More Jobs Available After Aid Increase

More students are becoming eligible for work-study programs as last fall's changes in financial aid take effect, according to the Office of Financial Aid.

Following the announcement of a massive increase in student aid in September, all students with work-study eligibility were given the option to either reduce their loans for the year or to reduce the number of hours they worked.

Because 40 percent of the students opted to reduce their work-study expectations, those work-study positions opened up to other students, according to Director of Financial Aid James S. Miller.

Work-study is a federal program that gives colleges and universities a lump sum of money to distribute among its students.

This money is then used to pay a large part of the salaries of student workers; the students' employers then pay the rest of the salary.

"We have the same amount of money that we had before, and fewer people are now claiming it," said Christopher C. Plumb, a coordinator in the Office of Financial Aid.

"We wanted to spend the money," he said.

Miller said the number of students who have been awarded work-study eligibility has not changed significantly.

"Even after these changes, we still only have 1,000 students at the school with work-study status," he said.

"The difference is that we were able to offer this option to more students because others gave up their opportunity," he said.

James M. Chaban '99, who was recently awarded the work-study option in his financial aid package, said he is not going to take advantage of his new option.

"I decided to take the money instead of reducing my loans," he said.

"By not using the work-study option, I am able to work just four hours a week at the High Energy Physics Lab instead of 15 hours a week somewhere else."

"I can spend a lot more time on my classes and on extracurricular activities," Chaban added.

Other students that were recently awarded work-study status said they feel that the change came too late.

"Being granted work-study status really has no bearing on me because I am a senior," said Sarah G. Ellis '99.

"I really love my job at the admissions officeand the only thing that could get me to change nowwould be significantly higher pay," Ellis said.

Rhea C. MacDonald '99 agreed that being asenior makes her new work-study statusunimportant.

She, like many other seniors, said she thoughtthe changes in financial aid came too late toaffect her.

"I am not going to change jobs in my last yearhere," she said.

"But I think that having work-study statuswould have helped me out earlier on in finding ajob," McDonald said.

"I would have been able to have more jobopportunities that weren't available to mebefore," she added.

Miller said the students were initially giventhree weeks to make their decisions.

However, Miller added, because of mailingcomplications, the Office of Financial Aid wasforced to extend the deadline by another twoweeks.

Of the approximately 3,000 students given theoption, less than 100 students did not respond tothe survey.

For those students, the Office of Financial Aidrandomly assigned either option in a 50/50 ratio,as administrators didn't know what theirpreference would be.

"We weren't exactly sure which of the twooptions students would favor," Miller said.

"I can think of plausible explanations foreither option being more popular," he added

"I really love my job at the admissions officeand the only thing that could get me to change nowwould be significantly higher pay," Ellis said.

Rhea C. MacDonald '99 agreed that being asenior makes her new work-study statusunimportant.

She, like many other seniors, said she thoughtthe changes in financial aid came too late toaffect her.

"I am not going to change jobs in my last yearhere," she said.

"But I think that having work-study statuswould have helped me out earlier on in finding ajob," McDonald said.

"I would have been able to have more jobopportunities that weren't available to mebefore," she added.

Miller said the students were initially giventhree weeks to make their decisions.

However, Miller added, because of mailingcomplications, the Office of Financial Aid wasforced to extend the deadline by another twoweeks.

Of the approximately 3,000 students given theoption, less than 100 students did not respond tothe survey.

For those students, the Office of Financial Aidrandomly assigned either option in a 50/50 ratio,as administrators didn't know what theirpreference would be.

"We weren't exactly sure which of the twooptions students would favor," Miller said.

"I can think of plausible explanations foreither option being more popular," he added