Yes, you do get a tax benefit from WS that you don’t get with a non-WS job. Don’t forget that you can work in the summer, too. And if your school has a long winter break, there might be opportunities there, too.
Once you accept admission someplace, a lot of times they give you a portal id. And in the school portal, sometimes there is a job board for campus jobs. You should explore that once you have access and figure out the process to apply. If you need a resume, get one ready. Etc. So when the time comes when you can apply, you are prepared. You might end up with a better job than some of your fellow freshman if you pay attention to this.
I was thinking of doing a medical program at a vocational center that is with my school so that I can become a medical assistant, but I think I’m going to have to forgo that and get a summer job to save up money for the first semester of college. I never had a job since I was so focused on my school work and EC.
It doesn’t matter if it’s work study or not for FICA as long as it’s employment with the school. My son didn’t qualify for work study but worked at the dorm desk, tutored and was an undergrad TA, paid from non-work study university funds, and no SS or medicare were taken out.
http://www.irs.gov/Charities-&-Non-Profits/Student-Exception-to-FICA-Tax
@intparent I was actually doing that a few hours ago! They let me in even though I haven’t accepted since I have a school ID. There are few of them since it’s halfway through the semester, but I saw that most needed a resume and such so that was interesting to know. Thank you so much for the advice!
Honestly, thanks to all of you. This was so informative.
The school will NOT bill you for personal expenses. Those are your bills. Not the school’s. You need to pay them yourself, just like you always have. Colleges don’t pay your clothing bills or your cell bill. If your parents are paying those now, see if they will continue to do so.
You can use WS earnings to pay for anything you choose.
Work study jobs are the better choice. The earnings from them are not included in your fafsa calculations next year. Plus these jobs tend to be more flexible
@thumper1 so in the financial aid package will that cost be included, or do they only include the room, board, tuition, etc? Because the net cost calculator included the personal costs (and travel) so that’s why I was confused with the whole work-study thing. Since I just need the FA to cover the books, room, board, and tuition do I calculate only those costs and see how much of that is being covered by FA?
If I get a meal plan is that an additional cost, or is that included somewhere in the COA? Or is it only in the COA if the school requires a meal plan?
"When a school “bills you” they only include the “direct school” bills such as tuition, room and board, and fees? The person expenses (cell phones, laundry, and travel) are not included?
I’m a first time college student so I have nobody that can explain to me how college expenses/billing/paying for it works. "
Your cell phone bill is between you and your personal cell phone carrier. The school has nothing to do with it.
The travel is between you and your carrier (eg American Airlines).
You’ll be billed for tuition, dorm room, board (the meal plan), and fees.
You have to come up with money for transportation, books, spending money, and personal expenses.
If you list the COA for your school and your aid package we can break it down for you.
Colleges’ financial aid packages are very confusing, because they do typically show an amount for personal expenses as part of the cost of attendance. I’m not surprised that the OP is finding it hard to understand.
@BrownParent that would be amazing! But I haven’t gotten the actual aid package yet–I was just using the net cost calculator from the school’s financial aid website. I will probably put it up when I do get it! It would be so helpful!
There is an amount for personal expenses in the cost of attendance. But this does not mean the college pays these bills.
This is all speculation right now. The op has not received a financial aid package yet.
What is the college or do you have the COA breakdown?
Right @thumper1 is right, the personal expenses are just estimated what a student needs to get by so you can figue out in advance how much you might need to get by. Also transportation expense can be more or less depending on how far you have to travel. COA is expecting a frugal budget–it doesn’t necessarily cover cell phones and clothes and eating out.
Your fixed costs will be tuition, fees, and a standard dorm room and meal plan. Any aid will first be applied against that. If you are short, you have to come up with it. If there is excess, then it is put into a student account for your use. You will then need to buy books at the beginning of the semester. If you get a job, either a work study job or regular p/t job you will use that toward expenses and you will likely get paid every 2 weeks, whatever the employer’s schedule is. For full time student it isn’t recommended to work more than 12 to 15 hours a week.
@BrownParent The college is University of Florida.
I was just so confused with the personal expenses being part of the COA if they’re giving you FA based off that amount, so I thought the Work-Study had to be used towards tuition, room and board, and such.
Liz - COA is the best guess the school has for your “all in” cost of going there. Some numbers are more fluid than others, but they use this to let you know how much you can expect to pay. Need based aid is based on FAFSA and/or CSS and most schools are NOT going to cover all your expenses no matter what the COA. The COA is given for your benefit and most schools follow similar formats so you can compare apples to apples. In your FA offer, the school uses info you provide to give you institutional aid, grants, federal aid. Merit money is usually on stats/scores/specific ability.
The other numbers, such as EFC and loans, are how they anticipate you can come up with the money needed. If you read enough threads on CC, you’ll see that many people feel they can’t contribute as much as the EFC and some aren’t willing to take out loans. Work study is one way they suggest you make money and the number they give is a guaranteed amount you have access to - as noted above you have to work the hours. If you have a full meal plan and parents cover your phone, you may not have a lot of personal expenses and can use the money you earn towards tuition, etc but that is your budget choice. Some offers also note a student contribution which is usually what you can make in a summer. Again, these are just suggestions. You might can make more on off campus job, but WS is great since it is highly flexible (they know when exam week is 
) and some of the options can put in position to know professors and school officials and the inside track on how things work.
If you have a school in mind you can look at a schedule of fees to get more precise idea of cost (usually on bursar page). For instance, tuition is going to be pretty much what it is, but be aware that premiere programs (at D’s school includes Honors college, IB, some others) sometimes have an extra fee attached, often couple of hundred a semester. Lab courses or course with extra supply needs sometimes also have an extra fee charge. Room and Board figures are usually the max you pay on campus - most expensive dorm room plus most expensive meal plan. You might save money here by staying in cheaper dorm or buying smaller meal plan. Figures for things such as personal expenses and travel are based on the schools experience but obviously are unique to you depending on things like how far you need to travel. Again, these figures are listed so you can make an informed choice about the cost of college.
And you will only be billed for 1/2 the costs the first semester. If you do work/work study your first semester, you’ll have some of that money to pay for 2nd semester if needed.
Some schools do let you pay for some of the costs of books/computer through the school book store and they are charged to your student account. This could help with the first semester start up costs if some of your scholarships will cover more than just tuition.
@scmom12 Wow! This was great. Thank you so much for all the information. I have officially understood much more about paying for college now than I did before. I am so anxious for the financial aid award letter!