<p>Our kids worked about 10 hours a week during college, and full time (sometimes at more than one job to make 40 hours) during the summer. We asked them to pay for all discretionary spending themselves (eating out, shopping, trips, pizza, gifts, etc) and for books. Both worked the summer before they went to college and had money for their first term books from those earnings.</p>
<p>If this OP’s kiddo is a full pay student, he will not be receiving a federal work study award. But he might find a job on campus that is not a work study funded job. And he can look off campus as well.</p>
<p>Re: “If …, a full pay student, he will not be receiving a federal work study award.”</p>
<p>I actually did not know this even though we have had gone through the FA process well too many times!</p>
<p>I just looked up DS’s very first financial aid award letter. It indeed did not mention the federal work study:</p>
<p>"Congratulations on your early admission to the X Class of 20xx. </p>
<p>We have carefully reviewed your application for the 200x-200y aid year and
determined that your resources equal or exceed the cost of a year at X.
For that reason, you are not eligible for need-based aid from the
University. You are, according to current federal regulations, eligible
for a Federal Stafford Loan of up to $2,625. We will determine whether you
are eligible for the federal interest subsidy on this Stafford Loan when we
complete final verification of your aid application in the late spring. </p>
<p>You may wish to consider extending your family resources by using one of
the supplemental loan plans, Federal Parent Loans for Undergraduate
Students (PLUS), or one of the several other payment arrangements that are
not need-based and are described in the FINANCING YOUR X EDUCATION
brochure. </p>
<p>Many non-aid students do earn money for some of their expenses by working
on campus. With X’s minimum student wage rate of $10.50 per hour, you
could earn $3,150 by working 10 hours per week for the 30 weeks of the academic year."</p>
<p>While it is not required to have work study to get an on-campus job, the nature of work study creates incentive for on-campus jobs to favor students with work study, which subsidizes their pay.</p>