Can we talk Work Study versus a 'regular' job?

[MagistraKennedy]

I'd love to chat with you knowledgeable folks about work study. 

We've applied to a handful of schools, been accepted, and have already been awarded automatic merit from most. (These numbers were no surprises, as I'd already researched them on the website.) 

I'm mulling over my financial outlook spreadsheet, and I'm wondering about work study versus a 'regular job'. 

I'm no stranger to work study , as I worked in the nursing lab my freshman year, then as an RA the following year at my college. I didn't have a car, so there's no way I could have worked outside of campus, anyway. 

Looking ahead to next fall, I'd love to know more about work study. 

Things I know already: You have to qualify financially 

Things I don't know: everything else 

A quick Google search tells me that the max is 7800 per academic year, and according to our state flagship, hourly pay is between 12-15$ per hour min and up to 20/hr max.  If my math is correct, that's working 20 hours a week at the $12 mark. 

Is this what we should estimate? Working at 20/hrs? 

Is the qualification the same as for Pell Grant eligibility? 

Are there cons to work study? Is finding a job outside of work study better? 

I'd love to hear your experiences with students who've held work study jobs, or held 'regular jobs' (non work study) Pros, cons, pitfalls, etc. My daughter has been working for years, so balancing work and school isn't new for her. The work study piece is the part that's unfamiliar. 


 

[teachermom2834]

My kids have always worked but never work study. I think one of them qualified for it once or twice but I don’t think any of the jobs they ever had were work study jobs. I guess I would accept work study on the financial aid award and then just find the best job fit I could. Having work study would open up some jobs that wouldn’t be available without it. 
 

My current college student is on a full ride so he doesn’t qualify for work study but he has had several campus jobs. He is an RA but also works as an ambassador in the College of Business giving tours and working special events. He also has worked for the executive MBA program. That job pays him to mostly sit and study. The students come in to take class over weekends.  He shows up in the morning and makes sure the students have coffee and pens and supplies, etc. Then he just sits at the desk until he helps coordinate lunch. Then he cleans up and sits for a few more hours. So that is not a work study job but a campus job that pays well for him to have a lot of down time.

Another tidbit is that my ds has served on the Student Alumni Association Board. This student organization has come with a scholarship every semester. So there are some student organizations that have scholarships attached that is as good as being paid if it isn’t reducing financial aid. Not sure how to uncover all those kinds of opportunities but my ds seems to find them.

[teachermom2834]

Oh and I don’t know how to qualify but it is easier to qualify for than a Pell grant. We were never close to Pell Grant numbers but work study sometimes was an option. 
 

I also know that just because you have been granted it doesn’t mean you will find a job to actually give you that many hours that fit your schedule. So I don’t think you can necessarily count on seeing the number on the award sheet in earnings. So sometimes you are better finding a non-work study job if it fits your schedule better or pays better or has better hours.

[kokotg]

 Mine have both done work study jobs. Both of mine have been pell-eligible, so I don't know how the limits are different. My oldest worked at the college library all 4 years, and made like $15/hour by the end because Minnesota's minimum wage kept going up. He worked around 8-10 hours/week, which was all he could work without hitting the maximum. It was a good experience; he enjoyed the job, and it was flexible and they understood that classes took priority. He could pretty much set his own hours at the beginning of every semester, though they did have to be within a 9-5ish time frame because it wasn't front desk stuff but cataloging and that sort of thing. Next kid is ALSO working at the library, although this time it's the music library. He wouldn't have been able to get the job if it weren't through work-study; they only hire work-study students. He only gets something like $9/hour because it's in Tennessee...but he likes it, it's easy to fit in to his schedule (and it's in the music building where he already spends all his time), and I think it's good to have experience in a wide range of music-related stuff since making a living solely as a performer is pretty unlikely. He does that and then is also the assistant manager of the wind symphony--that one's not through work-study and pays a bit better (but was harder to get, as there's only one and they interviewed a number of people).

