Students need incentives, including financial ones, to volunteer, according to a survey by the Romanian Students’ Union.
According to the research, the vast majority of students – regardless of whether or not they are involved in volunteer activities – believe that they need incentives, including financial ones, to engage in such activities. The data shows that 73.6% of those who already volunteer and 60.4% of those who do not would be motivated by special scholarships or other forms of financial support from faculties.
Programs to stimulate volunteerism are not new in Europe, such mechanisms are already available in Germany, France and Ireland, but in Romania their lack accentuates the gap between young people who can afford to work unpaid and those who are forced by circumstances to prioritize immediate earnings.
The research of the Student Union shows that 79.6% of the young people who responded to the survey declare a monthly budget of less than 4,000 lei, “value that is below the minimum consumption basket assessed at 4,300 lei at the beginning of 2026”.
This precarious financial reality is confirmed by the testimonies of four young students or recent graduates, who spoke for “The Truth” about the difficulties they face every day. They blame the poor access to the labor market that makes it impossible for them to gain experience during their years of study.
“A “miserable” job after 6 months of searching and offers of 3,000 lei for 12-hour shifts”
David, a Journalism student, explains that his monthly budget of 4,000 lei, from a social aid, barely covers his essential expenses.
“I have social assistance because I have a context such that I have this money from the state. If I didn’t have this money from the state, I would die of hunger, because I don’t keep in touch with my family. And this money from the state also covers my rent and food expenses for a month, somewhere around 4,000 lei net. In terms of expenses, my rent, bills and food come to somewhere more than 3,500 lei per month.
Until recently, I also had a job, so I received about 3,000-4,000 lei a month, and it was 7,000, and then I could better afford to live in Bucharest.
I receive this aid until I am 25 years old, the condition is that you must be a student or work, one of them. The problem is that access to the labor market is very difficult. Consider that last year I stayed for six months to find a job and ended up in a miserable job, but to which I had to report because I had no choice, it was the only solution. Now I’ve been out of a job for a month already – since the beginning of June – and I’ve been going to interviews and the wages are very low for a very bad schedule. That is, a program of 4 days, 12 hours each, after 4 days off, for 3,000 lei – I said: no, I can’t do something like that. And that’s about the average: 3,000-3,500 lei maximum.
The time is coming soon to take that money from the state out of the scheme, but I still haven’t found a job that will give me an income to live on”David specified.
“My monthly budget is 1,200 lei, plus 400 lei for the dormitory”
Film student Giulia describes the same oppressive reality of young people trying to enter the job market. With a monthly budget of 1,200 lei, from which the dormitory costs 400 lei, access to a job in his cultural field is almost impossible.
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“So my monthly budget, at least during the academic year that ended, because summer is a little different for me, was 1,200 lei plus 400 lei for the dormitory.
Access to the labor market, at least in my field, i.e. in the cultural area, is very difficult, to the point of impossible, that is, everything is based on relationships, on experience, which you have nowhere to gain, because in the faculty, here, you are not really sent anywhere.
Also, since I’ve been able to talk to my friends, it’s quite complicated for them too, that is, in the last two years or so, it’s very difficult for someone to call you for an interview. The situation is so bad that no one calls you even after applying to clothing stores in the mall, and many times it seems that these employment platforms are useless.
We constantly apply for volunteer positions just to have something on our CV, companies don’t give us a chance”Giulia told.
“A lot of experience is required for people at the beginning of their career”
Ana, a Journalism student, has a monthly budget between 4,000 and 4,300 lei, but she also confirms the difficulty of finding a decent job.
“My monthly budget is between 4,000 and 4,300 lei, depending on how many working days there are in that month. I manage my expenses well, I would say. As for access to the labor market, I find it very difficult.
It is very difficult to find a job. Wages are very low, that is, at the standard of living we have, the minimum wage does not cover the minimum you need. A lot of experience is required for some people who are at the beginning of their career or maybe in some entry-level positions. It is abnormal for employers to ask you for experience when you are 20 years old”says Ana.
“I applied for months in the country and only managed to get a job abroad”
Andreea, a graduate of Architecture at the University of Liverpool, has a monthly budget of 6,000 lei, above the average of the other young people interviewed, but she also faces the same barriers to employment.
“For many people, the comparison between volunteering and employment is out of the question due to financial constraints, but when money is no longer an issue, volunteering can become an attractive option, as it offers the opportunity to gain experience in an enjoyable way and in a field closer to one’s interests and passions. On the other hand, there is a tendency for companies to become increasingly comfortable with imposing previous experience requirements, assuming that most candidates are privileged enough that not to be interested in the financial aspect of work.
My monthly budget is 6000 lei, managed in budgeting applications and occasionally Excel tables for dividing expenses.
Currently, I consider that access to the labor market is extremely difficult. Personally, after months of unsuccessful attempts in the country, I managed to get a job at a company abroad. In Romania, communication with employers is almost non-existent, and the requirements regarding candidates’ experience are far too high compared to the roles offered and the salaries proposed”Andreea told.
