Ohio State received $1.5 million less in federal work study funds this year, leaving thousands of students scrambling to find replacement jobs.
The Federal Work-Study Program provides jobs for undergraduate and graduate students. It allows students to earn money to help pay education expenses and encourages work related to a student’s studies.
Meagan Howman, a third-year in social work, said she received work-study awards for her first two years in college. This year, she didn’t.
“Over the summer I realized that my financial aid did not include work-study, so I was worried that I would lose my job,” Howman said.
Merilyn Lee, assistant director of Student Financial Aid at OSU, said stimulus funds bolstered last year’s work-study award.
“In the 2009-2010 school year, we had extra money from the federal stimulus, and we do not have that money this year, so we unfortunately do not have the funds to award as many students,” said Lee.
Each year, OSU is allotted work-study money from the U.S. Department of Education. The money is split between university departments authorized to hire students for work-study jobs. This year, the university got $3.4 million, down from $4.9 million in 2009.
“Due to the lower appropriation, we know that some students who have been awarded in years past will not get an award this year,” Lee said.
Last year, students with an estimated family contribution below $3,500 were considered for work-study. This year, that amount decreased to $750, Lee said.
Work-study student wages range from $8 to $11 per hour at OSU, with only about $2 per hour coming from the university. To employ students who have lost awards, departments must find new ways to balance the budget.
“My boss at the Fine Arts Library had to figure out how to keep me employed,” Howman said. “I’m lucky it worked out because I know some students who lost their work-study are out of luck and on their own to find jobs.”
