Are you full pay?
Work study is part of the Federal financial aid dispersed by the school and usually is delineated for low income students.
2 Likes
We will be full pay but my son wanted to do some part time work and so marked it as yes.
This is the first time I have marked that option, for my older child we did not do this so I donāt know how students qualify for this opportunity.
While filling the form the main fear was and is still there about how the job market will be by the time he really goes to school. So as a precaution, I marked it as yes to have some options in case the jobs are impacted.
There are plenty of jobs near most urban colleges that if your son doesnāt get work study heāll be able to find a job. WS is nice because it works around the studentās schedule but my daughter has had no issues with her job at Starbucks near campus giving her the time off she needs.
6 Likes
Not necessarily low incomeā¦but the students do need to have some financial need at their college. You can have financial need at a college that costs $80,000 a year without being low income.
2 Likes
I donāt have need so no work study but for those on there, correct me if Iām wrong - income wise (raw $), youāll do better private sector than through work study.
1 Like
Work-study is usually federally funded and based on need as well. However, there are jobs on and near campuses, even if he does not qualify for work study. The financial package including work study should be a be available.
2 Likes
My daughter is in Laramie WY where minimum wage is only $7.25 (federal). I donāt think there are any jobs that pay that low, but Iāve seen some posted at about $12. D works at Starbucks and makes a lot more than that so yes, working āprivateā is better in her case.
There are a lot of WS jobs that are very easy and usually they are convenient to classes and where you live. A few tax benefits too, but not $4 or $5 an hour in benefits.
1 Like
You have to weigh the effort versus the possible reward. He can spend 50-100 hours searching for scholarships, writing essays, interviewing (in some cases), following up, etc., etc. and then end up with $500 or $1000. Of course itās nice to have $500-$1000, but weigh it against the effort. He might do better getting an after-school job and/or a great summer job and using that money for all his pocket money and books/supplies. At least heād be getting a guaranteed wage for every hour he worked!
In addition, you can have him take out the maximum federal loan for him to repay after graduation. The max amount is $27,000 for the four years. If heās going to CalTech, he will easily be able to pay that back. That will save YOU some money.
Overall, with your son paying for his own daily expenses and books, as well as taking the federal loans, that could end up saving mom and dad somewhere around $40k over four years.
5 Likes
Yes the effort it takes to find and apply is labor intensive process. Yes I am also thinking if he does a part time job it is better for him as he will learn a skill and will get some small amount instead of spending time on scholarship.
Thanks for all the suggestions.
1 Like
Your kid sounds amazing but offering a reality check.
Your son will be attending one of the most rigorous academic schools in the country (Caltech) and training, traveling, reviewing tape and playing a varsity sport which will challenge him like he has never been challenged previously. You may inadvertently be setting him up for failure by further stretching his energy and time management skills with a job.
I would proceed with caution and see how he does as a scholar athlete before adding work responsibilities and ācareerā skillsā.
5 Likes
Yes I am afraid of that, so I am only thinking for him to do any job only during holidays.
He really wants to do something, we were holding him back as we wanted him to finish strong and focus on applications.
1 Like
A lot of athletes can find jobs through the athletic department that are easy to do with their academic and athletic schedules. My daughterās teammates worked the scorerās tables for other sports, set up fields, worked in the athletic office, etc. Most of it was for spending money.
Those who needed ārealā money often were referees for their sport at the high school level. One girl would go work tournaments and make $1000 for the weekend (her mother was also a ref so the mother would set everything up and sheād get a room ) while a few others would do games locally. Good money for about 2 hours in the evening. Usually only did it in the off season (so in the fall for their spring sport).
My nephews who are in hs make a lot being refs/umpires for baseball, hockey and soccer. They can make $60 to $75 per game, so just over an hour. Often a good work out too.