Federal work-study is a program that allows students to hold a part-time job on campus while they study to pay for their education and personal expenses. They are paid for, in part, by a government fund. Trinity provides these opportunities, but students then have to figure out what jobs qualify as work-study — a challenging task due to little information about work-study jobs.
These jobs can range from student assistant to peer tutor and internships offered by the school. A work-study grant from the government gives the university funding which pays for a percentage of a student’s salary. The university is responsible for paying the rest. Some of the jobs on campus that count as work-study are: tutoring at the Quantitative Reasoning, Skills Center (QRS), communication department study assistant and others.
When discussing the work-study jobs that are offered, Martha DeLeon, office manager for the communication department, said that the jobs help students develop certain skills that will help them after graduation and in the workforce, such as time management and resilience skills.
The QRS offers a peer tutoring program, where students can get one-on-one help with STEM-based classes. The student tutor position counts as a work-study.
Luke Tunstall, assistant professor of academic success and director of the QRS, highlighted that the job is helpful because it develops communication skills and empathy.
“Having a work-study job can be beneficial in so many ways, not only for money, but also to be able to develop professionally by having a role that is of interest to students,” Tunstall said. “A big benefit of tutoring is being able to review content because you’re not having to relearn it along the way.”
Work-study jobs pose some downsides for students and employers. Something that both DeLeon and Tunstall mentioned was the lack of communication when it came to what work-study is. Both said that they only know of work-study jobs due to self-research, but get no training or conversation regarding how to conduct work-studies from Student Financial Services (SFS).
SFS shared that employers don’t get specific training on work-study, but SFS gives information on which students qualify for the program. SFS also doesn’t provide students with a clear objective of what work-study is unless they ask or attend the general financial aid information sessions.
“I think that any information is better than nothing. A minimum of a two-page document explaining the process and how we can help students, or a 30 to 60-minute session or just an overview session once or twice a year would be really helpful,” Tunstall said.
Danna Ramirez Jimenez, senior marketing major, is a executive intern for the school of arts and humanities. mentioned that before coming to Trinity, she had no idea how the university was breaking down her financial aid packet, and after receiving it, there was still a gray area when it came to work-study.
“I think that there should be something on the website breaking down what to expect on your statement sheet, especially because some of the students coming here do not have the resources to aid with the college process,” Ramirez said.
Ramirez said having a work-study job allowed her to work on personal skills. Building communication skills allowed her to better connect not only with other students but also with school officials.
Another student who said she enjoys having a work-study job on campus is Mia Vela, sophomore political science major. Vela is a tour guide and admissions student assistant.
“It’s useful because a lot of the work-study jobs are on campus, and they build around class schedules. You don’t have to worry about figuring stuff out for finals,” Vela said.
Both students said that work-study jobs allow them to fund their education as well as develop skills that will be helpful in the near future.
Ramirez said that programs like work-study are necessary for students to be able to supplement their financial aid. When it comes to clarifying what work-study jobs are, Tunstall and DeLeon said that financial services could be more informative when it comes to describing roles.
