Work Study Program help! Please!?

Question

Hi. I go to Miami Dade College and I recently was awarded a Pell Grant and the Work Study Program for $2,000 for the Fall Sememster. Now, in order to accept the grant which I wanted, I had to accept the work study program. So, I did and now, it is asking me to choose do I want an on-campus job, an on-campus job or off-campus related to my field, and/or to volunteer (I have to rank 1-2-3 to see which I prefer first, second, or third) which I haven't chosen yet. I don't know how the work study program works... I was told by the guy at the window that they pay you by hour, PLUS whatever your award money is... But I dont think that's how it works... I have a job giving me 28 hours and getting paid $7.50 an hour. Should I take it or not??? What should I do??? Please, help me!

Answer 1

It appears this school has several different kinds of "Work" programs.  You do not have to take the federal Work Study program if you want to and it is not contigent upon you getting your Pell grant.  The school can't force you to do both and ANY school requiring this is probably breaking some federal law.  

Usually award letters will have to either "Accept" or "decline" EACH line item on your award letter... you probably didn't find this option so they gave you both.  If you have to, call the fin aid office and tell them you don't want to do the work study so they can give that job to someone else.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

Hello

I am a work-study myself and here is how it all works.

You do get paid by the hour it is now 6.55 b/c minimum wage went up on July 24, 2008.

The next part is is that you are only allowed to work up to 19 hours a week.

On your award letter it will show a section for your Pell Grant and then a section for the Work-Study Grant. The amount following the work-study part is how much you are allowed to make during that semester. You do get paid and that amount will lower as the semester goes on.

The work-study grant has nothing to do with your pell grant, they are both just shown on the same award letter. The pell grant is only for school use and then after the census date whatever you have left over you will receive, but your total amount of money for work-study will be given to you based on the hours that you work.

Work-Study is an okay job, it just depends on where you are doing it at and what you are doing. In my case I work in the Financial Aid office helping students with there paper work and putting information into the computer.

Hope this helps.