, the bank works as a symbol for the pervasive presence of money in the characters’ lives.

In the play, money symbolizes the power that the characters have over one another. In the first scene, Torvald’s ability to dictate how much Nora spends on Christmas presents shows his power over her. Meanwhile, the debt that Nora owes Krogstad allows him to have power over her and Torvald. Both Nora and Mrs. Linde cannot earn large incomes because they are women; their inability to access significant amounts of money is one way that they are oppressed by the sexism of the time. The play also shows that, while earning money leads to power, it can also be dangerous. In the beginning of the play, Nora is proud of the fact that she “raised” the money for her and Torvald’s trip to Italy herself—however the debt she owes soon becomes a source of terror, dread, and shame. The thrill of obtaining money is therefore shown to have a downside.

Money and Work ThemeTracker

Money and Work Quotes in A Doll's House

Nora! Just like a woman. Seriously though, Nora, you know what I think about these things. No debts! Never borrow! There’s always something inhibited, something unpleasant, about a home built on credit and borrowed money.

Oh, what a glorious feeling it is, knowing you’ve got a nice, safe job, and a good fat income.

Oh, sometimes I was so tired, so tired. But it was tremendous fun all the same, sitting there working and earning money like that. Almost like being a man.

If it ever got around that the new manager had been talked over by his wife… As long as the little woman gets her own stubborn way…! Do you want me to make myself a laughing stock in the office? Give people the idea that I am susceptible to any kind of outside pressure? You can imagine how soon I’d feel the consequences of that!

I want to get on my feet again, Mrs. Helmer; I want to get to the top… For the last eighteen months I’ve gone straight; all that time it’s been hard going; I was content to work my way up, step by step. Now I’m being kicked out, and I won’t stand for being taken back again as an act of charity. I’m going to get to the top, I tell you… It’ll be Nils Krogstad, not Torvald Helmer, who’ll be running the bank.

What else is there to understand, apart from the old, old story? A heartless woman throws a man over the moment something more profitable offers itself.

Without work I couldn’t live. All my life I have worked, for as long as I can remember; that has always been my one great joy. But now I’m completely alone in the world, and feeling horribly empty and forlorn. There’s no pleasure in working only for yourself. Nils, give me somebody and something to work for.

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, getting college essay help: important do's and don’ts.

College Essays

If you grow up to be a professional writer, everything you write will first go through an editor before being published. This is because the process of writing is really a process of re-writing —of rethinking and reexamining your work, usually with the help of someone else. So what does this mean for your student writing? And in particular, what does it mean for very important, but nonprofessional writing like your college essay? Should you ask your parents to look at your essay? Pay for an essay service?

If you are wondering what kind of help you can, and should, get with your personal statement, you've come to the right place! In this article, I'll talk about what kind of writing help is useful, ethical, and even expected for your college admission essay . I'll also point out who would make a good editor, what the differences between editing and proofreading are, what to expect from a good editor, and how to spot and stay away from a bad one.

Table of Contents

What Kind of Help for Your Essay Can You Get?

What's Good Editing?

What should an editor do for you, what kind of editing should you avoid, proofreading, what's good proofreading, what kind of proofreading should you avoid.

What Do Colleges Think Of You Getting Help With Your Essay?

Who Can/Should Help You?

Advice for editors.

Should You Pay Money For Essay Editing?

The Bottom Line

What's next, what kind of help with your essay can you get.

Rather than talking in general terms about "help," let's first clarify the two different ways that someone else can improve your writing . There is editing, which is the more intensive kind of assistance that you can use throughout the whole process. And then there's proofreading, which is the last step of really polishing your final product.

Let me go into some more detail about editing and proofreading, and then explain how good editors and proofreaders can help you."

Editing is helping the author (in this case, you) go from a rough draft to a finished work . Editing is the process of asking questions about what you're saying, how you're saying it, and how you're organizing your ideas. But not all editing is good editing . In fact, it's very easy for an editor to cross the line from supportive to overbearing and over-involved.

Ability to clarify assignments. A good editor is usually a good writer, and certainly has to be a good reader. For example, in this case, a good editor should make sure you understand the actual essay prompt you're supposed to be answering.

Open-endedness. Good editing is all about asking questions about your ideas and work, but without providing answers. It's about letting you stick to your story and message, and doesn't alter your point of view.

Think of an editor as a great travel guide. It can show you the many different places your trip could take you. It should explain any parts of the trip that could derail your trip or confuse the traveler. But it never dictates your path, never forces you to go somewhere you don't want to go, and never ignores your interests so that the trip no longer seems like it's your own. So what should good editors do?

Help Brainstorm Topics

Sometimes it's easier to bounce thoughts off of someone else. This doesn't mean that your editor gets to come up with ideas, but they can certainly respond to the various topic options you've come up with. This way, you're less likely to write about the most boring of your ideas, or to write about something that isn't actually important to you.

If you're wondering how to come up with options for your editor to consider, check out our guide to brainstorming topics for your college essay .

Help Revise Your Drafts

Here, your editor can't upset the delicate balance of not intervening too much or too little. It's tricky, but a great way to think about it is to remember: editing is about asking questions, not giving answers .

Revision questions should point out:

• Places where more detail or more description would help the reader connect with your essay
• Places where structure and logic don't flow, losing the reader's attention
• Places where there aren't transitions between paragraphs, confusing the reader
• Moments where your narrative or the arguments you're making are unclear

But pointing to potential problems is not the same as actually rewriting—editors let authors fix the problems themselves.

Bad editing is usually very heavy-handed editing. Instead of helping you find your best voice and ideas, a bad editor changes your writing into their own vision.

You may be dealing with a bad editor if they:

• Add material (examples, descriptions) that doesn't come from you
• Use a thesaurus to make your college essay sound "more mature"
• Add meaning or insight to the essay that doesn't come from you
• Tell you what to say and how to say it
• Write sentences, phrases, and paragraphs for you
• Change your voice in the essay so it no longer sounds like it was written by a teenager

Colleges can tell the difference between a 17-year-old's writing and a 50-year-old's writing. Not only that, they have access to your SAT or ACT Writing section, so they can compare your essay to something else you wrote. Writing that's a little more polished is great and expected. But a totally different voice and style will raise questions.

Where's the Line Between Helpful Editing and Unethical Over-Editing?

Sometimes it's hard to tell whether your college essay editor is doing the right thing. Here are some guidelines for staying on the ethical side of the line.

• An editor should say that the opening paragraph is kind of boring, and explain what exactly is making it drag. But it's overstepping for an editor to tell you exactly how to change it.
• An editor should point out where your prose is unclear or vague. But it's completely inappropriate for the editor to rewrite that section of your essay.
• An editor should let you know that a section is light on detail or description. But giving you similes and metaphors to beef up that description is a no-go.

