My financial aid package includes a work-study job. I've never had a job before, and I'm worried that working might make my grades slip. Do I really have to get a job, or can the financial aid office take this out of my financial aid package?
The official answer to your question is "yes"; the work-study job can be taken out of your package. However, a job in college can be a really good thing. Working adds some structure to your college life and requires you to manage your time more carefully. Research shows that most students, except those who really struggle academically, actually do very well working a part-time job of less than 20 hours.
Working on campus has many other benefits. Unlike an off-campus job, a work-study job comes with flexible hours that will fit nicely around your class schedule. You also get to know more people and build significant relationships with the students and staff you work with.
Perhaps you can start with just a few hours a week and see how that works out. Just don't make too quick a decision to give up that job on campus entirely—you may look back on it as one of the highlights of your college experience.
Written by Judy Moseman
