New opportunities for employment on campus
This year, students at the USU Eastern Price campus have an increased opportunity to find employment on campus. Dean of Student Life, Dr. Alex Herzog requested that the institution fund additional work-study dollars by $50,000. This effectively doubles the money available to hire students on campus.
This archived article was written by: Emily Williams
This year, students at the USU Eastern Price campus have an increased opportunity to find employment on campus. Dean of Student Life, Dr. Alex Herzog requested that the institution fund additional work-study dollars by $50,000. This effectively doubles the money available to hire students on campus.
In past years, it has been noted that many students are not only struggling to find employment, but being forced to choose between working at a distant location, or attending classes. Work-study programs were created to remedy that problem by providing students with a work environment that is conducive to academic success.
Although the U.S. Government-operated FAFSA finances work-study opportunities for students who qualify (about 30-40 each year), there are many more who could benefit from an on-campus job. Herzog wants to provide students with every possible way to succeed. So he, along with the financial aid office, have implemented a campus-wide program, independent from FAFSA, which provides 30-40 more jobs for USU Eastern students.
Departments such as, food services, distance education, maintenance, auxiliary, records and registration, the BDAC, disability resource center, English and math labs, teacher’s assistants, athletics and theatre tech are hiring student employees. The departments pay 25 percent of the wages and the work-study fund pays the remaining 75 percent.
There are exceptions for departments with great need and little to no funding; they are able to go through a process to apply for work-study employees paid for fully by the institutional fund.
Work-study not only provides students with convenient employment, it also gives departments an opportunity to hire workers for 25 percent of the expense of a non-student employee. This means departments can afford to have more staff, which will improve the quality and efficiency of the departments and the college campus as a whole.
There will soon be a page on USU Eastern’s website directing students on how to apply for work-study positions. Until then, Kim Booth and Tammie Pantelakis in the financial aid office can help students with any questions they might have.
Ultimately, Herzog recognizes that when there is no pressure between work and school, students can feel at ease on campus and improve their academic performance. The institutional work-study fund has only been approved for this academic year.
Herzog hopes that this program will have a positive effect on students, and the departments that hire them. If the relationship proves to be symbiotic, it is possible that USU Eastern will continue to offer additional work-study opportunities to students. When a student works on campus, they stay on campus, they become a part of campus, and that is what the college experience is all about.
