Work Study for Online Students

Can they qualify?

Online students can absolutely qualify for all forms of financial aid, including work study. The Federal Aid Student Information Center stipulates that students participating in distance education programs may receive aid if the program is a recognized (accredited) certificate or degree program. One of the major differences in how work study is carried out for online students, however, is the nature of employment.

Brick-and-mortar campuses typically provide jobs for work study students on the physical premises. Virtual education has no such premises. Instead, online students will often work for a nonprofit organization or a public agency, performing service that is in the public interest. Undergraduate students will receive their financial aid payments based on each hour of work, whereas graduate work study participants may sometimes be paid by salary. 

What makes work study so great?

One of the main assets of work study is the opportunity it gives you to play an active and dynamic role in your own education. In a work study program, you are literally working in order to fund your learning and your future. Understanding the connections between your schooling, your job, and your potential future career can give you a feeling of authentic satisfaction.

Students who attend classes either full time or part time are eligible for work study. As frequently as is possible, work study positions are tailored toward your actual academic career, helping to make the job relevant to your educational background. The other great thing about work study is that there is no repayment inclusion, as there is with student loans.

Is part time work actually better?

In some ways yes, in others no. One potential gripe about work study programs is that there is a cap on how much you can make, and how many hours you can work in a given week. The total amount that you can earn through work study cannot exceed the total Financial Work Study award, which is set up before you even begin the job. A part time gig may not have some monetary limits imposed upon the position.

However, the advantage of being a work-study student is that your chances of landing a position are much higher; employers love work-study participants because the government pays their salary, not the company itself. Attempting to go after a part-time job alone, especially in tight economic circumstances, may not necessarily pay off. 

For more information on financial aid, view Funding Education Beyond High School.