<p>So I got accepted to Bowdoin Class of 2017, with $51,400 financial aid. That leaves nearly 4700 for my family to pay.</p>
<p>I come from a low income family, so I do not want this to be a burden for them.</p>
<p>Is it possible to earn at least 2-3k per year with campus jobs?</p>
<p>Definitely! You are actually expected to earn about $2300 over the summer. And the majority of the campus is employed by the college. It’s very easy to earn at least $2000 a year with an on campus job.</p>
<p>You have to work a lot to earn 2-3k during the school year. The college caps work at 20 hours/week (which is a reasonable cap IMHO). However, at least for me, there are a fair number of expenses which need to be included when calculating how much will actually go to paying for Bowdoin.</p>
<p>In calculating aid for the 2013-2014 school year, Bowdoin expects students to contribute $4,200 toward the cost of attendance, with more coming from summer earnings ($2,300 I believe) than from on-campus employment ($1,900). The more you can earn during the summer, or on school breaks, the better, so you can concentrate on your schoolwork. I think the school considers 8-10 hours a week to be about the right amount of time for on-campus employment. This is about three shifts of work in the dining halls, where most of the jobs are, especially for first years. S has been doing this and playing one varsity sport without a problem. He ends up making about $70-$80/week and is paid biweekly.</p>
<p>My S also has an on campus job. We have a monthly payment plan so we don’t have to pay it all up front. If you have any outside scholarships, they will reduce your cost - not all schools do that. Also, while Bowdoin awards grants, you have the option of taking out an unsubsidized stafford loan to help cover your amount.</p>