Proofreading (also called copy-editing) is checking for errors in the last draft of a written work. It happens at the end of the process and is meant as the final polishing touch. Proofreading is meticulous and detail-oriented, focusing on small corrections. It sands off all the surface rough spots that could alienate the reader.

Because proofreading is usually concerned with making fixes on the word or sentence level, this is the only process where someone else can actually add to or take away things from your essay . This is because what they are adding or taking away tends to be one or two misplaced letters.

Laser focus. Proofreading is all about the tiny details, so the ability to really concentrate on finding small slip-ups is a must.

Excellent grammar and spelling skills. Proofreaders need to dot every "i" and cross every "t." Good proofreaders should correct spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar. They should put foreign words in italics and surround quotations with quotation marks. They should check that you used the correct college's name, and that you adhered to any formatting requirements (name and date at the top of the page, uniform font and size, uniform spacing).

Limited interference. A proofreader needs to make sure that you followed any word limits. But if cuts need to be made to shorten the essay, that's your job and not the proofreader's.

A bad proofreader either tries to turn into an editor, or just lacks the skills and knowledge necessary to do the job.

Some signs that you're working with a bad proofreader are:

• If they suggest making major changes to the final draft of your essay. Proofreading happens when editing is already finished.
• If they aren't particularly good at spelling, or don't know grammar, or aren't detail-oriented enough to find someone else's small mistakes.
• If they start swapping out your words for fancier-sounding synonyms, or changing the voice and sound of your essay in other ways. A proofreader is there to check for errors, not to take the 17-year-old out of your writing.

What Do Colleges Think of Your Getting Help With Your Essay?

Admissions officers agree: light editing and proofreading are good—even required ! But they also want to make sure you're the one doing the work on your essay. They want essays with stories, voice, and themes that come from you. They want to see work that reflects your actual writing ability, and that focuses on what you find important.

On the Importance of Editing

Get feedback. Have a fresh pair of eyes give you some feedback. Don't allow someone else to rewrite your essay, but do take advantage of others' edits and opinions when they seem helpful. ( Bates College )

Read your essay aloud to someone. Reading the essay out loud offers a chance to hear how your essay sounds outside your head. This exercise reveals flaws in the essay's flow, highlights grammatical errors and helps you ensure that you are communicating the exact message you intended. ( Dickinson College )

On the Value of Proofreading

Share your essays with at least one or two people who know you well—such as a parent, teacher, counselor, or friend—and ask for feedback. Remember that you ultimately have control over your essays, and your essays should retain your own voice, but others may be able to catch mistakes that you missed and help suggest areas to cut if you are over the word limit. ( Yale University )

Proofread and then ask someone else to proofread for you. Although we want substance, we also want to be able to see that you can write a paper for our professors and avoid careless mistakes that would drive them crazy. ( Oberlin College )

On Watching Out for Too Much Outside Influence

Limit the number of people who review your essay. Too much input usually means your voice is lost in the writing style. ( Carleton College )

Ask for input (but not too much). Your parents, friends, guidance counselors, coaches, and teachers are great people to bounce ideas off of for your essay. They know how unique and spectacular you are, and they can help you decide how to articulate it. Keep in mind, however, that a 45-year-old lawyer writes quite differently from an 18-year-old student, so if your dad ends up writing the bulk of your essay, we're probably going to notice. ( Vanderbilt University )

Now let's talk about some potential people to approach for your college essay editing and proofreading needs. It's best to start close to home and slowly expand outward. Not only are your family and friends more invested in your success than strangers, but they also have a better handle on your interests and personality. This knowledge is key for judging whether your essay is expressing your true self.

Parents or Close Relatives

Your family may be full of potentially excellent editors! Parents are deeply committed to your well-being, and family members know you and your life well enough to offer details or incidents that can be included in your essay. On the other hand, the rewriting process necessarily involves criticism, which is sometimes hard to hear from someone very close to you.

A parent or close family member is a great choice for an editor if you can answer "yes" to the following questions. Is your parent or close relative a good writer or reader? Do you have a relationship where editing your essay won't create conflict? Are you able to constructively listen to criticism and suggestion from the parent?

One suggestion for defusing face-to-face discussions is to try working on the essay over email. Send your parent a draft, have them write you back some comments, and then you can pick which of their suggestions you want to use and which to discard.

Teachers or Tutors

A humanities teacher that you have a good relationship with is a great choice. I am purposefully saying humanities, and not just English, because teachers of Philosophy, History, Anthropology, and any other classes where you do a lot of writing, are all used to reviewing student work.

Moreover, any teacher or tutor that has been working with you for some time, knows you very well and can vet the essay to make sure it "sounds like you."

If your teacher or tutor has some experience with what college essays are supposed to be like, ask them to be your editor. If not, then ask whether they have time to proofread your final draft.

Guidance or College Counselor at Your School

The best thing about asking your counselor to edit your work is that this is their job. This means that they have a very good sense of what colleges are looking for in an application essay.

At the same time, school counselors tend to have relationships with admissions officers in many colleges, which again gives them insight into what works and which college is focused on what aspect of the application.

Unfortunately, in many schools the guidance counselor tends to be way overextended. If your ratio is 300 students to 1 college counselor, you're unlikely to get that person's undivided attention and focus. It is still useful to ask them for general advice about your potential topics, but don't expect them to be able to stay with your essay from first draft to final version.

Friends, Siblings, or Classmates

Although they most likely don't have much experience with what colleges are hoping to see, your peers are excellent sources for checking that your essay is you .

Friends and siblings are perfect for the read-aloud edit. Read your essay to them so they can listen for words and phrases that are stilted, pompous, or phrases that just don't sound like you.

You can even trade essays and give helpful advice on each other's work.

If your editor hasn't worked with college admissions essays very much, no worries! Any astute and attentive reader can still greatly help with your process. But, as in all things, beginners do better with some preparation.

First, your editor should read our advice about how to write a college essay introduction , how to spot and fix a bad college essay , and get a sense of what other students have written by going through some admissions essays that worked .

Then, as they read your essay, they can work through the following series of questions that will help them to guide you.

Introduction Questions

• Is the first sentence a killer opening line? Why or why not?
• Does the introduction hook the reader? Does it have a colorful, detailed, and interesting narrative? Or does it propose a compelling or surprising idea?
• Can you feel the author's voice in the introduction, or is the tone dry, dull, or overly formal? Show the places where the voice comes through.

Essay Body Questions

• Does the essay have a through-line? Is it built around a central argument, thought, idea, or focus? Can you put this idea into your own words?
• How is the essay organized? By logical progression? Chronologically? Do you feel order when you read it, or are there moments where you are confused or lose the thread of the essay?
• Does the essay have both narratives about the author's life and explanations and insight into what these stories reveal about the author's character, personality, goals, or dreams? If not, which is missing?
• Does the essay flow? Are there smooth transitions/clever links between paragraphs? Between the narrative and moments of insight?

