If we’re going to have a conversation about work-study, we first need to reach a consensus on what work-study actually is. If you’re currently a college student, you’ve probably heard the term work-study thrown around willy-nilly, and you’ve probably heard a lot about work-study that just isn’t true because there’s tons of confusion and misconceptions about what work-study really is. So let’s remedy the situation! Work-study is actually a program created to help employers. Shocking! I bet that’s news, huh? But do not be upset: it benefits students too. The way work-study functions is that employers pay half of the wage, and the University pays the other half, which allows employers to hire more students, essentially allowing more job opportunities for UIowa students like you and me. Yay! For instance, if you are applying for a work-study job that has an hourly wage of $10.00, your employer will pay you $5, and the University will pay the other $5.
Now that we’ve taken care of defining work-study, let’s bust some common misconceptions! Firstly, here at the University of Iowa, 100% of wages go straight into students’ pockets, NOT towards tuition. Plenty of students (myself included) believe that it’s a “half-goes-toward-my-tuition-half-goes-toward-shoes” deal, which is definitely not true. All of the money you make as work-study student is free for you to allocate as you wish. Feel free to spend it towards personal expenses like shoes or feel free to use it for tuition.
Secondly, you are NOT being paid to study. Work-study jobs are legitimate employment opportunities. You will be assigned jobs, and you will be responsible for your duties 100% of the time you’re at work. There’s a lingering misconception that work-study means you work less hours, and then the rest of the hours you’re paid to study. Sounds great! But it’s a lie.
Thirdly, work-study jobs are not limited to University employment. While it is true that the majority of work-study positions are through the college (which is logical since they’re paying half of your wages!), The University of Iowa actually partners with quite a few community employers to offer a bigger selection of jobs.
Lastly, not everyone can participate in the amazing program that is work-study. At the University of Iowa: you must be a student, you must be a permanent U.S. resident, and you must be financially eligible. Eligibility is determined via FASFA and is awarded in amounts, and the amount of your award correlates directly with the amount of hours you can work.
Now for the fun stuff… Opportunities at Iowa! If you meet the University of Iowa’s qualifications for work-study, you might be wondering where you can find these jobs. The answer is HireaHawk.com, of course! Your one stop shop for employment as a University of Iowa student. You can filter current postings on HireaHawk.com to only show work-study positons. That being said, not all of the work-study positions will be listed online. Many of the community service and off-campus employers operate on a case-by-case basis, meaning you need to reach out to them. Many employers require proof of eligibility before hiring, so make sure to bring a copy of your awards letter to your interview.
That was a basic debriefing of work-study here at the fabulous University of Iowa. Check your ISIS account to see if you’re eligible, and if you are, look for some awesome employment opporutnites!
References
Work-Study Employment. (n.d.). Retrieved from The Office of Student Financial Aid: http://financialaid.uiowa.edu/studentemployment/students/workstudy