Tech Students Respond to Proposed Wage Increase

Most students at Texas Tech fall under the category of minimum wage paid Americans.

The students we talked to said a higher wage would make it easier to pay off their student debt.

"I'm going to end up having a lot of student debt when I get out of college," said working student, Kelsie Curry.

"I could afford more education," said Michael Arroyo, also a working student.

Both said they've been working their way through college and their student debt has been piling up.

"Lets declare that in the wealthiest nation on earth no one who works full time should have to live in poverty," said President Obama in Tuesday night's State of the Union Address.

He said a wage increase, for some families, would be the difference in buying groceries or going to the food bank.

Fro Tech students, they say it'd be a matter of more education and less stress.

"If minimum wage were to go up that would definitely give me more money for gas, for student loans, for buying books," said Arroyo.

But what would it mean for the economy in the long run.

"Throwing more money out kind of makes inflation go up," said Tech student Douglas Chriss, "But at the same time its good for people."

Every one has their own theory, including the GOP and the democrats.

"So, here is an idea that Gov. Romney and I actually agreed on last year," said President Obama, "Let's tie the minimum wage to the cost of living so that it finally becomes a wage you can live on."

Obama encouraged businesses it would bring them more customers with more money.

"Nine dollars an hour," he said in his address.

The last wage increase was back in 2009 when Congress bumped minimum wage up from $6.55 to $7.25.