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What the heck is work study? The skinny on working in college

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Applying for work study can be a tricky process. Many incoming students don’t fully understand the difference between work study and on-campus work. Let’s clear up some common myths and dive right into the differences in work experiences for college.

Work Study

Work study is a federal program where the government pays your college for you to work. You can apply for work study when you fill out your FAFSA. Once approved for work study, you’ll get an award that represents the maximum you can make for the quarter. After that it’s up to you to find a work study position. At EWU your employer is usually more willing to work with you and may help you create a flexible schedule to help ensure you use your full award. If you’re a work study student, you may have an advantage over non-work study students because the government incentivizes universities to hire work study students.

Work study jobs can range from teaching assistantships to jobs in campus dining locations. Once you’ve been approved for work study through FAFSA, you need to submit paperwork to EWU. After that you can find a great guide on how to apply to EWU jobs here. While working with any university you will be limited to 19 hours a week as a student and 40 hours a week while on break.

A note: I spoke with Student Employment and they explained that work study is a job and not an award. You’ll get paid for your hours as you go through them, not at the beginning of the quarter.

Work Study Myths

The myth: works study jobs let you study and get paid for it. That would be nice if it was true, but it’s not. While some jobs might have lag times where you can work on homework you still have a job with real responsibilities.

The myth: work study is guaranteed money. Nope. Work study does not guarantee you a position, and there are more students approved for work study than there are positions. Keep your resume strong and prepare for your interview like you would for any job.

On-Campus Work

On-campus (non-work study) work includes work study jobs and many more. On-campus work is limited to 19 hours a week as a student and 40 hours a week on breaks. As with work study, EWU employers are often more willing to work around test dates or busy class days than an off-campus employer is.

Off-Campus Work

Off-campus work can include any work off-campus! I have known students who worked in pizza delivery, grocery outlets, and fast food restaurants. Anyone in and out of the college can apply, which can make jobs more competitive than on-campus work. EWU officially recommends that students work no more than 20 hours a week when enrolled as a full time student (but you can work over 20 hours off-campus). While employers are often willing to work around a schedule, your hours will likely not be as flexible off campus as they would be on campus. You might have a test or project day that your boss isn’t willing to let you take off.

Okay, what should I choose?

When looking at college work, apply to positions that will help your resume later. Experience as a Geology TA would be fantastic for geology students, and web design work would be excellent for design students. If those aren’t available or if your resume needs a little work, finding work with dining services is always a good option. If you can afford to work fewer than 20 hours a week, do so. While you might not have as much money in the short term, your grades, social life, and college experience will pay off in many ways.

I’m admitted, but where’s my financial aid?

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It’s the time of year when students worry less about admissions and more about financial aid, and because you’ve got questions, we’ve put together some answers.

But First … You’ve Got Time

Relax. Do some yoga. Find your inner Zen.

You have until May 1 to confirm your admissions to EWU. In fact, you have until May 1 to confirm your decision to attend any Washington state university, so there’s no pressure on you to make a choice based on incomplete information.

The one exception to the rule: if you’ve been asked to send more information, send it as quickly as possible. This is a federal requirement and we will not be able to make your award until the information on your FAFSA is verified.

Look for EWU Financial Aid Awards in April

Check your Eagles email often. (Setting up your Eagles email was Step 4 in the enrollment process.) It’s the fastest way to see if we’ve sent your award.

If you haven’t received notification by the end of the month, give us a call.

Why Does EWU Send Awards in April?

Well, there are few good reasons, and the biggest is that EWU doesn’t send preliminary awards.

Other colleges sometimes get caught in a “bait and switch” situation by offering estimated awards. Unfortunately, many of these estimated awards end up being less than stated after your FAFSA information is verified and corrected.

EWU works hard to avoid that problem and to provide the most accurate information possible.

How Can I Estimate How Much EWU Will Cost to Attend?

There are three ways.

