Work study: Professional jobs that pay your way

I’m from Virginia. Exactly a year ago, I would’ve never thought I’d be going to Pitt. “Virginia has tons of public colleges for so much cheaper,” everyone told me. It wasn’t until my financial aid award came in the mail that I changed my mind. 

Getting mail from colleges was still exciting as a high school senior. I ripped into the envelope and scanned the letter. Not only did I realize then that Pitt was actually an affordable option, but also that I was awarded work study. I thought back to one of my upperclassman friends who was able to get a work study position designing his school’s website, so I was excited to apply for a similar gig once I got to Pitt.

A lot of people are confused about what work study is. It’s a type of financial aid award, but not a loan or grant. You don’t get paid to sit in a room and study. You get paid to work a professional job and the money you make can be used towards covering educational expenses — or for shopping in South Side.

The work study program sets aside a particular amount of money based on the student’s need and uses that money to pay for the student’s hourly wage. This allows hospitals, labs and many other professional companies to essentially receive free or discounted labor. Therefore, work study students are in great demand by many employers, and it is not difficult for a student to get a job in their preferred field. Additionally, the work study program helps create new jobs that otherwise wouldn’t exist, thus increasing the number of jobs available to college students.

Once I received my letter, I immediately looked into the list of available work study positions for fall 2014. I found many options that were related to my intended neuroscience major and pursued them right away. One of the supervisors responded almost immediately and told me she could interview me via Skype the following week. I agreed, the interview went accordingly and I was hired to become a neuroimaging lab assistant at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic.

I’ve been working there in the Geriatric Psychiatry Neuroimaging Lab since last August, and I’ve already gained a considerable amount of work experience and new skills. I’ve worked with biomedical engineers, physicians, computer scientists and other research assistants, as I use multiple image processing tools to eliminate white matter from fMRI scans. Now that I’ve been immersed in a lab environment, I feel more prepared to apply for research internships.

The obvious catch to work study is that you have to qualify for it by filling out and submitting a FAFSA — Free Application for Federal Student Aid. However, eligibility is determined by your family’s income, and there is limited federal funding allocated for work study. “The U.S. Department of Education uses a formula to allocate funds based on the number of eligible students and the institution’s previous funding level,” says Brian Beighley, federal work study coordinator at Pitt. “The government gives $1.6 million to Pitt’s work study program for around 1,100 participating students. However, the funds are almost exhausted every year. The U.S. Department of Education also determines who is eligible for receiving loans and how much they receive” he continued. 

If the federal government reallocated some of the funding for loans to the work study program, more students would be eligible to participate and gain valuable work experience. Additionally, companies would benefit from receiving discounted or free employment. Work study helps more than a loan, which you have to pay back, and it teaches dedication and diligence because you have to work for your money, unlike a grant. It’s estimated that college students graduate around $35,000 in debt from various loans, but work study allows you to work towards your tuition while you’re still in college, so that you can graduate with slightly less debt. 

Furthermore, work study helps expand your network of contacts and acquire references. For example, I’m shadowing one of the psychiatrists I work with and I know any of my coworkers are happy to write letters of recommendation for me. If some of the financial aid funding that went towards paying for loans or grants was redirected toward increasing the number of work study awards, companies and students would both benefit. 

Getting an education in college is about gaining knowledge and learning real-life skills to help you in your future workplace. Work study gives students easier access to professional jobs, plus there’s no harm in teaching people that they have to work for their money. Increasing the number of work study awards will help shape and prepare students for the ominous world after graduation.

Write to Cecile at cet41@pitt.edu.