Reader Response Questions

• Does the writer's personality come through? Do we know what the speaker cares about? Do we get a sense of "who he or she is"?
• Where did you feel most connected to the essay? Which parts of the essay gave you a "you are there" sensation by invoking your senses? What moments could you picture in your head well?
• Where are the details and examples vague and not specific enough?
• Did you get an "a-ha!" feeling anywhere in the essay? Is there a moment of insight that connected all the dots for you? Is there a good reveal or "twist" anywhere in the essay?
• What are the strengths of this essay? What needs the most improvement?

Should You Pay Money for Essay Editing?

One alternative to asking someone you know to help you with your college essay is the paid editor route. There are two different ways to pay for essay help: a private essay coach or a less personal editing service , like the many proliferating on the internet.

My advice is to think of these options as a last resort rather than your go-to first choice. I'll first go through the reasons why. Then, if you do decide to go with a paid editor, I'll help you decide between a coach and a service.

When to Consider a Paid Editor

In general, I think hiring someone to work on your essay makes a lot of sense if none of the people I discussed above are a possibility for you.

If you can't ask your parents. For example, if your parents aren't good writers, or if English isn't their first language. Or if you think getting your parents to help is going create unnecessary extra conflict in your relationship with them (applying to college is stressful as it is!)

If you can't ask your teacher or tutor. Maybe you don't have a trusted teacher or tutor that has time to look over your essay with focus. Or, for instance, your favorite humanities teacher has very limited experience with college essays and so won't know what admissions officers want to see.

If you can't ask your guidance counselor. This could be because your guidance counselor is way overwhelmed with other students.

If you can't share your essay with those who know you. It might be that your essay is on a very personal topic that you're unwilling to share with parents, teachers, or peers. Just make sure it doesn't fall into one of the bad-idea topics in our article on bad college essays .

If the cost isn't a consideration. Many of these services are quite expensive, and private coaches even more so. If you have finite resources, I'd say that hiring an SAT or ACT tutor (whether it's PrepScholar or someone else) is better way to spend your money . This is because there's no guarantee that a slightly better essay will sufficiently elevate the rest of your application, but a significantly higher SAT score will definitely raise your applicant profile much more.

Should You Hire an Essay Coach?

On the plus side, essay coaches have read dozens or even hundreds of college essays, so they have experience with the format. Also, because you'll be working closely with a specific person, it's more personal than sending your essay to a service, which will know even less about you.

But, on the minus side, you'll still be bouncing ideas off of someone who doesn't know that much about you . In general, if you can adequately get the help from someone you know, there is no advantage to paying someone to help you.

If you do decide to hire a coach, ask your school counselor, or older students that have used the service for recommendations. If you can't afford the coach's fees, ask whether they can work on a sliding scale —many do. And finally, beware those who guarantee admission to your school of choice—essay coaches don't have any special magic that can back up those promises.

Should You Send Your Essay to a Service?

On the plus side, essay editing services provide a similar product to essay coaches, and they cost significantly less . If you have some assurance that you'll be working with a good editor, the lack of face-to-face interaction won't prevent great results.

On the minus side, however, it can be difficult to gauge the quality of the service before working with them . If they are churning through many application essays without getting to know the students they are helping, you could end up with an over-edited essay that sounds just like everyone else's. In the worst case scenario, an unscrupulous service could send you back a plagiarized essay.

Getting recommendations from friends or a school counselor for reputable services is key to avoiding heavy-handed editing that writes essays for you or does too much to change your essay. Including a badly-edited essay like this in your application could cause problems if there are inconsistencies. For example, in interviews it might be clear you didn't write the essay, or the skill of the essay might not be reflected in your schoolwork and test scores.

Should You Buy an Essay Written by Someone Else?

Let me elaborate. There are super sketchy places on the internet where you can simply buy a pre-written essay. Don't do this!

For one thing, you'll be lying on an official, signed document. All college applications make you sign a statement saying something like this:

I certify that all information submitted in the admission process—including the application, the personal essay, any supplements, and any other supporting materials—is my own work, factually true, and honestly presented... I understand that I may be subject to a range of possible disciplinary actions, including admission revocation, expulsion, or revocation of course credit, grades, and degree, should the information I have certified be false. (From the Common Application )

For another thing, if your academic record doesn't match the essay's quality, the admissions officer will start thinking your whole application is riddled with lies.

Admission officers have full access to your writing portion of the SAT or ACT so that they can compare work that was done in proctored conditions with that done at home. They can tell if these were written by different people. Not only that, but there are now a number of search engines that faculty and admission officers can use to see if an essay contains strings of words that have appeared in other essays—you have no guarantee that the essay you bought wasn't also bought by 50 other students.

• You should get college essay help with both editing and proofreading
• A good editor will ask questions about your idea, logic, and structure, and will point out places where clarity is needed
• A good editor will absolutely not answer these questions, give you their own ideas, or write the essay or parts of the essay for you
• A good proofreader will find typos and check your formatting
• All of them agree that getting light editing and proofreading is necessary
• Parents, teachers, guidance or college counselor, and peers or siblings
• If you can't ask any of those, you can pay for college essay help, but watch out for services or coaches who over-edit you work
• Don't buy a pre-written essay! Colleges can tell, and it'll make your whole application sound false.

Ready to start working on your essay? Check out our explanation of the point of the personal essay and the role it plays on your applications and then explore our step-by-step guide to writing a great college essay .

Using the Common Application for your college applications? We have an excellent guide to the Common App essay prompts and useful advice on how to pick the Common App prompt that's right for you . Wondering how other people tackled these prompts? Then work through our roundup of over 130 real college essay examples published by colleges .

Stressed about whether to take the SAT again before submitting your application? Let us help you decide how many times to take this test . If you choose to go for it, we have the ultimate guide to studying for the SAT to give you the ins and outs of the best ways to study.

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Writing Essays for Money: A Guide for Aspiring Freelance Writers

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Are you looking to make money from your writing skills? One of the most popular—and increasingly in-demand—ways to do so is by writing essays for money. With online writing services on the rise and more students and professionals turning to them for help with their work, there has never been a better time to become a freelance essay writer. But before you jump into this career path, it’s important to understand what it entails—including the challenges and ethical considerations. 

The Essay Writing Market: An Overview 

The essay writing market is a unique and ever-growing sector. As students, professors, and professionals alike become increasingly aware of the range of online services, so does the demand for these services.

In this section, we’ll look at the different types of online writing services, discuss the demand for academic writing services, outline the demographics of people who use these services, and explain the factors that drive the demand for essay writing services. 

Types of Writing Services Available Online 

There are many different varieties of online essay-writing services available today. These include custom essay writing services (where a customer can provide specific instructions and have a paper written specifically to their needs), editing/proofreading services (for those who need help with formatting or spelling/grammatical errors in an existing document), research paper writing services (which provide essays based on individual research topics), copywriting or rewriting services (where customers can submit existing documents which will then be rewritten for them), and resume/CV writing service (which provide job seekers with tailored resumes or CVs). 