  1. Use EWU’s net price calculator.
  2. Compare overall tuition and cost via our website.
  3. Compare net prices in the table below. The data comes from the White House Score Card. The net price is what average undergraduate students pay after grants and scholarships (financial aid you don’t have to pay back) are subtracted from the cost of attendance.
    University Net Price
    Eastern Washington University $10,587
    Central Washington University $13,775
    The Evergreen State College $11,686
    University of Washington—Seattle $8,739
    Washington State University $15,485
    Western Washington University $13,086
What If I Still Have Questions?

Give us call at 509.359.2397, chat with us online, or send an email to admissions@ewu.edu. We’re here to help, and we can point you in the right direction

Making every tuition dollar count

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We just saw this in the Spokesman-Review (the regional paper for the second-largest city in Washington, which is just 15 minutes down the road), and we definitely thought it worth sharing:

Demetrius Dennis shopped carefully to find the best college education for the lowest price.

“I reviewed the departments, programs offered and cost of tuition,” said Dennis, 34. “Financing contributed at least 75 percent of the deciding factor when I chose a transfer college.”

The Lakewood, Wash., resident had already saved about $20,000 on a bachelor’s degree in journalism by attending Pierce Community College before determining Eastern Washington University offered the best value to finish his studies.

EWU “provides the most reasonable tuition-to-education ratio available in the state,” Dennis said.

You can read the whole article about the rising cost of college tuition and the challenges that today’s students and families face.

By 2018, at least 63 percent of all jobs nationally will require a postsecondary degree, which means college will be necessary for more and more workers.

As states have cut budgets, however, college has grown more expensive, forcing students to be extra savvy when they make their college decisions.

Our goal at Eastern is to make an amazing college education as affordable and accessible to as many talented people as possible, which is why we’ve had fewer and smaller tuition increases than most universities in the state.

Without sacrificing innovative programs like justice studies, psychology, dental hygiene, education or engineering, we’ve quickly become the state’s best value in education … and our students are smarter than ever. Our average incoming freshman GPA went up again this year (from 3.17 to 3.24), which means we’re attracting more and more talented students who see the incredible value in what Eastern offers.

We’re glad Demetrius compared colleges, and we hope you’re doing the same. We’d love it if everyone made their comparisons and decided that Eastern was the best place to be (because it is!), but more importantly, we want you to choose the university that’s best for you and your future.

Wherever you go, we’re here to answer any questions you have along the way.

Saving money on tuition with WUE

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In my glorious undergraduate years (back before I could grow the few scraggly facial hairs I now call a beard), I met hundreds of alumni who came back to campus to reconnect with the school they had called home. One of them told me that when he had gone to school, tuition had been just $25. I didn’t believe him.

“Oh, not for the whole year,” he said. “That was for a semester. It was $50 for the year.”

Amazingly, this is completely true … and it’s not like we’re talking about an era before electricity or running water. People had cars. Rock and roll. Sliced bread even. It was the golden era of education, and for a long time in the United States, tuition to most state universities was free or next to free. In fact, it wasn’t until 1956 that Eastern started to charge tuition at all.

Things have certainly changed. Governments pay less for education than ever before, and that forces students and their families to pay more.

Eastern has always focused on providing the best possible education to its students and to making that education available to as many students as possible. That’s why we’re the best educational value in the state of Washington, and it’s why students who study here save thousands of dollars in tuition and fees compared to other public schools in the state.

One of the ways students can reduce tuition is a program called WUE.

WUE is an acronym for Western Undergraduate Exchange, and it’s pronounced so that it rhymes with “chewy” or “screwy.” Repeat the acronym fast enough and you start to sound like an ambulance.

(Admit it: you’re trying to sound like an ambulance right now. WUE WUE WUE.)

WUE is a financial aid exchange program that lets out-of state students from 14 western states (AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NV, NM, ND, OR, SD, UT, WY) save thousands of dollars on tuition at Eastern. Over four years, students can save $25,000 or more when they study at Eastern.

There’s an important deadline (Feb. 15, 2012), a GPA requirement and a residency requirement, so there are some details you’ll need to check out if you’re interested in making WUE work for you.

Here’s the best place to get started with WUE information, but we always encourage you to call or email with your questions so that you can talk to a real person about your particular situation.

WUE. WUE. WUE. WUE. WUE. Completely sounds like an ambulance.