Colleges are fairly aware of the need for students to work part-time jobs, in order to pay for their education. They realize that not everyone is born with a silver spoon in their mouth, or some variation of that phrase. Consequently, they set aside a designated portion of on-campus administrative and services positions, to be expressly filled by current students. These positions are know as Work-Study Programs and are extremely helpful for students that are paying their way through college, or at least supplementing their financial aid.
Of course, there are entrance requirements and conditions to be met while within the program, but for those that meet the standards, this is an incredibly useful avenue for avoiding post-graduation debt.
Work-Study programs are part-time jobs/employment for needs-based students of all degree levels, with the intent of helping to pay for educational expenses.
There are three types of work-study programs: Federal, State and Institutional. The Federal and State programs are needs-based and require the student to have completed the FAFSA form. Institutional programs are sponsored by the university/college, are not needs-based and are available to all students (even those that didn’t submit the FAFSA form).
It should be said that just because a student is awarded a Work-Study Program, in response to their FAFSA form, it doesn’t mean they’re guaranteed a job. Some schools connect and set aside jobs for students, but most don’t. In most cases, it’s up to the student to search for, find, apply for and secure the job on their own. Best place to start is the school’s Financial Aid Office, where they’ll be able to point you in the right direction for available jobs. However, not all jobs are on-campus, some are off-campus. Depending on your major, or the type of work you’re interested in doing, there could be federally subsidized community service related contractual positions that are only found off-campus. The employer pays for your entire salary, but is reimbursed 50% of the cost by the university.
Here are some of the university on-campus positions that are usually available for a typical work-study program:
- Student Union (restaurants, stores, etc.)
- Bookstore
- Main Library
- Gymnasium & Recreation Center
- Parking & Transportation Services
- IT Services (computers, network technology, etc.)
- Tutoring Services (Reading, Writing, Math, Science Labs, etc.)
- Teacher’s Assistant
- Lab Assistant
- Research Assistant
This is by no means a comprehensive list – the best course of action is to do some online research on what work-study programs are available at your particular school and/or visit the Financial Aid Office for more 1-on-1 guidance and direction.