[Frances]

My son did non work study jobs, either research or being a TA in his major and a very lucrative outside job (very part time during the school year and part-time during the summers when he did research during the week) that could have paid for his college had he not had a full tuition scholarship. He didn’t qualify for financial aid anywhere, but was offered work study at one of the elite LACS, but not at the university he actually attended. There was no way he could have worked 20 hours per week during the school year with his very demanding class schedule. But he worked 6-7 days per week during the summer by choice and also worked quite a bit during the holiday break.

We are currently helping out a local college student and she works 20 hours per week in the dining hall which I personally feel is way too much given her demanding major. She’s made very few friends and is only involved in one activity, but she gets credit for it, so it’s almost more like a class. I feel like it’s really negatively impacting her college experience at a small LAC. And for the most part, she doesn’t need the money to attend.

One thing that seems new since I went to college is some of the work study jobs being out in the community, this came up at more than one of our campus tours. For her work study, my niece tutored at a local private high school for all four years. She could walk to it so didn’t need a car. She also did other non work study jobs like being an RA, student academic advisor, etc.

[Lori D.]

Here's the Federal Financial Aid webpage on Work Study,

Here's a College Investor article: "What is Work Study and How Much Does it Pay for College?", updated this past June, with how it works, plus a few pros and cons.

The FAFSA Simplification Act is overhauling the system for the 2024–25 award year, with the goal of increasing amount of $$ going to more students in Pell Grants for sure, but also presumably Work Study. So who will be eligible and for how much will be awarded is yet to be seen. However, in case it helps, here are some pros and cons from how Work Study worked PRIOR to these upcoming changes:

HOW IT WORKS
• fill out the FAFSA, as the amount a student is awarded is based on financial need as determined by FAFSA
• based on financial need, you are awarded an amount of money that you work a job to earn
• average award is approx. $1800-$1900 per year; maximum award is $4,000 per year for undergrads
• once you are notified of your Work Study amount, search for work-study employers (some are on campus, some are off campus), and apply/interview as with a regular job
• you then work a regular amount of hours per week, receiving your award as wages for the job -- wages run $7.25-$15/hour depending on the job
• the $$ is distributed through the college as you earn it
• the $$ is for the full year and is awarded by half -- half in each of the 2 semesters of the award year 
• when the award amount for that semester has been paid out for the hours worked, the job ends
• approximately 20% of students receive a Work Study award

PROS
• Work Study is not a loan, so not repaid (it is money earned and kept by the student
• the money may be used on whatever the student chooses (not limited to paying for tuition or "qualified educational expenses")
• a Work Study job can lead to regular work or an internship with the employer
• some jobs are on campus, which reduces commuting time/expense
• usually scheduled for a light amount of hours per week, allowing for other job/income opportunities

CONS
• awards can be small -- sometimes as low as $350-$550 for the year
• makes up only 1-2% of the total funding sources for college
• once the aid award amount is earned, the job is over
• work-study program income is viewed as a taxable scholarship which must be reported as income on the 1040 tax form
• it can be hard to find a work-study job; some students who are awarded a Work Study amount can't find a Work Study employer, or are not hired by an employer, or may be hired late in the semester and not have the opportunity to earn their full award amount
• the Work Study award may be too small to be worth the time/effort of finding a Work Study job, or it may interfere with a better job (higher pay, more hours, more opportunities, etc.)

Edited December 17, 2023 by Lori D.

[MagistraKennedy]

15 hours ago, Frances said:

 There was no way he could have worked 20 hours per week during the school year with his very demanding class schedule. But he worked 6-7 days per week during the summer by choice and also worked quite a bit during the holiday break.

 

This is my concern as well ---- I don't want her getting in over her head. 

I know she'll be able to work quite a bit over the summer, prior to leaving for school, but I also want her to enjoy herself, and spend time with us. 

