<p>My daughter will be a sophomore next school year. She called me last week because she received her financial aid offer and she was not offered work study. I was surprised because our EFC was much less since we will have 4 in college next year, and she qualified for work study this year. I called the financial aid office and they put her on a waiting list, saying it must have been because more kids qualified. It's been on my mind consistently since then because I really thought she would have qualified. I was doing some Internet searching and read that you have to check the box on your FAFSA requesting work study. I went back and reviewed hers and I missed that box, it was left blank. I corrected it now, is there any way she could still be considered for work study? I know the financial aid deadline was March 1. I emailed the financial aid office but I was wondering what anyone esle knew about this type of mistake. She has taken full advantage of her work study offer this year and was even made manager of the event staff, so hopefully that might help a little.
She is going to be a RA next year so she really won't be able to get an outside job while taking 16 credits, but she relies on the work study money to pay for her car insurance and fuel. I feel so bad for messing it up!</p>
<p>Work Study is campus based aid meaning a school is given very limited funds. Once a school has awarded their WS funds they cannot get any more. The school has put her on a waiting list, so all you can do is hope someone else turns their WS down and she is high enough up the list to get it. It might be worth her asking her current employer and see if there is anything they can do, or if they would take her on as a non WS employee.</p>
<p>FWIW My daughter missed out on WS last year as well. We filed really early, but her FAFSA was selected for verification and by the time we sent in her verification documents her school had awarded all their WS funds. They said she qualified and would have got it if they still had funds, but they had fully awarded all they had and there was nothing they could do. We hoped maybe some would become available, but never did receive any WS award unfortunately.</p>
<p>She is going to be a RA next year so she really won’t be able to get an outside job while taking 16 credits, but she relies on the work study money to pay for her car insurance and fuel. I feel so bad for messing it up!</p>
<p>Can you clarify?</p>
<p>if she wouldn’t have time for an outside job, how would she have time for work-study? They both take time. And an outside job could be for the same amount of time.</p>
<p>BTW…16 credits isn’t some huge load. It’s a standard load…and many kids work while taking that many credits.</p>
<p>But, if she can’t get an outside job for some reason and she doesn’t get work study, can she work a lot over the summer and earn some money?</p>
<p>Even if she does not get work-study, she can still work on campus. There are other jobs on campus that are not subsidized.</p>
<p>As an RA they are required to be “on call” sometimes and work the front desk certain days/hours a week. I’m sure it is possible to get an off campus job while being an RA, but it would take a very understanding boss to let an employee not work when the RA job required a students time. Work Study jobs are perfect because they let kids schedule around their school schedule and work as much as they can, without holding it against them if they can’t. I know 16 credits isn’t a huge load but between that an being an RA it is a rather large load. She is taking 18 credits now and doing Work Study, along with volunteering at the Special Olympics and starting a Relay for Life event at her school. </p>
<p>Not that any of that matters, I just wanted to come on here to follow up. I heard back from her school. She is on a waiting list because they already offered all the Work Study aid they have but it wouldn’t have mattered anyway because RA compensation is considered a scholarship and is included when aid is granted so she probably wouldn’t qualify for Work Study too. We will help her however we can with her car, plus there is something called Work Assist that is like Work Study but not need based, but it is an on campus job so they are more understanding of school commitments when scheduling working hours.</p>