by River Hampton, staff writer
Going to college can make finding school-work-life balance difficult, and the work study program is designed to ease the stress of a demanding schedule by offering flexibility, community engagement, and workforce transitioning tools.
Kristina Moss, assistant director of financial aid, says “This program not only gives students work experience while earning their degree, but it also offers convenience as students do not need to leave campus to go to work and then come back to campus for school.”
The ability to stay on campus allows students flexibility to earn income and spend more time with the school community, building connections with faculty and peers, and becoming more engaged in clubs or school events.
Student staff are also shown to transition more smoothly into the workforce after graduation. The connections formed turn into positive references, and experience gained builds confidence for moving into “real world” jobs.
To promote current job openings, PPSC staff will be hosting a Work Study Job Fair this coming Wednesday, March 13, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in The Grove at Centennial Campus.
Students will have an opportunity to speak openly with department leads about the current available jobs and how to begin the application process. Students should first create an account on Handshake Student Employment Positions (pikespeak.edu), where work study positions are posted for all campuses.
For those interested in Summer and Fall work study jobs, it is important to note that students must be enrolled in at least 6 credit hours and have received an offer from FAFSA for work study funding.
Moss says to get hired, students must follow a specific process, which starts with filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This is required for all students seeking any type of financial assistance towards tuition regardless of interest in work study.
In previous years, students filling out the FAFSA would need to indicate interest in work study funds, with the new updated forms, all students who qualify will automatically be generated an offer. It will then be up to the student to accept the offer and move on to the next steps.
Students must also meet financial aid eligibility requirements, which involves holding a 2.0 GPA and 67% completion rate towards the chosen degree program. If one or both of those numbers are off, students will need to meet with a financial aid advisor and file an appeal to requalify.
Once students are called for an interview, Moss says “Students should take a copy of their class schedule, along with a print screen of their offer of work-study.” These two documents aid the decision process for supervisors, who will want to see students availability and amount of funding offered.
After a successful interview and hiring offer, students will fill out a background check and paperwork with campus HR. Once all steps have been completed, students can begin working.
For assistance with any of these steps, students can reach out to Career Services or a Financial Aid Advisor.
