The study conducted at Laguna University for the 2024-2025 academic year highlights a difficult reality for Tourism Management

students: the "dream internship" is often sidelined by the reality of the wallet. By surveying 71 fourth-year students, researchers

found that those from low-income households face a significant "catch-22" where they need professional experience to jumpstart

their careers but cannot afford the basic costs such as transportation, housing, and meals required to participate in high-quality

programs. This financial pressure creates a direct barrier, as evidenced by a strong statistical correlation (r = 0.6056), proving that

as the cost of an internship rises, a student's ability to access that opportunity falls.

Because of these limited resources, many students are forced to prioritize affordability over career relevance, choosing placements

based on what they can afford rather than what will actually help them grow. While the study confirms that internships are

incredibly effective for building networks and professional skills, the lack of financial aid remains the most critical hurdle. To

bridge this gap, the researchers recommend that the university and students work together to identify more "cost-free" placements,

provide much earlier program orientations so families can save up, and aggressively pursue new sources of financial assistance to

ensure that a student's future isn't limited by their current bank balance.