How can I get into the work study program?
I’m gonna need a job immediately when I go to #college otherwise I won’t be able to pay. I emailed administration about it but never got a reply. Should I email them again? #work #career
2 answers
Spruce’s Answer
Hey Lethicia,
I am very glad to see you willing to work while you go to school. It is admirable. The email you sent to administration will probably not generate a response because administration’s job is to run the entire school. You need to get in touch with admissions. Those are the people you will work with to get yourself admitted to school and figure out how much it will cost and when payments are due.
But this is not something that can be done by email. You have to personally walk in and sign important papers, give them a certified copy of your high school transcript, work out the details of how you’ll be paying, and give them the first check (I’m assuming you’re graduating this spring and are talking about starting school in the fall. If that’s not what you’re planning, then the basics of what I’m saying are still true but the details might be different.).
Payment for each semester (or quarter) is due at the beginning of each semester, and that’s for tuition and housing (if you’re going to live at school). If it’s just tuition, that’s probably $5000 or more, plus you’ll need $500 for books and other expenses. I’m bringing this up because if you’re planning to work half-time or something while you’re going to school you’re going to need to know for sure how much it’s going to cost and how much is reasonable for you to earn while working.
Admissions is where you also learn about scholarships that might be available and any work-study type programs. And they will also tell you where to go to get information about school loans. When you go to admissions, please take a family member, friend, or someone you trust because it can be intimidating the first few times.
I wish you all the best and hope you find the right answers about what you really want to do this next chapter in your life. Good luck.
Nicole’s Answer
I share with you that when I was in college I had three different work study jobs (though not at the same time :)). Once I was on campus, I was able to get a feel for the campus life, which also included understanding where there were work study jobs. For me, it mattered that I could have a job that carried a light load (15-20 hours per week) so that I wouldn't be too distracted from my studies. To find work study jobs that met my criteria, I would look at postings in school buildings, in the cafeteria, sometimes postings in the lobby of my dorm and sometimes just by word of mouth. My recollection is most of the work study opportunities come up during the beginning of a semester.
Generally speaking, you would call a phone number, sit with someone for an interview, determine if the job/hours meets your need and then if all is good, you get/start your work study job...just as if you were searching for a full time position in the working world. The practice in searching for a work study job may turn out to be pretty helpful for future job searching.
Best of luck to you!