Pitt’s two-job limit unfair to work-study students

University policy states that students may not hold both a work-study job and a University… University policy states that students may not hold both a work-study job and a University position at the same time – a policy that makes as little sense as it is fair.

According to the policy, which has existed for years but only surfaced this August, students are not permitted to simultaneously receive payment that is funded by federal work-study as well as payment from a second student employment position because it violates university, state and federal regulations.

Initially, this policy left little options for students who had accepted work-study positions but also hold paid positions in student organizations such as Student Government Board, Black Action Society or The Pitt News. The University is working to resolve this problem, however, by offering “stipends” to students who participate in student organizations rather than an hourly wage.

While the policy will no longer force students to choose between a work-study and an extra-curricular activity, it still leaves many students having to choose between two student employment jobs – a reality that can’t be beneficial for students or the University.

The advantage to holding a student employment position is that, oftentimes, university jobs tend to be flexible with students’ schedules, allowing us to work between classes or on weekends. Also, student employment can be more impressive on a resume than some outside jobs like, let’s say, working at a bar.

Likewise, it is beneficial for the university to have student employees, an abundant and typically hard-working workforce.

Pitt’s amended policy also fails to answer many of our questions. What if, for example, a student assists on an academic research grant for a professor, but also holds a work-study position? Under the current policy, it appears that student organizations are the only exception to the two-job rule.

As a university that prides itself on an extensive undergraduate academic research program, it’s disappointing to see that this policy will prevent capable students from participating in – and getting paid for – these types of opportunities.

Ultimately, Pitt’s inefficient student employment policy reflects on an outdated and unfair national policy. The point of federally funded work-study programs is to give students “grants” that they will gradually earn in the form of a student employment position.

But at large universities like Pitt, non-work-study student employment positions are abundant. So what’s the advantage to accepting work-study, particularly when it forbids us from taking on a second university job?

Work-study is intended to give students financial assistance, but it can actually restrict those who accept work-study into a lower playing field. Now, students who accept work study are limited to only one on-campus job while those who don’t qualify for or choose not to accept it can have as many jobs as they want.

We encourage both Pitt administrators and students to lobby to amend the state and national work-study regulations – because every day, month or week that this policy stays in place, students at Pitt are missing out on valuable employment opportunities.