Demand for Academic Writing Services 

The demand for academic writing has grown considerably over the past decade as students have become more aware of the availability of such services. This is especially true among college students seeking assistance with their coursework.

In addition to students, there is also growing demand from professionals looking to outsource their written assignments due to lack of time or expertise. As a result, this market has seen exponential growth over recent years. 

Demographics of People Who Use These Services 

The demographic makeup of those using essay writing services is quite varied. On one hand, you have college and university students who turn to these companies when they need help with their coursework; on the other hand, there are also professionals from all walks of life who are looking to outsource their written assignments due to a lack of time or expertise.

Most customers tend to be from countries where English is not their first language; however, there has been an increasing number of US-based customers over recent years. 

Factors that Drive Demand for Essay Writing Services 

One major factor driving demand for these types of essay-writing services is convenience – customers can easily find what they need without having to do all the work themselves.

Additionally, many customers feel more comfortable entrusting their assignment with a company than tackling it alone due to a lack of knowledge or experience in certain subject areas. Finally, affordability plays an important role in this market – customers want quality work but at affordable prices, which many companies are able to offer them through competitive pricing models and discounts. 

With so many different types available, ranging from custom essay writing to resume/CV service providers, it’s easy to see why this industry continues to expand each year as more people realize just how convenient it can be when they need help with written assignments!

Writing Essays for Money: A Path to Both Flexibility and Financial Security 

Are you looking for a way to make money that provides you with both flexibility and financial security? Writing essays for money may be the perfect job opportunity for you. This blog post will explore the pros of writing essays for money and how it can help you reach your career goals. 

Flexibility in Work Schedule 

One of the biggest advantages of writing essays for money is that it allows you to work when and where it’s convenient. Since you’re working remotely, there’s no need to worry about commuting or taking time off from a traditional job.

You can write essays whenever it suits your schedule, whether early in the morning, late at night, or even on weekends. Plus, being able to work from anywhere means that you don’t have to be tied down to one location; if you want to take a vacation or travel for any other reason, all you have to do is pack up your laptop and go! 

Ability to Earn a High Income 

Another great advantage of writing essays for money is that it allows you to earn a very good income. Depending on how much experience and expertise you bring to the table and how much demand there is in your chosen field, you can significantly increase your earning potential.

Plus, since most projects are paid per word or page written (or sometimes both), it is easy to track your income and ensure that you’re getting paid what you deserve. 

Opportunities for Professional Growth 

Finally, writing essays for money can also provide great professional growth opportunities. As an essay writer, you will be expanding your knowledge base through research and practice and working with new clients from various backgrounds who might have different perspectives on certain topics.

You’ll also get exposure to different writing styles, which can help improve the quality of your own work over time. And if the client has requested revisions on their project, this is another chance for you to hone your skills while still getting paid!  

By taking advantage of this unique job opportunity now, you will be able to open up new doors professionally and financially secure yourself in the process. Thanks so much for reading!

Making Money Writing Essays: The Pros and Cons 

Making money by writing essays sounds like a great way to earn an income. It can be an enjoyable, flexible job with the potential for a good return on your investment. But is it really worth it? Let’s look at the pros and cons of writing essays for money so that you can decide whether this type of work is right for you. 

Unclear Ethical Considerations 

When you write essays for money, you must consider whether this type of work is ethically sound. It can be difficult to decide whether or not you are doing something wrong by helping someone else cheat their way through school.

At the same time, some argue that if students are willing to pay for essays, why should they be prevented from doing so? Ultimately, it’s up to each writer to decide if they are comfortable writing essays for money. 

Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty 

One of the most serious issues associated with writing essays for money is the potential for plagiarism and academic dishonesty. When students turn in work that isn’t their own, they lie about their capabilities and cheat themselves out of learning experiences.

This can lead to serious consequences such as expulsion or loss of scholarship opportunities. As a writer, it’s important to ensure that all papers are written from scratch to avoid potential plagiarism or dishonesty problems. 

Pressure To Meet Tight Deadlines & Produce High-Quality Work 

Another drawback of writing essays for money is the pressure writers face when it comes to meeting tight deadlines and producing high-quality work on short notice. While some writers may thrive under such intense conditions, others may find them overwhelming and stressful.

If deadlines and high-pressure situations aren’t something you feel you can handle consistently, then this type of work may not be right for you. 

Possibility Of Dealing With Difficult Clients

Although there are many benefits associated with working as an essay writer, there is also the possibility that some clients may be difficult or unresponsive when it comes time to pay up or provide feedback on a project.

In these cases, it pays to take proactive measures such as setting clear expectations upfront to avoid any misunderstandings. Additionally, having a strong contract in place can help protect both parties in case something goes wrong during the course of a project.                  

Ultimately, only you can decide if this type of work suits your lifestyle; however, understanding both sides will help inform your decision-making process before committing one way or another!

How to Write Essays for Money with Confidence 

Writing essays for money can be a rewarding and lucrative way to make a living. When you take on the challenge of writing essays for money, you take on the responsibility of delivering quality work that will satisfy your client’s needs. You should keep certain best practices in mind to ensure success in this endeavor. Let’s explore four key areas for success in writing essays for money. 

Ethical Considerations and Avoiding Plagiarism 

As a writer being paid to write essays, you must understand how important ethics are in any professional venture. As a paid writer, your job is to write words and create original ideas and content that reflects your client’s unique perspective.

You must avoid plagiarizing other people’s work at all costs, even if it means taking extra time or research to gather the information needed to complete an essay assignment. Not only is plagiarism illegal and unethical, but it can also ruin your reputation as a writer if discovered by your clients! 

Time Management and Staying Organized 

Time management skills are essential when writing essays for money because oftentimes, deadlines must be met quickly and efficiently.

That said, good time management skills should never come at the expense of quality work. So you must have systems that help you stay organized and plan ahead for any potential roadblocks or problems you may face while completing projects on time.

One great way to do this is by creating lists of tasks that need completing and breaking them down into smaller chunks so they can be completed quickly without sacrificing quality or accuracy. 

Maintaining Quality While Meeting Tight Deadlines 

When writing essays for money, meeting tight deadlines while still creating quality work can seem daunting; however, there are ways around this problem!

By researching topics thoroughly before beginning an essay assignment – such as gathering facts, relevant quotes, or statistics –you will save time during the actual writing process since much of the material will already be gathered beforehand.

Additionally, having someone else proofread your work before submitting it can also help catch errors or typos before they become issues with your client! Lastly, always make sure to double-check all sources cited within the essay against the original source material (if available), so accuracy remains paramount throughout the entire project from start to finish.  

Building a Positive Relationship With Clients 

Writing essays for money requires more than technical know-how; it also requires maintaining positive relationships with clients over time so they can trust your abilities as a reliable writer who consistently produces high-quality work.

