Did you ever think about getting a job on campus? Did you know that these jobs can help you pay for college? There are so many options out there. You must have seen many students working at the library, the on-campus coffee shop, or the bookstore even. Do you know how they do it? Do you know why they do it? They’re doing it through the Federal Work-Study Program.
So what is it? How do you get into it? How do you apply? And most importantly what happens once you qualify? Understanding how the federal work-study grant works, the application process, how and where to get a job, and how you will be getting paid can be a little confusing.
What Is A Federal Work-Study Program?
It’s a way to help students pay for college is the answer to this question in short.
A longer answer? Well, this program is funded by the government which offers a grant of money which is determined by many different factors. A student can access this money by spending time working part-time either on-campus or for a partnered employer off-campus.
Getting qualified for this federal work-permit grant is not as easy as it seems.
How Can You Qualify For The Federal Work Study Program?
This program is one of the easiest financial aid programs out there for a student to apply for. You need not write an essay, get perfect grades in school or college, or do much apart from filling out your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) application.
What Is The Federal Work Study Eligibility?
There is just one requirement. You must be a U.S. Citizen/U.S. National, or a holder of a permanent resident card or even an I-94 card from the USCIS (U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services).
The greatest factor in qualifying for this program is to just fill out your FAFSA as early as possible according to the Federal Student Aid website. This is because every year the U.S Government gives out a specific amount of money that is limited to each participating college or school. The early bird gets the worm in this scenario to be very honest.
…I Qualified For The Federal Work Study Grant. Now, What Is Next?
You must be given a certain amount of money also known as the federal work-study grant. Let’s say it’s $4000. This amount will not be available to you. Instead, you must think of it more like a job than anything else. Now all you have to do is find a job or a position to start earning that money.
Your next step is to reach out to your financial aid office at your school or office and ask them or enquire about the available Work-Study positions. Next, you go ahead and apply for the interview for these openings and it’s just like any other job recruitment process.
Keep in mind that you are responsible for acquiring that job position and earning that amount of money to pay up for your college or school.
What Are The Kind Of Job Openings?
You’ll have different options depending on your school or college.
1. On-Campus Jobs
This is the most common type of position or opening available to students. To be honest these are the best ones out there because you will not have to spend your time, effort and money to travel. Instead, these are super convenient and extremely flexible part-time opportunities for students studying in college away from home.
Opportunities include teaching assistant work, administrative positions, librarian, positions at the printing office, the on-campus coffee shop.
2. Community Service
About 7% of these positions are required by the government in order to give back to the community and the people. These federal work-study opportunities come in the form of working as a tutor for small kids studying in kindergarten may be, working with English As a Second Language class in the area, you can even get a chance to work as a mathematics tutor for kids in high school.
3. Off-Campus Federal Work Study Opportunities
There are a lot of Federal Work Study partnered employment opportunities out there off-campus for students who wish to work in the area. These jobs are pretty great if you get hold of one but, these need to be relevant to the program you are enrolled in or the course you are studying. Working for these employers can be a real-time working experience and you as a student can gain a lot of knowledge about future opportunities in store for you.
How Will You Get Paid?
Once you get the offer letter and get the job. The school/college pays you every month. Depends on how you wish to get paid. In the sense, you will be given a paycheck every month or a direct deposit is also possible. Some schools will pay your tuition directly if you ask them to. Some schools or colleges also have the option to pay you in cash if you prefer.
Also, one more thing is that the amount you get paid is all dependent upon the job. The government by law will have to pay you at least the minimum federal wage. Also, if you are a graduate student you get paid a salary but if you are an undergraduate student you get paid the minimum federal wage.
Sounds good, doesn’t it? Well, what are you waiting for? Go for it if you are a student who is eligible for the Federal Work Study Program.
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