<p>When a student is awarded work study as part of their financial aid package, what are their chances of actually securing employment on campus? Where do the funds for these jobs come from - the school or the federal government?</p>
<p>If it is federal work study then it comes from the government and is distributed by the school. From my own personal experience, it’s far easier to get a work-study job than a non work-study job since work-study jobs are subsidized by the work-study money. I’m sure there’s cases when it’s happened, but I personally don’t know ANYONE awarded work study (and who actually LOOKED for a job) who didn’t find a job pretty quickly. </p>
<p>I had my first work study job through America Reads/America Counts. You could see if your school participates in that program. The current work study job that I have is at a domestic violence shelter- some non-profit work qualifies as a work-study job but there’s a lot of extra paperwork and I’m not sure of the specifics of what qualifies and what doesn’t.</p>
<p>For federal work study, the government subsidizes 75% if the salary that is paid to the student. Many schools also offer their own student work study that is not federally funded and will reimburse the campus employer 50% of the salary paid to the worker.</p>
<p>Most of my kids’ friends who had work study awards did get work study jobs. BUT in some cases, you just can’t be picky. DD had friends who worked in the dining halls, and the call center (DD worked there too). Some kids only applied for departmental or desk jobs…and sometimes those are not as plentiful. If you get a work study award, are not picky, and are very persistent about applying…you WILL get a job.</p>
<p>Re post 3… does that vary by school/job? Because at my school they say it’s only 70% federal money, 30% school. I think my America Reads job was 100% subsidized by the government though because it’s a federal program.</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure the federal work study program subsidizes 75% everywhere it is offered. College-based work study varies for sure.</p>
<p>Federal WS pay is subsidized by the government, not generally paid 100% by the government. I have heard varying percentages from a low of 50% to a high of 77%. Maybe it depends on what the organization is willing to pay out of their own funding. The pay for WS jobs at my daughter’s school range from minimum wage (the lowest allowed) upward.</p>
<p>“By law, each college or university that participates in the FWS program must match the funds they are given by the government by at least 25 percent.”</p>
<p>[Behind</a> the scenes: Federal Work Study explained](<a href=“http://www.theonlinecurrent.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=464:behind-the-scenes-federal-work-study-explained&Itemid=108]Behind”>http://www.theonlinecurrent.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=464:behind-the-scenes-federal-work-study-explained&Itemid=108)</p>
<p>So, by matching at a higher percentage, colleges are able to stretch their work study funding farther and provide it to a greater number of students.</p>
<p>I think the chance of actually securing employment on campus depends on the school, and the number of jobs offered compared to the number of students applying (sorry for the doh.) </p>
<p>Maybe you should consult each school about the stats on that.</p>
<p>At my daughter’s school, work study is amply available because the grad student population is small and professors rely on undergrads for research positions. There are always food service jobs that have the perk of a free meal. And Call Center jobs (calling alums for donations) usually pay the highest and have convenient hours.</p>
<p>Off campus federal work study jobs at my son’s school are restricted to PA residents – something he could not qualify for. For the on-campus positions last year he was unable to find something that worked with his class schedule as a freshman. This year he was able to arrange his schedule with larger blocks of time free so that he had flexibility in seeking an on campus job.</p>
<p>This varies greatly by school. At one extreme, one of my children attended a top lac where every student awarded a work-study could get a job. Many students who weren’t awarded fws could still get jobs on campus. At the other extreme, another one of my children attended a big state flagship oos. Kiddo was awarded fws as a freshman but later found out that most of the jobs had been snagged months prior to the semester beginning. There weren’t even dining hall jobs.</p>
<p>There are usually 3 types of “work study”, Federal work study, employment and non-work study.</p>
<p>The Federal Work-Study Program (FWSP) is a federally funded program and was established by Congress through the Higher Education Act of 1965 to assist needy students earn money to meet educational costs. Participation in the program is determined by the student’s financial need and is awarded as part of the financial aid package. Earnings are not applied directly to the tuition bill, but are used by the student to cover costs such as books, personal items, and transportation. FWSP funds may only be used on campus with on-campus employers or with approved off-campus community service employers.</p>
<p>Employment is an alternative form of funding for student who do not qualify for work-study funds, usually for citizenship reasons. Regulation of the Employment program mirrors the FWSP in that a student must show a financial need to be eligible for such funding. Employment funds are usually not permissible for off-campus use.</p>
<p>non work study positions are for students who are not FWS or employment eligible. These types of jobs are usually available on campus through food services , bookstore, etc.</p>
<p>I agree with 2collegewego, how students get jobs vary from school to school. There are jobs that are specifically earmarked for FWS students. </p>
<p>At small colleges and schools with great resources and funding, every student who qualifies for work study, whether it is FWS or work study can get a job.</p>
<p>At large public universities where you may have many students eligible for FWS, there may not be enough jobs for every student that qualifies for FWS and this can be a challenge.</p>
<p>I understand that some parents may not want their children to work their first year on campus. However, because it is so competitive to even get a non-paid internship,for a student who does not have extensive work experience, work study can be a way to build a resume and a network, which may be important when it comes to applying for internships, doing research and getting recommendations.</p>