To build strong working relationships with clients over time, stay communicative throughout each project—from initial contact through completion—and provide regular updates whenever necessary so everyone stays on track toward meeting deadlines without sacrificing the quality of output in the process.

Additionally, having open lines of communication allows both parties involved in an essay assignment to discuss any revisions or changes needed before submitting final drafts, which helps ensure total satisfaction with each project! 

Where to Write Essays to Make Money

Writing essays for money is a great way to make extra income. Many websites offer freelance writing services where you can write essays and other types of content for clients who need them. You can also find opportunities to write essays for money on job boards and freelance marketplaces. Before taking on any project, it is important to research the client and make sure they are legitimate.

Are you looking for places to sell essays?

Here are 10 great options:

• Fiverr : Fiverr is a great platform for freelancers to offer their services, including essay writing.
• Upwork : Upwork is another popular freelance platform where you can find clients who need essays written.
• Guru : Guru is a freelance marketplace that connects businesses with professionals, including those who write essays.
• Freelancer : Freelancer is an online job board that allows freelancers to bid on jobs, including essay writing projects.
• PeoplePerHour : PeoplePerHour is a website where freelancers can find work, including essay writing jobs.
• iWriter : iWriter is a content creation platform that allows writers to create and sell essays online.
• Textbroker : Textbroker is an online marketplace for writers to create and sell content, including essays and other academic papers
• EssayShark : EssayShark is an online platform where students can get help with their essays from professional writers
• StudySolver : StudySolver offers students the opportunity to get help with their essays from experienced writers
• WritersDepartment : WritersDepartment provides freelance writers with the opportunity to write and sell essays online

Finding legitimate freelance essay writing jobs can be a challenge. Fortunately, there are a number of websites that offer opportunities for writers to find work and make money.

The future of the market for online writing services is looking bright. With more businesses and individuals turning to the internet for their content needs, the demand for quality writers will only increase. As technology continues to advance, so will the opportunities available to freelance writers willing to put in the time and effort necessary to create high-quality essays for money.

Therefore, if you want to make some extra cash with your writing skills, consider joining the growing market of freelance essay writers who are seeing success and making money through their work!

What Does It Mean To Take Inspired Action?

Is writing for a living possible exploring the reality.

When it comes to writing, Willow Tenny is a true pro. She has a wealth of experience in SEO copywriting and creative writing, and she knows exactly what it takes to produce quality content. On her blog, Willow Writes, Willow shares top writing strategies with both beginners and experienced writers.

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The Maryland Department of Labor has created an unemployment insurance hotline for workers affected by the Key Bridge collapse. Call 667-930-5989 Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (noon).

Port of Baltimore Worker Support Program

The Port of Baltimore Worker Support Program provides temporary relief to Port workers who have lost work and income due to the reduction in Port operations following the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse.

The program gives a $430 weekly payment to individuals who regularly worked at the Port before the bridge collapse and need assistance given a loss of job hours and income since then. To be eligible, applicants need to have worked at the Port of Baltimore at least 25 times or have earned at least $5,000 from Port jobs between January 1 and March 26, 2024. As part of the application, workers need to provide documentation that they regularly worked at the Port of Baltimore and verify their employment.

Here is the online application: https://maryland-dol.submittable.com/submit

A temporary office is NOW OPEN at 2501 Broening Highway near the Seagirt terminal to help workers complete applications for the Worker Support Program as well as for Unemployment Insurance. The office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday - Friday until further notice.

Who is eligible for the Worker Support Program?

• Independent contractors
• Individual owner-operators
• Sole proprietors
• Single person Limited Liability Companies (LLC)
• Employees of a Port business or trade association
• Workers who receive a 1099 tax form from a Port business

How much money can I receive and for how many weeks?

Am i eligible if i also apply for and receive unemployment insurance, do i have to recertify every week similar to unemployment insurance, what identification and documents do i need to apply.

• U.S. or state-government-issued photo identification
• A real-time photograph taken by smartphone or webcam during the application process
• A Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC card)
• A terminal ID badge
• A Port employer-provided ID badge
• 2023 W-2 from Port of Baltimore employer
• 2023 1099 from Port of Baltimore contractor
• Copy of paystub(s) from 2024 from a Port of Baltimore employer
• Canceled check(s) from 2024 from a Port of Baltimore employer/contractor
• Evidence of direct deposits(s) from 2024, from a Port of Baltimore employer/contractor
• Interchange ticket(s) from 2024, for containers moved from the Port of Baltimore

How do I apply?

Can i get help over the phone or in person with the application.

A temporary office at 2501 Broening Highway near the Seagirt terminal will open starting Monday, April 22, 2024 at noon to help workers with applications for the Worker Support Program as well as for Unemployment Insurance. Starting Tuesday, April 23, the office will be open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

More information and resources are below:

• Application English
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• FAQs English
• Página de preguntas frecuentes en español
• Guidelines English
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Old, unused, and 'twisty' — meet the obscure NY election-conspiracy law that just might get Trump convicted

• Hush-money prosecutors say their "entire case" rests on an obscure NY election conspiracy law.
• Attorneys specializing in state election law believe the statute has never been prosecuted.
• But two election law scholars said DA Alvin Bragg's novel strategy may well get Trump convicted.

At Donald Trump's hush money trial on Tuesday, a Manhattan prosecutor surprised law nerds in the audience by revealing that "the entire case" rests on a single section of New York's election law.

The statute is simple. It outlaws conspiring to promote or prevent someone's election through "unlawful means."

Trump is on trial for falsifying business records throughout his first year in office to hide an election-influencing hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels .

Falsifying business records is a misdemeanor, but the charge becomes a felony — punishable by up to four years in prison — if the records were falsified with the intent to commit or hide some other underlying crime.

Now, Manhattan prosecutors now say an old, rarely used section of the state election law is their favorite on the menu of potential underlying crimes.

"As the court is aware, falsifying business records in the first degree requires an intent to commit or conceal another crime," prosecutor Joshua Steinglass told New York State Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan on Tuesday.

"The primary crime that we have alleged is New York state election law section 17-152," Steinglass told the judge, lifting into prominence an arcane measure that had previously played only a supporting role in the case.

"There is conspiracy language in the statute," the prosecutor said, "The entire case is predicated on the idea that there was a conspiracy to influence the election in 2016."

Business Insider asked two veteran New York election-law attorneys — one a Republican, the other a Democrat — about the law, also known as "Conspiracy to promote or prevent election."

Neither one could recall a single time when it had been prosecuted.

"I've never heard of it actually being used, and I've practiced election law for 53 years," Brooklyn attorney and former Democratic NY state Sen. Martin Connor said of section 17-152.

"I would be shocked — really shocked — if you could find anybody who can give you an example where this section was prosecuted," agreed Joseph T. Burns, attorney for the Erie County Republican Committee in Buffalo, New York.

