One of the biggest issues with being a college student in the 21st Century is balancing schedules around classes, work, and other extra-curricular activities a student can participate in.
Dealing with one of those issues, students looking for extra income should look into IVCC’s student employment program. Some students even qualify for additional financial aid from the government through the Federal Work-Study Program (FWS).
According to Patty Williamson, director of financial aid at IVCC, over 200 students were employed at the campus in the 2010-2011 school year. So far this year, the college employs 75 students with 72 more awaiting call-backs on their applications.
Qualification for the work-study program comes from the FAFSA. Work-study is not awarded to everyone that is eligible due to amount of jobs available on campus.
Williamson said, “We use the expected family contribution (EFC) number from the FAFSA to determine what students qualify for work-study. We know we have roughly 150-200 jobs per year on campus, but we’ll notify pretty much any of the students that fall into the required income brackets.
“If they are interested in work-study, they need to come in and fill out an application. We then put the applications in a student-employment book. When departments have openings, they will check out the book and contact students for employment.”
Individual college department’s budget amounts for student employees based on the school’s financial situation. Departments may have openings throughout the year, not necessarily at the start of the school year.
Departments that employ the most student workers include Learning Technologies, Facilities, Athletics, Counseling, Financial Aid, and the Tutoring Center.
Students who are approved for FWS are paid up to $2,000 per semester based on their financial aid package through the federal government and IVCC is responsible for 25 percent of the student worker’s wages.
A benefit to the student worker program is that the college departments are flexible with their scheduling process to work around the student’s individual schedule as much as possible. For example, Stephen Christopherson and Michael Murray work at the IVCC bookstore while also taking classes and playing on the Eagles basketball team.
Jordan Manly, a student worker in the counseling center, says hse likes working with bth the strudents and  counselors and would continue being a student worker after she transfers givent he opportunity.
Students also have multiple options on the work-study application to pick and choose the departments they would like to work in, ranging from accounting and office work to tutoring and ground maintenance.
What should potential student workers expect when going in for an interview with a department?  Lauren Sandberg, the director of the IVCC bookstore, says, “The interview process is very important to us. We have a few people sit in on the interview and many pre-prepared questions. Students should think more about what they would do for ‘real’ jobs versus ‘student’ jobs.
“Any department out here that hires people wants to see that the individual has taken some effort in presenting themselves and looking into where they’re going to work with at the college. In a way, I’d like to see students take the process a little more seriously.”
Tracy Morris, associate vice president of student services, added, “Get in touch with the departments that you are interested in working for because while the application is great for that, as a department head, if I have a face to match with that application, I’m more likely to hire them. Some students have business cards and resumes they leave with me when they ask about student-employment. I love our student workers and wish we could hire more.
“One of the things I love about student workers in Counseling is that they really do connect not only with students but with the counselors; they come back two or three years later to check in and see how we’re doing. The student workers get embraced in the office, learn about the college, and keep connected with us, which is really great. I’ve seen students that start as student workers and go on to work here later as regular employees.”
Student work obviously depends on the department they are hired in. For example, students in the counseling office will answer the phones, schedule appointments and work with student transcripts. Bookstore workers will have to work with different forms of financial aid, cash control and stocking.
Interested students should visit the financial aid office and fill out the Work-Study application or contact Williamson at (815) 224-0440.