Edited December 17, 2023 by MagistraKennedy

[MagistraKennedy]

@Lori D. You are a gem. 💎 I should just search your posts for ANY QUESTIONS. (I promise --- I searched prior to asking but the WTM search is challenging. Even a google search pointed me to OLD posts)

This was incredibly helpful. Obviously, WS has changed in the 30 years since I've been in college. At that time, I was simply assigned to a job. I do not recall applying, and I didn't get a check -- it went straight to tuition. 

A follow-up question --- When we see a financial aid award letter from a college that contains work-study, does the college guarantee that amount? Meaning --- if a student is awarded $1800, does the college guarantee that $900 amount of work will be around on campus somewhere? If that student isn't able to find employment, or can't make it work with their schedule, what happens? Does that unpaid amount get tacked onto the amount that needs to be paid by the student/family. 

Edited December 17, 2023 by MagistraKennedy

[Lori D.]

18 hours ago, MagistraKennedy said:

... When we see a financial aid award letter from a college that contains work-study, does the college guarantee that amount? Meaning --- if a student is awarded $1800, does the college guarantee that $900 amount of work will be around on campus somewhere? ...

No personal experience with Work Study, BUT... my understanding is that the college distributes the Work Study amount for the Federal Gov't. It is not the college's responsibility to guarantee enough Work Study jobs on campus for fulfilling all student Work Study awards. It is the student's responsibility to find an eligible job, which may be on- or off-campus.

18 hours ago, MagistraKennedy said:

...  If that student isn't able to find employment, or can't make it work with their schedule, what happens? 

The student does not receive the Work Study award for that semester.

18 hours ago, MagistraKennedy said:

...Does that unpaid amount get tacked onto the amount that needs to be paid by the student/family. 

No. Alas.

The Federal Gov't is not required to pay out Federal Aid (Pell Grants, Work Study) if a student doesn't fulfill their end of the bargain -- in the case of Work Study, it is the student's responsibility to find an eligible job that will schedule enough hours to pay out the full amount for the semester. If the student can only get scheduled a few hours, then the student only gets the portion of the Work Study that they earned by working the job. If the student was unable to find any eligible job for the semester, the money is not distributed to the student.

Also: just a clarification on the last 2 words of your post -- all Federal Aid monies go to the STUDENT. Nothing goes to the family. [ETA: Oops! I see what you meant there -- costs PAID by student/family is what you were saying; not fed. aid RECEIVED]

Work Study must first be earned by the student, and it is distributed by the college like a pay check.

In the case of Pell Grants, typically, the college puts the Pell Grant award in the student's account balance to automatically cover tuition, fees, and room and board. If there are additional funds left over, the student is issued a credit, which the student is free to use on whatever they want -- most students use it on school-related expenses such as books, supplies, and transportation.

NOTE: any portion of a Pell Grant that is NOT spent on qualified educational expenses (tuition and fees, plus books, supplies and equipment required for a course) MUST be included on the 1040 tax form as income. Even if the Pell Grant was used for things such as: room & board; insurance; medical expenses including student health fees, transportation, or personal / living / family expenses. <-- None of those are qualified educational expenses.

ETA NOTE: For 2023 taxes, the point at which a student needs to file a 1040 tax form is when income (plus any financial aid not used on qualified educational expenses) is $12,950 or more.

A friend's daughter received a full-tuition & fees scholarship to the local university due to financial need + high grades. Because the family is so low income, daughter received the full amount of the Pell Grant. Because all of her tuition & fees were covered by the scholarship, she has been able to use the full amount of the Pell Grant to pay for books, supplies, and parking fee & gas for driving to and from the university, plus the occasional meal on campus. However, other than the amount of her Pell Grant used on required books and supplies -- she has to declare the rest of the Pell Grant as income.

However, usually most/all of the Pell Grant is automatically applied toward the tuition & fees, and there is no "overage".

Edited December 18, 2023 by Lori D.

