Work Study

<p>Hey, I'm considering work study and I was wondering if anyone had some info. Does anyone here do work study for scholarships? I was wondering what kind of time commitment it is and , while you may have to do it to afford Duke, if you regret having to do it? Does it take up that much time interfering with work and stuff?</p>

<p>Well, you work study amount is capped every year so there'll be a set number of hours you can work depending on your wage. The number of hours will usually be more if you are federal WS since that's 75/25 than if you are Duke WS since that's 50/50. Time commitment is the same as any other campus job, generally 8-10 hrs a week. I've heard in interviews that you can work as little as 5 hrs or as much as 20 hrs depending on your schedule. It won't interfere with your work and life if you plan your time carefully. Lastly, WS is not mandatory. Think of it as the book money and travel expenses built into your estimated annual budget of 46K. You'll end up footing that bill anyway, it's just a matter of whether you want to earn it back for some pocket money (at least that's how I see it).</p>

<p>I'm pretty sure work study is capped at $900 a semester and 19.9 hours a week. That's not to say that you can't make more than that. Just whatever organization/department you work for will be paying you the entire amount if you exceed $900. There are a bunch of different work study opportunities. There will be fairs early in the semester with different options. My work study is as a chemistry lab TA. It's usually 6-10 hours a week. I enjoy it a real lot, and it accounts for basically all the money I spend at school (outside of Food/Flex Points). Sometimes with a little to spare. TA's seem like fairly popular choices for work study (or just plain work), not really for first year students though.</p>

<p>Most employers are pretty flexible, so the amount of hrs per week is very fluid. I'm sure you can exceed 20hrs if you really have too much time, probably not on a consistent basis, maybe a once-in-a-while to make up for the week before where you had 5 midterms.</p>

<p>It varies, depending on what you do. America Reads tutors get $$$ and don't have to work as many hours. Certain cushy jobs, like the library, will allow you to do your homework while on the job.</p>