If you’re wondering why you don’t have work-study, it may be one of two reasons: your expected family contribution has increased, making you ineligible, or you did not meet the priority deadline.
If students meet the need-based requirements and apply on time, keeping with the priority application deadline of May 1, they should not be denied, said Cathy Simoneaux, director of Scholarships and Financial Aid. Confusion has arisen this year because the work-study program has less funding and less jobs available, so the deadline has become increasingly important, whereas in previous years, meeting the deadline was not as necessary.
“We are having the complaints from students who applied in July and August,” she said. “We know when we award work-study that a certain number of students, especially the incoming freshmen, are not going to be really interested in working, but they haven’t turned down the jobs yet, so we always award more than we really have, knowing some people are going to turn those down.”
According to Simoneaux, the work-study program is designed so that students who have been a part of the program before and had a good experience with their employer get to work for them again.
Funding for work study and financial aid has decreased by two percent this year on college campuses nationwide, and Loyola’s tuition has increased five percent this academic year, which could also play a role in the high demand for work-study jobs.
“We’ve been trying to increase the job pool, but last year we had a job pool that accommodated 652 students and as of right now we’ve made awards to 949,” Simoneaux said. “A lot of them probably never showed up with Student Employment last week, and we haven’t canceled them off yet. So at this point, I don’t have the final figures yet from student employment as to who hasn’t shown up yet and who still needs jobs.”
There are other options available to students who have not received work-study this year, Simoneaux said. There are jobs on campus that do not require work study, including some in Residential Life and Admissions.
Sometimes, however, the problem is a lack of understanding about personal financial circumstances.
“Though I was cut from the program this year, it is because my family contribution just about tripled from last year, and I was unaware,” said Madison Tompkins, psychology sophomore. “When I went to the Financial Aid office they graciously showed me this as the reason why I was not accepted as needing work-study. I am extremely disappointed because work-study was a wonderful way for me to practice my time-management skills and stay ahead in my classes.”
Simoneaux advises students who had work-study last year but did not receive it this year to notify the Office of Financial Aid.
“We’ve had some students come in to complain, and they don’t have their FAFSA yet, so the FAFSA is the key. We need to have that, and then if they have a job, they can get the work study back,” Simoneaux said.
Kelsi Allenbach can be reached at [email protected]
