Is College Work-Study or Part-Time Employment the Answer?
When you start school, you may be tempted to offset your tuition expense by taking on a work-study program or a part-time job. While many parents and colleges will advise against either of these options during your first year, if you are about to enter your sophomore year or beyond, you may be ready to balance some work and study time and pay off some bills or make some money in the bargain!
The Federal Work Study Program – The Federal College Work Study Program was established by Congress to help U.S. citizens and permanent residents by placing them in jobs on and off campus to assist them in meeting their educational expense obligations. If you work on campus, you will probably be working in some capacity for your school. If you work off campus, your employer is typically a private not for profit company or public agency, and the work you perform will usually support the community in some way. To participate in this program, you must be eligible. To find out if you are eligible, you should complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Undergraduate students can work up to 35 hours each week during summer and vacation periods. The amount of money you earn cannot exceed the Federal Work Study award you receive. The formula used to determine your work-study award includes other student income and assets, parents’ income and assets, the family household size, and number of family members (excluding parents) attending post-secondary institutions. If you are a dependent student, versus an independent student, your assessment rate and allowance will differ. You can find more information about the Federal Work Study program here: FSA Handbook: Federal Work Study.
When your employer assigns you hours, they will consider your class load and your grade average to be sure you are not overloaded. You will earn at least the federal minimum wage in salary, though you might earn more depending on the job and the skills required. Undergraduates are paid by the house and graduate students may be paid by the hour or receive a salary. You must be paid directly by your school or by direct deposit to your bank account at least once a month. Alternatively, you can ask that your salary be applied to tuition and/or related fees.
Part-Time Employment – If you are considering taking on a part-time job while you are at school, or during the summer, you should carefully consider the employer, the task and the hours. You are better served to select a company that places college students and assesses jobs to accommodate the college student schedule. There are a number of websites you can use to find these positions.
Take a look at some of these:
http://www.collegehelpers.com/
http://www.snagajob.com/default.aspx
http://www.collegegrad.com/job/parttimejobsforcollegestudent.shtml
You can find others online or in your local community, but be sure you inform the employer, or placement agency that you are a student and tell them your needs and restrictions in terms of hours. Do not overload yourself in order to make money or you will fail at the one thing you really want to accomplish: Getting a college degree!