"I would be absolutely floored," Burns continued, "if you could find anyone prosecuting this in the last 40 years."

Two highly respected law professors specializing in New York election law said the same.

Neither could cite a time when 17-152 — a misdemeanor that's been on the state's election law books since at least the mid-1970s — had been used.

However, while the two attorneys were highly skeptical of the DA's newly focused strategy, the two election law professors told BI they were confident it would lead to a conviction.

Sure, 17-152 has never been used before, they said. But that doesn't mean it won't work now that the dust has been blown off.

"I think it's very smart of prosecutors to use this state law, whether it's been used before or not," said Jeffrey M. Wice, who teaches state election law at New York Law School.

Wice noted that two judges — Merchan and Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein, a Manhattan federal judge who rejected Trump's attempt to move the hush-money case to federal court — upheld the use of 17-152 in this case. 

"It's a solid statute and very straightforward," Wice said. "Just as we have to expect the unexpected from Donald Trump, we have to also expect the unexpected from prosecutors and the jury."

An underlying crime

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg first mentioned New York's election conspiracy law nearly a year ago in a May 2023 filing called a bill of particulars .

It was mentioned only in passing.

The underlying crimes — either committed or merely intended to be committed — that hoist Trump's falsifying business records up from misdemeanor to felony "may include violations of New York Election Law section 17-152," prosecutors wrote.

In the same bill of particulars, prosecutors said the underlying crime could also be an intent to violate state tax law because Trump's then-"fixer," Michael Cohen, paid Daniels $130,000 out of his own pocket. Trump hid the true nature of that outlay when he reimbursed Cohen through a series of monthly checks for "legal fees," money Cohen then claimed as income, prosecutors say.

As an alternative, the underlying crime could be an intent to violate federal election law, prosecutors said, under the theory that the hush-money payment was an illegally high campaign contribution.

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These same three "underlying crimes" — using state election law, federal election law, and state tax law — were again given equal prominence here in a February 15 decision by Merchan.

Only on Tuesday, when Steinglass spoke to the judge, did section 17-152 take its starring role.

Crimes, within crimes, within crimes

Connor, the former state senator and longtime election law practitioner, said there's a problem with letting 17-152 do the heavy lifting in the Trump indictment.

Falsifying business records requires proof of at least an attempt to commit an underlying crime to be a felony.

But what if that underlying crime is section 17-152 — conspiring to mess with an election through "unlawful means?"

Things will get "twisty," Connor said, when prosecutors try to show that Trump's falsified business records are felonies because of an underlying crime — 17-152 — that itself needs proof of a conspiracy to do something "unlawful."

"You're having an underlying crime within an underlying crime to get to that felony," Connor told BI.

"It's novel," he said with a laugh. "It's novel ," he repeated.

Section 17-152 needs its own underlying criminal conspiracy, he said.

"Two or more conspiring to elect or defeat a candidate — that's the definition of every political campaign," he joked. "It's only when you conspire to do it by unlawful means that you violate this law."

Having an election-conspiracy statute like 17-152 on the state election-law books makes little sense, he said.

"It would appear to cover something like three people getting together and saying, 'Let's break into our opponent's headquarters and destroy all his equipment,'" Connor said.

"Or, 'Let's firebomb the place.' There probably have been cases like that, but for that kind of illegal conduct, you would use the state penal code and charge arson or burglary, which are felonies," he added

"Because if you're only using this election law, you only have a misdemeanor."

Winning isn't as tricky as it sounds

What will prosecutors argue made Trump's 17-152 election conspiracy "unlawful?"

They've already cited three ways.

First, there's federal election law. Prosecutors have alleged that the conspiracy intended to violate the Federal Election Campaign Act, or FECA, which sets strict limits on contributions.

Trump conspired with Cohen and editors at the National Enquirer to bury Daniels' story of a 2006 one-night-stand — long denied by Trump — by paying her $130,000, prosecutors say. That money was an illegally high campaign expenditure, they say.

Second, Trump intended to violate state tax law when he disguised his repayment of Cohen as a series of monthly checks for "legal fees," prosecutors say.

And third, Trump conspired to falsify the records of the National Enquirer through a plan to "catch and kill" stories that could hurt his 2016 campaign, prosecutors allege.

Proof of an intent to violate any of these three laws would be sufficient to satisfy Section 17-152. And once you prove 17-152, you have the underlying crime you need to raise misdemeanor falsifying business records to a felony.

It's important to remember that Trump is only charged with 34 counts of this one crime: felony falsification of business records, said election-law scholar Jerry H. Goldfeder.

Trump is not charged with actually committing any of the underlying state and federal laws required to prove felony falsification.

So prosecutors have no legal obligation to prove he's guilty of any of these underlying laws, 17-152 included, said Goldfeder, senior counsel at Cozen O'Connor and author of Goldfeder's Modern Election Law.

"They only have to prove he intended to commit these underlying crimes," which is a far lower bar, said Goldfeder, who also directs the Fordham Law School Voting Rights and Democracy Project.

"I think it's a very viable case," he told BI.

"And the testimony so far demonstrates that Trump intended to pursue this catch-and-kill scheme and to falsify business records to cover it up — and did so to influence the election," he said.

"It's up to the jury of course," he added. "But the testimony so far is pretty clear." 

Watch: Donald Trump was indicted in New York. Here's what we know so far.

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‘The working class can’t afford it’: the shocking truth about the money bands make on tour

As Taylor Swift tops $1bn in tour revenue, musicians playing smaller venues are facing pitiful fees and frequent losses. Should the state step in to save our live music scene?

W hen you see a band playing to thousands of fans in a sun-drenched festival field, signing a record deal with a major label or playing endlessly from the airwaves, it’s easy to conjure an image of success that comes with some serious cash to boot – particularly when Taylor Swift has broken $1bn in revenue for her current Eras tour. But looks can be deceiving. “I don’t blame the public for seeing a band playing to 2,000 people and thinking they’re minted,” says artist manager Dan Potts. “But the reality is quite different.”

Post-Covid there has been significant focus on grassroots music venues as they struggle to stay open. There’s been less focus on the actual ability of artists to tour these venues. David Martin, chief executive officer of the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC), says we’re in a “cost-of-touring crisis”. Pretty much every cost attached to touring – van hire, crew, travel, accommodation, food and drink – has gone up, while fees and audiences often have not. “[Playing] live is becoming financially unsustainable for many artists,” he says. “Artists are seeing [playing] live as a loss leader now. That’s if they can even afford to make it work in the first place.”

Potts, who works at Red Light Management – home to everyone from Sabrina Carpenter to Kaiser Chiefs and Sofia Kourtesis – feels like there is an industry equivalent of the Spider-Man meme in which they are all pointing to one another. “People who work at labels think bands make loads of money touring, while booking agents think they make loads of money on publishing and so on,” he says. “Everyone thinks artists make money from the other side of the industry they’re not involved in.

