Universities need help right now. Between declining enrollments and the potential dismantling of the Department of Education, higher education is facing very uncertain times.
The current administration’s threats to withdraw billions of dollars in federal funding impact a wide range of university departments, including research grants, DEI offices, liberal arts, and the Federal Work-Study Program (FWS). As a result, universities have started cutting programs and implementing hiring freezes to stay afloat.
In a recent Fortune article penned by a group of former college presidents, the authors urged the American public to “find solutions to the challenges facing their alma maters as well as their regional and local academic institutions.”
Enter Roshi.
Roshi was born out of a personal need. While enrolled at UNCW, co-founders Nico Mancuso and Austin Bates recognized that there was no streamlined way for university students to find flexible work that fit their schedule and skills.
Nico grew up playing baseball and enjoyed teaching the sport to younger players at summer camps and during private lessons. Nico passed on Division 1 opportunities to pursue academics at UNCW and took on various jobs such as interning at a law firm, moving furniture, and mowing lawns to support himself as a college student.
It wasn’t until the summer before senior year that he came up with an idea to offer baseball lessons and mentorship, marketing himself on Facebook groups and a personal website. Nico found a way to truly enjoy his summer at the beach and earn money without the grind of a traditional minimum-wage job.
Meanwhile, Austin was finding little success on the university’s bulletin board, Seawork, where local residents could post gigs like yard work, cleaning boats, and other odd labor jobs. While it had merit, the platform lacked an integrated experience to easily connect students with job opportunities. The two recognized this market gap and teamed up to bring Roshi to life.
Inspired by apps like Uber and TaskRabbit, they envisioned Roshi as a bridge between students and families seeking tutoring, coaching, and mentoring. Today, Roshi is the only peer-to-peer training app catering to university students as instructors, offering flexible, part-time work that aligns with their expertise and academic schedules.
In an era of federal funding cuts to universities and student loan uncertainty, it’s important that students have access to creative revenue streams that leverage skills they already possess. For example, college students working minimum wage jobs to support their education and, in many cases, pay off loans.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 40% of full-time students are also employed, more than 600 thousand rely on the Federal Work-Study program for financial aid, and 28% of undergraduate students borrow federal loans.
Roshi helps supplement limited work-study positions with higher wages and skill-relevant jobs. Oftentimes, students don’t qualify for financial aid but still need income. Students can sign up for free and set their own hourly rates, which currently average more than $60 per hour. These uncapped, flexible earnings are a rarity in the student gig economy, and Roshi is leading the charge.
Additionally, Roshi empowers students to become local leaders by engaging in person with their communities and creating real connections. Tutoring and training develop teaching, leadership, and entrepreneurial skills that enhance post-graduation opportunities.
Universities benefit too. The reality is that fewer people are attending college, and experts predict a steep enrollment decline in 2025. Solutions like Roshi can help reduce student attrition by increasing satisfaction and financial stability.
Roshi is a powerful tool for universities to foster deeper connections with their local communities while creating new revenue streams. When a university licenses Roshi, it can access a variety of marketing opportunities promoted through the platform, including highlighting its programs, creating authentic touchpoints for student recruitment, engaging alumni donors, and increasing attendance at athletic events, camps, concerts, and other activities through the campus events tab — all while providing a valuable service for its student population.
As a result, Roshi boosts university applications, drives engagement and event ticket sales, facilitates targeted communication, and builds a pipeline of prospective students from the surrounding area through early exposure to university programs. Universities could potentially leverage their Roshi success metrics (hours taught, dollars earned, youth impacted) in marketing and grant applications to demonstrate ROI on community engagement and student enrichment initiatives.
In the continued fight for higher education funding, universities will need to embrace private partnerships in order to differentiate themselves from other institutions through innovative student and community offerings. Solutions like Roshi create a sustainable approach to the university funding crisis by strengthening ties, making meaningful connections, and, ultimately, driving revenue in challenging times.
