One concern many students share when making the choice to attend college is how are they going to pay for their daily educational expenses. Many find that the Federal Work Study program is a great option. Work study is a Federally funded program who helps those who qualify obtain part time jobs to help with educational expenses. The program is need based and available to students who qualify for an award based on Federal Student Aid.

“Eligible students should apply through Handshake. They will then be contacted via email regarding the application process and any follow-up information needed” said Angie McAdams, director of career development, said.

Students can choose positions that they are most interested in. “Ideally students should apply to jobs that fit into their career goals as these jobs are intended to be a workplace experience to develop soft skills and hard skills,” McAdams said.

Here at Averett We have taken the program a little further and named it Averett corps. The goal here is to graduate students who are career ready. Work study students will learn basic levels of work and students will eventually progress to more skilled and responsible levels, with a hope that they will gain valuable work experience suited to their career goals. The program assists students with building a resume, developing good work habits, and gaining a sense of responsibility and commitment.

Supervisors work with students to assure that their assignments don’t interfere with their educational responsibilities.

“I am an aviation student as my flight blocks have changed, they have definitely worked with me,” senior aviation majors Joe Nealis said.

“It’s just like any other job as far as the work for me it’s great to be able to work on campus and walk to my dorm. So, for me and others who may rely on public transportation it’s a great plus. It also gives me a little extra money for expenses so it’s good and I like it,”  Nealis said.
Overall, the work study program can be a valuable tool for students who qualify. Developing great work habits early is an important step in career progression. Lastly Adding valuable work experience in conjunction with your formal education