“Artists are the biggest employers in the industry. They pay for the tour manager, session musicians, agent, manager, crew, insurance, travel, accommodation, equipment, rehearsal space, production. Everything. I don’t think people know this is all the stuff that the artist pays for and does.”

“Greater transparency is needed,” says Lily Fontaine, lead singer of Leeds band English Teacher. On paper, the four-piece appear to have made it. They are signed with a major label, Island, have played on Later With … Jools Holland, get healthy BBC Radio 6Music airplay, their debut album has received five-star reviews and they are about to embark on their biggest tour to date, which includes an 800-capacity home-town show.

“The reality is that it’s normal for all of these achievements to coexist alongside being on Universal Credit, living at home or sofa surfing,” says Fontaine. During the making of their debut album, she and bandmate Lewis Whiting did the latter while unable to afford rent.

In their four years of existence, English Teacher have yet to turn a profit from touring. “We’ve never directly paid ourselves from a gig,” says Whiting. “A headline tour usually comes out with a deficit. The only thing that we ever make any kind of profit on is festivals, because the fees can be higher, but any money left over just goes towards the next outgoings.” A successful show for the group in the past has been defined by whether they can flog enough merch to afford a supermarket food shop.

So how do they survive? “In the world of artists, we’re in a lucky position,” says Whiting. “We try to pay ourselves £500 a month each from the band pot.” However, they’ve been reliant on their advance for this, which is now gone. “We’re now in that stage where we’re gonna have to figure out where that £500 a month is gonna come from,” says Fontaine. “Because the gig fees won’t be able to cover that.” The band estimate that their 16-date UK tour in May will generate roughly £800 profit. But, says Fontaine, “realistically, I don’t think there will be any profit because things always go over budget”.

For many artists, fees aren’t increasing in line with costs. “There’s been no real incline at all,” says Potts. “For support slots, I don’t think the fees have changed in the last 10 years or so that I’ve been managing, whether that’s £50 at the smaller end or £500 quid for some of the biggest shows.” Fees for headline shows can vary enormously for bands, even on the same tour. Playing a 200-capacity club in Newcastle may land you £600, while a 1,500 cap in London may net you £3,000.

And fewer people are coming to shows at the small-to-mid-sized end of things. “In our audience data, we see there is a gap in new audiences coming through post-pandemic,” says the FAC’s Martin. “As well as a bit of a drop-off in some of the older audiences returning to live shows.” However, despite stagnant fees and shrinking audiences, touring activity in the UK is at a peak. Due to the costs of touring Europe (which can be thousands in taxes and carnet alone) 74% fewer UK bands are now touring Europe post-Brexit. “It’s much more difficult to tour in Europe so there are more artists trying to perform domestically,” says Martin. “That creates a saturation problem.”

For this article, the Guardian has seen 12 tour budget sheets for various bands and artists varying from up-and-comers to firmly established and successful acts, all of whom regularly undertake headline tours across the UK in venues ranging from 150 to 2,500 capacity. Almost all of these result in losses. Understandably, most shared their balance sheets on the condition of anonymity. One four-piece indie band, whose last two albums went Top 10 in the UK charts, reported a loss of £2,885 from a six-day UK tour. The only tour that shows anything resembling healthy profit was a 29-date tour for a solo artist who came away with £6,550. Not bad going for a month’s work but, as Martin points out, “that’s then his touring done for the next six months. So it’s not enough money.”

Nubiyan Twist are a nine-piece Afro-jazz outfit who have a loyal following and tens of millions of streams on Spotify, “We pride ourselves on being able to put on a big show, like your Fela Kutis or James Browns, these epic spectacles,” says bandleader Tom Excell. “But it’s getting more difficult, without a shadow of a doubt.” For an upcoming eight-show tour of Europe, they are predicting a loss of £4,931.28. The only way they can justify doing it is because they got funding from the BPI Music Export Growth Scheme. “I would have just pulled the plug if it wasn’t for that,” says Excell. “I’ve got a two-year-old and I can’t be away from home for that long and come back with a loss.”

Even when the band get more lucrative fees for festivals it’s still tough. They will be paid £5,000 for a festival performance this summer but the total profit after band wages (as Excell pays all his band members in full first) expenses and commissions are paid out will be £277.60. “After four albums and 15 years doing this, to still be having to gamble on whether I’m going to make anything, while everyone else gets paid a guaranteed amount, is a struggle,” admits Excell.

Such thin margins leave little wiggle room, as the space-surf band Japanese Television (who headline 100-300 capacity venues) found out when their booking agent reduced their 13-date UK and EU tour to eight shows with a five-day gap in the middle that will add a further loss of around £1,200 to a tour that is already set to lose them around £700. “Records and T-shirts are basically what keeps us going,” says the band’s Tim Jones. “The only way this tour is working for us is because we just put out our second album and we did about 60 presales on the vinyl and that was basically enough to pay for the van. It’s a hobby that just about pays for itself.”

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The question is: who else will be able to afford to pursue music as a hobby? “It depresses me how many middle and upper class people there are in the music industry,” says manager Potts. “Because the working class just can’t afford to fork out £150 a day for van hire. The only artists doing that are people who have deeper pockets and can afford to take the hit.”

Of course, every act is different in terms of what they justify as reasonable outgoings and not everyone has the same costs, but Potts says from his experience, generally speaking, bands with four or five members now need to be playing 2,000+ capacity venues nationwide to “really start to see things tip”. That tipping point is out of reach for the majority. “Most people don’t actually get to that level,” Potts says. “Just look back at any festival lineup from 10-20 years ago and see which names are still on festival bills and how many you’re like: what happened to them?”

The gap between those who are flying and those who are floundering has become even more stark. “It feels like the top 1% have become the top 0.5%,” says Martin. “The level of artists we’re talking about here that are struggling to make things stack up financially would really surprise people.”

In 2022, the Grammy-winning Pakistani singer Arooj Aftab posted on X: “Touring has been amazing. We headlined a ton, had massive turnouts and have proven ourselves in all the markets. Yet still, running tens of thousands in debt from the tour and I’m being told that it’s ‘normal’. Why is this normal? This should not be normalised.”

I’m told that one US artist – who released one of the most critically acclaimed albums of 2023, which went Top 10 and placed very highly on numerous year-end polls and was nominated for a major award – worked out that the only way she could make her UK tour work was by sub-letting her home.

It’s a far cry from Taylor Swift’s record-breaking Eras jaunt. “The very high end of the live industry is reporting record profits,” says Martin. “You can’t have a healthy music ecosystem where at one end you’ve got people going ‘we’ve made more money than we’ve ever made’ and at the other end you’ve got relatively successful artists that are sofa-surfing while signed to a major label.”

Is there an answer? “When you’re touring Europe, you realise how much state funding in the arts there is,” says Excell. “It really needs more state funding and support from the top down.”

