<p>Can you turn down work study, and still accept your grants and loans?</p>
<p>Good question..but I don't know the answer. Any reason that you are opposed to it ? My daughter does it ( never had a job during the school year during hs, 'cept volunteering )
It isn't bad at all...only a few hrs a week, but has been a big help.</p>
<p>I never worked in college (except for summers), and I'd like to give my kids that same freedom and privilege. S. will be pursuing a dual major and I don't want a job to pull his focus. I know many kids can balance work and studies, and I'm sure he can, too -- I don't know, maybe work study jobs are 'fun' and another way to meet new people, but ... I'd like it to be his choice.</p>
<p>You don't "turn down" work study. You just don't apply for a job and therefore don't use the hours.</p>
<p>At my daughters school you can accept and turn down individual parts of the financial aid award (it is all online). You should be able to turn down WS though, as the above poster said - if you don't apply for a job you don't earn the money. However, WS has limited funding so, if your student will definitely not use it, turning it down makes the funding available to another student. When we talked to the FA officer at my D's school he requested that she did turn it down if she did not want it as they were out of WS funds and he had students who did want it. Another alternative if your student does not already have the maximum in Subsidized Stafford loans ($3500 for a freshman) is to ask the FAO if you can convert the WS into a loan.</p>
<p>My daughters freshman year she converted 1/2 her WS into a loan and kept the balance as WS. She worked for a prof in a lab at school but still ended up only earning a portion of the WS as the research project the prof was doing was delayed so there was no work. This year she is working in a lab and looks set to earn the full award.</p>
<p>If the student will for sure not use the WS and/or wants to convert to a loan ask the FAO if this is possible.</p>
<p>I would advise NOT turning it down, however. The advice about talking to the FAO is very good, but it really depends on the situation. You say you want your son to have the same kind of "chance" in college to not work. However, Northeastern is in Boston. You buy christmas gifts at the Pru or on Newbury Street, and your groceries are from the Shaw's or Whole Food's 15 minutes walk away without a car (which sounds fine, but heavy bags-- not fun). Not to mention if he DOES get a car, how is he going to be the fees for parking? Students can't park on most streets because they are resident-only, and students aren't official "residents". </p>
<p>My parents had the exact same view. I was going into a very tough degree and was determined to get as many tough classes into each semester as I could. They decided that at least for a while, I didn't need a job and they would just help me out. But then you get here, and kids have thousands of dollars of their own money saved up. Suddenly everywhere you look, everyone has a job and is earning money. When roommates all pitch in to get something or to go to a Celtics game or take the train to Salem, you have to pay in cash-- but later, because it's a lot of money and you aren't sure if you have it, so you might have to ask your parents first. It restricts you so much on just being with everyone else, to not have money.</p>
<p>So what if all that happens, and you had given up the WS. Then your son tries to get a job on campus. He can't. Nearly all of the jobs on campus are WS only. Believe me, I was not awarded WS and I have been trying to get a job all semester. The only ones not work student are note taker jobs, or things specificially for upperclassmen students within certain majors that are nearly always full. You have to get a job off campus, which means you are competeting with Wentworth, Berklee, Northeastern, and Emmanuel students. The farther from campus you go, the more schools you are competeting with.</p>
<p>I'm sorry for this rather negative view of the job opportunities for part time jobs at Northeastern, but I felt like you should know what happens to students who can't get WS, and have trouble finding jobs off campus. Since you don't want him to work in college, I figure he also didn't work in high school, which means he has no experience to put on a job application. </p>
<p>WS positions at NEU aren't "fun" so that you can "meet new people". For the most part, they are jobs. Sometimes they are pointless rather mundane jobs, but they are jobs. And you really shouldn't take away that possibility in case he needs it later on.</p>
<p>neuchimie and others, thank you for your great perspective! how much money do college kids spend now, weekly or monthly, on entertainment, food (outside of meal plans), etc.?</p>