For many students, employment represents a major contribution toward financing their education. There are jobs available, ranging in pay, responsibility, and time commitments. The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships is committed to ensuring that students are aware of all opportunities that may be available to assist them in reducing their total debt upon graduation.
Employment
For many students, employment earnings represent the largest contribution to their education. Steady employment is an excellent alternative to loans. Many students finance living expenses entirely from employment earnings. It is possible for students who do not receive financial aid due to ineligibility or other circumstances to successfully find employment and pay for many of their education expenses in cash.
Work study is an often misunderstood award. Work study funds are awarded to qualifying students to assist them in obtaining employment. The work study funds serve as an incentive for employers to hire students. Work study funds are used to pay a large percentage of students’ gross pay. By law work study funds do not pay 100% of students’ wages. The gross pay must come from two sources; work study funds plus the employer funds. When the accumulated gross pay earned during the term reaches the work study award limit, the work study funding stops and the employers’ funds pay 100% of any wages earned that exceed the work study award limit for the term. In effect, the work study award acts as a placeholder that tracks the gross pay that comes from the two funding sources of the employer funds and the work study funds.
Work study can be used on-campus or off-campus. When a student works on-campus, the student works for and is paid by WSU. When a student works for an off-campus employer, the student works for and is paid by an organization other than WSU.
On-campus Work Study Employment
Students who use their work study on-campus work for a WSU department. They get paid by WSU twice per month on the 10th and 25th of each month. Students may have their paycheck mailed or set up direct deposit with Payroll Services. On-campus employers please refer to the Supervisors Handbook for additional information on employing work study students.
Off-campus Work Study Employment
Students may use their work study off-campus if they work for an eligible off-campus employer. Students should not assume they can use their work study at any off-campus employer. The off-campus employer must be eligible to participate in the Off-campus Work Study Program. The purpose of the Off-campus Work Study Program is to provide work experience directly related to student’s academic or vocational pursuits (RCW 28B312.010). Positions where the duties are not directly related to the student’s academic or vocational pursuits are not eligible for participation in the Off-campus Work Study Program. Non-profit non-sectarian community service employers are always eligible to participate in the Off-campus Work Study Program. All students are encouraged to work for community service employers.
Work Study Eligibility
To be considered for Work Study a student must have:
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a valid FAFSA filed on or before the published priority filing date;
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indicated on the FAFSA he or she is interested in Work-Study;
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an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) range less than or equal to $5000;
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Note: the EFC range, priority filing date and award amounts are set by the institution per academic year based on fund availability (Undergraduate Standing), EFC - Zero (Graduate Standing);
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no problems with maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress
When students are awarded work study, they need to find employment and make the appropriate arrangements for the work study to be utilized. Students who do not wish to use their work study may request that the award be converted to a loan through the use of a Revision Request form. Students should keep in mind that once a work study award has been converted to a loan, it will not be reversed. Students should verify their loan eligibility with the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships prior to requesting it be converted to a loan.
WSU reserves the right to cancel any unused work study awards. Work study is awarded based on estimated usage and non-usage. If more students use the work study awards than predicted, the Financial Aid Office will find and cancel any unused work study awards to prevent further overspending. Students whose unused awards have been canceled will be given the opportunity to replace the award with loan.
For assistance finding employment with Washington State University, you can search for jobs through JobX. JobX is managed entirely online and students view and apply for positions online. Students can interact with the system 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and have the option to cater their job search to either on-campus or off-campus employment, along with on-campus and off-campus work study positions. If you wish to find an off-campus work study employment opportunity directly related to your major field of study, you should consult with the employer and the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships to determine if a work study relationship can be created.
Finding a job can be challenging, especially in today’s tough economic climate, but there are resources out there to help you with your job hunt. Washington State University’s most useful resource to aid students in finding a job is JobX where you can search for work-study positions as well as on and off campus jobs.
On-Campus Employment Tips
While the majority of on-campus jobs are listed on JobX, occasionally departments will choose to list available positions on their specific departmental websites. To expand your job search it can be helpful to search within each department. Below are some on-campus departments that generally employ a large number of students annually:
Don’t be afraid to get out there and ask departments if they are hiring or plan to hire in the future. Making this connection could potentially increase your chances of finding employment. In addition, if you have a work study award relay this information to the potential on-campus employer, as it may make a difference in the type of employment opportunities available to you.
Off-Campus Employment Tips
Numerous local businesses use JobX to advertise their available jobs and hire Washington State University students. Off-campus employers offer employment for students with or without work-study.
If you are new to your campus, you can reference the local Chamber of Commerce in your area for employment information where local businesses may have employment opportunities.
Another useful resource that can aid in your search for an off-campus job is Worksource, Washington's official site for online employment services . Work Source is an employment search website that lists local jobs, many of which are appropriate for student employees.
Joy Scourey |
Jennifer Davis |