[Eos]

My olders all had Pell grants and were offered work study but we encouraged them to not do the work study but rather focus on their school work and work hard in the summer.  This was an easy choice for them as we live in a place where summer jobs for young people are very well paid.  I'm sure that some kids could do just fine with work study hours and it would have been helpful for social time too.  Dh and I were nervous about them going straight from homeschool to college and whether they could keep up with the work, lol.  Musician dd did have some private students through the conservatory and was paid at a much higher rate than work study plus it's in her field so she took those.  In his senior year one ds took a paid job through the office of academic success which was also paid better and in his overall field.

[kirstenhill]

Back in the dark ages when I was a student, I took a work study job (applied for during orientation early in the summer) thinking it was going to be my best bet (because it was included in my financial aid offer), only to discover that I could have waited until I got to campus and had a much higher paying job elsewhere on campus.  My job was as an office assistant in an academic department, but a variety of other jobs offered a similar number of hours for higher pay.   My DD was not offered work study, but got a well-paying job in food service, and was quickly promoted to being a student supervisor because she had good work ethic and previous experience working in a food related job in high school.

Edited December 19, 2023 by kirstenhill
clarification

[ScoutTN]

Dd is a freshman and will begin a job in her department next semester. No sure how the hours will be, but the pay is better than work study by several dollars/hr. 

[MamaSprout]

I hire work study students. Our max is around 10 hours per week. Our students make minimum wage, but my students have a true “work-study”. They can study during their shifts.

[elegantlion]

At my undergraduate alma mater, all undergrad student positions are filled by work-study. They were generally 8 to 10 hours a week - not sure about those in resident halls. I worked in our tutoring center leading small group sessions. It was great because the experience helped me get a position as TA in grad school (limited in my department). I also had family concerns that kept me from working more hours. 

Pros:

• Experience doing something that fit my future goals
• time for me to study if people didn't show for tutoring
• I was able to renew my job each year

Cons: 

• My position did not offer summer hours - I did get a job as a admin assistant for one summer
• minimum wage 

 

[Melissa B]

I utilized work study when I was in college, but have advised my own children to decline the option. In Florida it generally does not pay as well as outside jobs. Most work study here pays $12 an hour. I have two still in college, one makes $18-$19 an hour working one shift per week on Saturdays (usually a 12 hour, though she occasionally turns that into an 18 or 24 hour shift if it fits in her schedule) and the other makes $15 an hour as a lifeguard. Lifeguard positions here are very flexible in their scheduling allowing college students to update their availability each term and utilizing an online platform to allow continuous trading and pick-up/drop of shifts. He is usually scheduled for about 20 hours per week. Some weeks he gives up all of his shifts and some weeks works up to 40 hours. He appreciates the flexibility.

Both of their jobs do allow students to study, as am EMT when not on a call and as a lifeguard during their off-time which is usually about 20 minutes each hour, though neither of my kids find the atmosphere condusive to study and generally read or chat with others during down times.

[happypamama]

Many years ago, I had a work-study grant. A lot of the choicest jobs on campus -- the kind where you sat at a desk and answered questions occasionally but were free to study otherwise -- were work-study only. For me, it meant that I got to work in the on campus daycare and get paid for it, and they were flexible and arranged my hours around my classes each semester. And that job directly netted me experience and recommendations for a full-time nanny position after graduation. So perhaps you can talk to prospective colleges about what sorts of things are available. 

[MagistraKennedy]

On 1/11/2024 at 10:43 AM, happypamama said:

Many years ago, I had a work-study grant. A lot of the choicest jobs on campus -- the kind where you sat at a desk and answered questions occasionally but were free to study otherwise -- were work-study only. For me, it meant that I got to work in the on campus daycare and get paid for it, and they were flexible and arranged my hours around my classes each semester. And that job directly netted me experience and recommendations for a full-time nanny position after graduation. So perhaps you can talk to prospective colleges about what sorts of things are available. 

I'm glad you chimed in with this advice --- I'm actually able to view the student employment opportunities (including rate of pay) for our state flagship. They are clearly marked on campus, off campus, FWS, etc.  One is even a Foal Watch assistant. ❤️ That sounds ADORABLE, but no way I want my daughter signing up for a night shift job. 🤣