[medicalfox]

I didn't post this question in the work thread because work studies are only through colleges so it would most likely gain more responses in this thread.

How do work studies work? Can I apply for one even though I already submitted my Fafsa? If I need more money could I ask for more hours and talk to the financial aid department? I only want to work 8 hours a week in a lab so that's not asking for much, I mostly want it for experience.

Did you find work studies to accommodate your class schedule well? I will be almost a full time student, but would like lab experience since I plan on being in the laboratory field.

[Travelinglady]

Hi, medical fox! Good questions! I don't know all the answers, but I will leave a message with my son who is a senior in university and throws around all those terms. I know we as his parents have had to fill out the financial forms and he is doing, and has been doing, work study. He is a wiz at all things financially related, so I will report back what he says!

[Travelinglady]

I am still waiting to hear back from my son!

[Travelinglady]

Where is my child?!

Maybe you can call the school's financial aid office to see what they say....

[Travelinglady]

My son says the following:

First of all and most importantly, it depends on your school. But in general, if you are granted work study hours, you have to see which places on campus are advertising that they are seeking work-study students. And see if they are interested in you. You yourself would need to take into account your course times.

Students can appeal for more money if they are not happy with the financial aid package they received.

Labs don't tend to advertise for work-study students. If you are interested in a lab position, then you will need to contact the PI (primary investigator) of the lab projects they have going on. They might be willing to take on a lab worker, depending on their needs and whether they think you can do the job adequately. (They really aren't there to train you much, in other words.)

My son goes to a very large, private university. Things will be less complicated, I would think, if you are going to a very small school.

Hope that helps some! Let us know how things go!

[medicalfox]

Thank you for the information! (:

[Perna]

My roommate did work study. She was a math major and ended up in the food service office helping with the accounting. I wrote an editorial that was published in the university's newspaper exposing the poor dining hall food service and used information she had given me and they figured out it had to have come from someone inside She confessed to being my roommate, LOL. This was back in the late-1960s/early-1970s though, large university too (with lots of opportunities) don't know if things have changed.

[junkDNA]

Originally Posted by medicalfox

I didn't post this question in the work thread because work studies are only through colleges so it would most likely gain more responses in this thread.

How do work studies work? Can I apply for one even though I already submitted my Fafsa? If I need more money could I ask for more hours and talk to the financial aid department? I only want to work 8 hours a week in a lab so that's not asking for much, I mostly want it for experience.

Did you find work studies to accommodate your class schedule well? I will be almost a full time student, but would like lab experience since I plan on being in the laboratory field.

Did your fafsa already grant you financial aid? if not you can edit your response to the work study question on the fafsa website

[hvert]

When you get your financial aid award letter from your university, it will say how much you can earn via work study the same way it shows how much you qualify for in grants and scholarships.

You may be able to get a job in the university lab outside of work study. My brother started off working in the lab via work study, but then they hired him for more hours when his funds ran out.