Spring Break
Students' jobs at risk from low funds
RAISA HABERSHAM
Issue date: 1/12/09 Section: News
University students who have part-time jobs through work-study programs may lose their positions because of low federal funding.
The Office of Student Financial Aid is changing the way it awards federal work-study and "will no longer hold positions for returning students," according to an e-mail sent early last week to all University federal work-study students.
Federal work-study is given on a "first come, first serve" basis, and the office encourages students to complete the financial aid application as early as possible, even if they intend to return to the same department.
"We anticipate that for 2009-10 Award Year those funds will run out even earlier, perhaps as early as March," Sherryl Fern, the University's federal work-study coordinator, wrote in a Jan. 7 e-mail.
The University averages between 365 to 375 students who are awarded and employed under the federal work-study program annually. There is no set maximum number of federal work-study students per department.
The amount of work-study money allocated for universities is determined by a Congressional appropriation, said Jay Mooney, associate director for Office of Student Financial Aid, in an interview Friday.
"FWS is limited money. We are allocated X number of dollars each year. Therefore it is limited," Mooney said. "The amount of the appropriation each institution receives is determined by the U.S. Department of Education."
The University received $939,386 in work-study allocation for the 2008-2009 school year, Mooney said. The University does not know what money will be appropriated to them for next year, he said.
Mooney said funds are "never identical, but fairly close" every year and said he doesn't expect next year's funds to decrease drastically.
The Department of Education gives each institution a preliminary amount, which is an estimate of how much funding will be given in a year, Mooney said.
"It's not advised, but we are given a preliminary amount by late February, early March," he said. "We work with the preliminary. We don't anticipate this amount but work with it."
To participate in a work-study program next year, students must fill out student aid forms early.
"If you do not submit your FAFSA very early (and complete verification if selected), you will not be considered for FWS," Fern said in the e-mail to current work-study students. s"It will not matter that your department wants to hire you back."
In addition to the FWS allocation provided by the U.S. Department of Education, participating institutions are required to match 25 percent of the money allocated, Mooney said.
"We will not know what adjustments may need to be made to the program until we receive our allocation figure for the 2009-2010 award year," he said. "We are not aware of federal FWS funds reduction at this time as compared to the funding levels in prior years."
The Office of Student Financial Aid is changing the way it awards federal work-study and "will no longer hold positions for returning students," according to an e-mail sent early last week to all University federal work-study students.
Federal work-study is given on a "first come, first serve" basis, and the office encourages students to complete the financial aid application as early as possible, even if they intend to return to the same department.
"We anticipate that for 2009-10 Award Year those funds will run out even earlier, perhaps as early as March," Sherryl Fern, the University's federal work-study coordinator, wrote in a Jan. 7 e-mail.
The University averages between 365 to 375 students who are awarded and employed under the federal work-study program annually. There is no set maximum number of federal work-study students per department.
The amount of work-study money allocated for universities is determined by a Congressional appropriation, said Jay Mooney, associate director for Office of Student Financial Aid, in an interview Friday.
"FWS is limited money. We are allocated X number of dollars each year. Therefore it is limited," Mooney said. "The amount of the appropriation each institution receives is determined by the U.S. Department of Education."
The University received $939,386 in work-study allocation for the 2008-2009 school year, Mooney said. The University does not know what money will be appropriated to them for next year, he said.
Mooney said funds are "never identical, but fairly close" every year and said he doesn't expect next year's funds to decrease drastically.
The Department of Education gives each institution a preliminary amount, which is an estimate of how much funding will be given in a year, Mooney said.
"It's not advised, but we are given a preliminary amount by late February, early March," he said. "We work with the preliminary. We don't anticipate this amount but work with it."
To participate in a work-study program next year, students must fill out student aid forms early.
"If you do not submit your FAFSA very early (and complete verification if selected), you will not be considered for FWS," Fern said in the e-mail to current work-study students. s"It will not matter that your department wants to hire you back."
In addition to the FWS allocation provided by the U.S. Department of Education, participating institutions are required to match 25 percent of the money allocated, Mooney said.
"We will not know what adjustments may need to be made to the program until we receive our allocation figure for the 2009-2010 award year," he said. "We are not aware of federal FWS funds reduction at this time as compared to the funding levels in prior years."
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