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April 06, 2006
UGH! Its Thursday - Class > Work > Dinner > Study > Sleep
I used that "away message" just about every Thursday last year. Working was my favorite part of Thursday, so I thought I would take a moment to talk about one of my favorite things about financial aid- the Federal Work-Study Program.
Work-Study is an opportunity for students to work with a sponsoring department on-campus (there are a few programs off-campus) while going to class and participating in all of the other aspects of campus life. You get paid twice a month- by check, payment card, or direct deposit, and the money you earn goes directly to you NOT towards your student tuition account. Some families decide that the money earned should be used for personal expenses and books for the next semester while others feel that the student should put that money towards their directly billed expenses like tuition, housing, board, etc.
I am often asked what kind of jobs are available for students on-campus. The Office of University Financial Aid also supports the Office of Student Employment so I checked with my fellow counselor and Director of Student Employment, Susan Alexander. Susan told me that while many of the jobs are office-type jobs there are also jobs in research areas, campus life areas (like the Veale Center), and educational areas (like grading and tutoring). Currently, students may work up to 20 hours a week during school (the average is between 10-15), and the minimum wage on campus is $8.75.
I spent all four of my undergrad years at Case as a work-study student in the Office of University Financial Aid. Most of that time was spent as a receptionist, but I also spent a couple of summers here helping to write the online financial aid application and helping to map our office practices. During the last two years of undergrad I worked as a grader in the mathematics department. You may have already run into students with work-study in the form of our tour guides and other Case ambassadors. So as you can see, the opportunities are wide-ranging.
In the fall we offer a work-study job fair ("Earn While You Learn") in the Thwing Center that offers departments looking to hire work-study students the opportunity to get their job descriptions out to a large audience. Some departments interview and hire on the spot, and others create a mailing list of sorts that allows them to begin the selection process. In the past, there have been raffles and even entertainment during the fair. The work-study job fair is open to only students with work-study on their financial aid awards. The Office of Student Employment also maintains a book of job postings that students are welcome to explore.
It really is a worthwhile experience. Not only did I end up getting a full-time job at the place where I worked, but I learned important new skills, made new friends, and I always had the best financial aid award (Ok, no we don't do that!).
Posted by clk13 at April 6, 2006 08:27 AM
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