Roniel Milian, a data entry specialist for a medical insurance company, stepped away from college five years ago to help support his family.
FIU Caplin News
As South Florida continues to rank as one of the most expensive areas to live in nationwide, younger generations sometimes feel forced to prioritize income over education.
In South Florida, where the rent for apartments can exceed $2,000 a month, some students face the weight of delaying graduation as they struggle to balance school, work and family responsibilities.
Roniel Milian, a data entry specialist for a medical insurance company, is in his mid-twenties in pursuit of a bachelor’s in economics. He left school five years ago after his mother, the primary breadwinner of his household, underwent multiple surgeries and was unable to work for months. With no steady income at home, he stepped away from college to help support his family.
“I had to drop out of school completely. I haven’t been able to go back since that day, five years ago,” Milian said, describing the strain as “living to just survive, not to actually live.”
For others, the struggle isn’t leaving school — it’s realizing that staying in college doesn’t guarantee financial security and that the promise many students were raised on no longer matches today’s reality.
Gianni Moody, a sales worker in Miami’s Design District, has remained enrolled in school for his bachelor’s in design but reduced his course load to prioritize paying bills.
“My whole life, I’ve been told by people that are older than me that school and staying in college is the way to be in order to get a high-paying job,” he said. “Currently, a lot of the people that have degrees are still applying to retail-sector jobs.”
Working long hours to afford rent and daily expenses has meant taking fewer classes each semester.
“I’ve definitely had to prioritize my job because that’s where my income comes from and that’s what pays my bills,” Moody said, adding that taking fewer classes has meant “delaying my education inevitably.”
Both men say rising housing costs and financial pressures have slowed their path to a degree. But, despite years of delay, Milian and Moody say they remain determined to complete their college education and secure stable, fulfilling careers.
The Miami Herald is teaming up with FIU Caplin News, along with other local media outlets, to produce a series of stories that put a spotlight on South Florida’s housing crisis.