<p>I work two jobs during the school year - a grading/TA work-study job in my academic department and editing copy for a sports news Web site. Then I put the uniform and badge on and go full-time with the Forest Service in the summer.</p>
<p>As long as you manage your time and don’t let your work get out of hand, you will be fine working while you study. The vast majority of students do it.</p>
<p>But it is something to take note, that freshman should not take on too much. My kids did get hit with some unexpected things during terms when they had to let up on the job. My current freshman is having trouble with one of his courses, and the time he needs to spend on it is exceeding what he had anticipated. ALso another course, which he very much enjoys, is time consuming in research and writing. Some of the hours that the university has help available conflict directly with his job. Another kid had some injuries and health issues that took away time from his job. These things do happen so depending on job income is a risky thing. I don’t like my kid’s working freshman year, and insisted they have back up plans for that money. Good thing we did because, DS needs money for some opportunities that arose, and he can’t work as much as he had planned this term. Plus his college is having some bomb threat issues that are closing down facilities that include where he would have been working. JObs can disappear too, you know.</p>
<p>Cptofthehouse, </p>
<p>Was it always that work-study was non-taxable? I had workstudy and I remember paying taxes (including payroll). But it was almost 20 years ago.</p>
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<p>I’ll stop when he stops ;)</p>
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<p>What does this have to do with the middle class?</p>
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You want more $$ for the middle class students. That has to come from somewhere. Where do you propose they get it?</p>
<p>*
I don’t see how it’s possible for someone to work that many hours a week, attend class, do homework, study, and yet still have time to make countless posts on college confidential.*</p>
<p>Isn’t that why we have smart phones? The internets-she is all around!;)</p>
<p>Diana, one I’m a she. Two, I post from my phone in between class, on the bus, I post from class because I’m really bad at paying attention, I post from work because I have a lot of downtime at two of my jobs. I have great time management skills because I’ve worked for quite a few years.</p>
<p>I don’t really care if you believe me. I don’t wish this working amount on anyone. But you need to STOP judging other people and comparing your life to others and start looking for solutions to YOUR problems.</p>
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<p>Agreed with xaniamom. Also, you say “Sucks to be middle class” and I’m putting such stupid remarks in context. I’m also trying to get you to understand why railing against the lower classes, out of your own frustration, makes no sense. I can see your frustration, but all I end up hearing is whining about having a privileged upbringing, relative to the large portion of this country who have comparatively little to be thankful for. (And yes, the middle class is privileged relative to the lower class.)</p>
<p>By the way, I hadn’t seen any personal attack from romani for a few pages (I checked to make sure when telling you to stop the sniping, so your last comment was, again, a drive-by).</p>
<p>*City Quote:
@mom2collegekids yes I still expect my parents to pay some off. But I’m just trying to find other means to decrease it. Since I dont want my parents in 5k debt just because of me… </p>
<h2>especially with the big interest of 6.8%. So I’m applying to a lot of scholarships… and it’s not always easy… since its mostly rejections. But still I want to try.</h2>
<p>Diane Quote: You can’t take that 5k out in loans? Most people would kill to only have to take out that much a year.
*</p>
<p>Diane…I think City is borrowing about $10k per year …$5500 are hers, and $5k is Plus. She doesn’t want her parents to end up paying $20k in Plus. City will likely have full staffords ($27k) by the time she graduates. There will also be about $20k in Plus.</p>
<p>Since City wants to minimize her parents’ obligation, she should try to minimize as much borrowing as she can…particularly the Plus loans. If she worked, worked, worked, this summer and economized with some of the “pad of COA”, she might not need the Plus loan at all this year. Additionally, she needs to work at least 8hr/wk during the school year. </p>
<p>It would be a very bad idea for her to end up with $50k in debt. </p>
<p>City…the economy in many areas in Calif is coming back so don’t just assume that you can’t find a job. Put apps in everywhere NOW. And, keep checking back. Employers want to know who is truly interested. Look around to see if there’s a new business that will soon be opening. Put an app in there ASAP. </p>
<p>Or make your own job…people with kids home for the summer, often like to hire someone like you to watch their kids while they’re working. The kids may be “too old” for daycare, but “too young” to be left on their own. Put the word out to families with middle-schoolers.</p>
<p>To add on to M2CK, pet sitting and house sitting are a great way to earn some money.</p>
<p>Just one more tip: if you have a marketable skill, like an instrument, you can make a lot more than minimum wage. I have been teaching piano lessons since I was 14 and make much more than I do at my minimum wage jobs.</p>
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You do pay federal and state taxes on work study but the rate is much lower than a regular job, at least the federal portion. No FICA or social security taxes are taken out. I believe the percentage of state taxes varies by state as my son had hardly any state taxes and my daughter had quite a bit.</p>
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That is not far off from what we will have from my D’s instate. She will have around $30K and we will have $12K in PLUS with around a $4K EFC.:o That’s with her earning about $5K with work study and summer jobs.</p>
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<p>OK,</p>
<p>can somebody explain how you can pay lower taxes on a work-study job? On which line did you children report the wages for a work-study job on 1040? On line 7? Then the only way you end up paying lower taxes is if only unsubsidized portion of wages is reported on W2. Otherwise, the IRS is going to treat the entire wage as normal wage and then it does not matter what was withdrawn on the paycheck.</p>
<p>I thought it was always non taxable. Though I was a heavy duty financial need student, I never got work study, and never wanted it. I found a job at the cafeteria at college that fit my schedule and also allowed me to take a minimal meal plan since I could get fed there when I worked. I could get hours as I needed them. In subsequent years, the university opened another food venue and Ratskellar, where I got employment and supervisory status and got paid a lot more than workstudy would have given me. </p>
<p>Anyone contemplating this should look up the specifics as they are now.</p>
<p>Cptofthehouse,</p>
<p>remember a certain amount of wages every year is non-taxable and is equal to at least personal deduction. Then there are other refundable and non-refundable credits. Anyone can choose not to withdraw income taxes from their paychecks (in anticipation that no tax will be owed at the end of the year) - you make that choice on W4 form. So, depending on how much is earned during the year, a student might very well not be responsible for any taxes.</p>
<p>I just don’t understand the claim that it is lower than regular job tax rate (unless only unsubsidized portion is reported on W2).</p>
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The wages are reported on Line 1 like any other job. I can see your point that even though they are deducting less on the paycheck you could still pay more but with the personal exemption so high (between $5-$6K for my two kids) they would have to earn quite a bit of money for any of it to be taxable and it only means they are getting less of a refund since so little was taken out.</p>
<p>I just looked it up which is what I should have done before going out on this limb which was a false one. Work Study wages are taxable just like any other wages. They are just not included in you FAFSA income for the next years financial aid determination</p>
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Maybe it just seemed low as I have never made so little. My son earned about $1900 last year and had about $136 taken out in federal taxes and only $7 in state taxes. It’s hard to calculate my D’s as her entire wages are listed on the W2 but less than half of that was WS. Her employer allowed her to work more than her award and they just paid her entire wage once she hit her maximum. She earned $4900 ($1800 WS) and had $417 taken out in federal, $134 soc sec (on the $3100), and $214 taken out in state taxes.</p>