Martin echoes this. “The government needs to start looking at spending money on the music industry as an investment rather than as a cost,” he says. “But you also need to support a sector in a time of crisis. And this is a time of crisis.”

• Pop and rock
• Music industry
• Taylor Swift

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NEW YORK — The second week of Donald Trump’s hush money trial concluded Friday afternoon. Before the proceedings wrapped for the day, former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker finished his testimony. He was followed by witnesses Rhona Graff, a longtime Trump assistant, and a banker who dealt with Michael Cohen.

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Louisiana Will No Longer Require Students to Fill Out FAFSA to Graduate

Experts say high school seniors are more likely to go to college if they complete the financial aid form, but the state sees privacy issues with mandating it.

By Ann Carrns

High school seniors are more likely to attend college if they complete the federal financial aid form known as the FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

But the state that was the first to require students to fill out the form to graduate, Louisiana, has reversed course and dropped the mandate, after state officials decided it was too intrusive. For now, Louisiana appears to be an outlier.

“I have not heard of other states considering repeal,” said Bill DeBaun, senior director of data and strategic initiatives with the National College Attainment Network, a nonprofit organization working to expand college access. (The network prefers to call such practices “universal FAFSA” policies, rather than “mandatory,” because all states with the requirement allow students and their parents to opt out if they don’t want to fill out the form.)

“We know FAFSA completion and enrollment are associated with each other,” Mr. DeBaun said. Filing the form allows students to get their share of federal grants .

At least 11 other states followed Louisiana’s lead and adopted similar policies or are scheduled to apply them in coming years, he said.

Unlike Louisiana, where education officials adopted the requirement as an administrative policy effective in 2018, many of the other states enacted it by law, so rescinding it would require legislative action, said Peter Granville, a fellow at the Century Foundation, a think tank, who studies federal and state efforts to increase college access and affordability.

Louisiana’s action came as a surprise, Mr. Granville said, because its policy had been “remarkably” successful, raising the state’s FAFSA completions more than 20 percent in just one year and narrowing the filing gap between high- and low-income school districts. The state ended last year’s filing cycle first in FAFSA completions, according to the college attainment network’s tracker.

The FAFSA is administered by the Education Department. It collects financial details from students and their families and is used to determine if they qualify for federal aid like need-based Pell grants, student loans and work-study programs to help pay for college. States and colleges also use the form to award their own grants and scholarships. Students, with their parents, file the form when applying to college and resubmit it each year they are enrolled.

This year, the FAFSA filing process has been plagued by delays, administrative errors and technical problems. A major revamp of the form and its financial aid formula, meant to simplify the form and make more grant aid available for students, went badly awry , making it difficult for many students to file the form. As of April 12, the number of high school seniors completing a FAFSA nationally was down 36 percent from a year earlier, according to the attainment network’s analysis of federal data.

States with universal filing policies were put under added pressure because of the FAFSA problems, Mr. DeBaun said. Some states are creating workarounds. Texas said that this year, proof of simply submitting a FAFSA would meet the requirement.

The messy FAFSA overhaul, however, wasn’t mentioned as a factor when the Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education repealed the requirement on March 6. At a committee meeting the day before the vote, Cade Brumley, Louisiana’s superintendent of education, cited concerns about requiring parents to share financial information with the federal government and said graduation should be tied to academic criteria — and not depend on filling out financial aid forms or waivers.

Students will still receive financial aid information from school counselors, Dr. Brumley said, but won’t have to wait for their parents to fill out the FAFSA to graduate. “Basically, it’s moving it from an opt out to an opt in,” he told the full board.

Dr. Brumley, who became superintendent in 2020 and was reappointed in January, said in an interview that being seen as a state leader in FAFSA completions wasn’t necessarily positive if it meant “invading the privacy of families” or increasing student debt.

“We are simply trying to protect the liberty of our families,” he said.

He noted that the state last year passed legislation requiring high school students to take a financial literacy course, which will include information on loans and managing debt, starting with the class of 2026-27.

Caroline Roemer, executive director of the Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools, told the board that she worried that without the requirement, the state would “go back to the bottom of the list” of FAFSA completion rankings. Before the policy was enacted, she said, fewer than half of Louisiana’s high school seniors completed the form.

Louisiana’s FAFSA completion rate for the 2014-15 school year was about 48 percent, compared with a national rate of 55 percent, according to a 2016 state report . (The state board adopted the policy in 2015, and it took effect in the 2017-18 school year.)

Ms. Roemer said in an interview that she was disappointed that the committee had jettisoned the requirement, especially since families could opt out: “You could say no.” One reason for the policy, she said, was to make sure that minority students received proper counseling about financial aid and post-high school opportunities.

“Black and brown kids were not getting the information,” she said. “We have a history.”

Asked about that, Dr. Brumley said guidance given to school systems “is colorblind.”

Mia Gonzales Washington, director of the New Orleans College and Career Attainment Network, an initiative of the Cowen Institute at Tulane University that offers professional development for high school counselors, teachers and other professionals, said the repeal was “unfortunate.” Most financial information requested on the FAFSA is also included in federal tax returns, which can be transferred into the form, she said.

If you are filing tax returns, “the government already has your financial information,” she added. “It’s really difficult to understand the rationale.”

Here are some questions and answers about the FAFSA and college financial aid:

What states have universal FAFSA policies?

In addition to Louisiana , where the policy remains in place for this year’s graduating class, at least six other states have a requirement tied to graduation: Illinois, Alabama, Texas, California, Indiana and New Hampshire, according to the attainment network. Four states — Connecticut, Nebraska, New Jersey and Oklahoma — plan to require it starting with the class of 2025, and Kansas is scheduled to begin a requirement in 2028.

In New York, the budget just approved by the Legislature includes a plan to require school districts to make sure all students complete federal or state financial aid forms, or sign a waiver stating that they are “aware of available aid but choose not to pursue it,” according to a news release from Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office. (School districts will enforce the rule. If students do not fill out the application or opt out, they will still be able to graduate.) The policy takes effect in August, for the class of 2025.

What about financial aid packages this year for graduating high school seniors?

Because of the botched FAFSA update, many students and families are still waiting for official financial aid offers, even as the traditional May 1 deadline for committing to a college approaches. A survey of members of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators this month suggested that fewer than half of colleges had sent out aid offers to some or all accepted students, and that 44 percent had not begun packaging offers at all. Some schools have extended their commitment deadlines to give students time to review offers.

How much does it cost to attend college?

The turmoil around the FAFSA comes amid growing concern about student debt and the cost of attending college. The average published, or “sticker,” price for tuition, fees, housing and meals at a four-year private college was $56,190 for the 2023-24 school year, compared with about $24,000 for an in-state student at a public college, according to the College Board. The published cost of a year at some private colleges is soon to reach $100,000 , although most students don’t pay full price because of financial aid and discounts.