The Federal Work-Study (FWS) program is an integral part of the federal financial aid plan in the United State since 1964 providing employment opportunities, financial assistance, and opportunities to improve career readiness to over 675,000 students annually. However, little investigation has been completed into the effects of participating in…

Decades of research related to the experience of postsecondary students who are adults, work full-time, or have other life roles have not led to agreement in the field regarding who is a "nontraditional" college student. This study leverages nationally representative data to illuminate shifts in this student population in the 21st…

Tuition assistance offered by employers is an understudied area of financial aid research. The purpose of this study is to compare the demographic, socioeconomic, academic and financial aid characteristics of college students who receive employer-sponsored financial aid with students who receive traditional financial aid (institutional, state, or…

This exploratory study examines the difference between two college persistence factors--resiliency and institutional engagement--for low-income, working, first-generation college students. Participants in the study consisted of 52 respondents to the Family History Knowledge and College Persistence Survey. Among respondents, 50 students reported…

With the notable shift from grants to loans over the past several decades, many researchers have argued the positive impact of financial aid on student college choice, enrollment, and persistence. However, literature indicates that students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds are less likely to take loans to finance postsecondary education…

This study focuses on how low-income students determine employment and student loan borrowing options before they begin college, as part of the final stages of their college choice process. More specifically, this study asks, "during a six-week summer transition program, what choices are made by low-income students with employment or borrowing…

Using the 2007-2008 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, this study tested positively the hypothesis that college students are either likely to acquire debt above the national median or work more than 30 hours a week in order to graduate from a four year degree within six years. These results resonate with the theory of academic capitalism,…

African American and Hispanic participation in graduate and professional programs has increased over the last decade, but the literature on how these students financially support their education is limited. The purpose of this study is to examine the differences in financial aid awards and awarding patterns among African American, Hispanic and…

This longitudinal study of 3,578 matriculating freshmen at a mid-sized public doctoral university in the Midwest found that students working on campus academically persisted at higher rates from fall to spring of their first year, and year to year thereafter. Also, students who worked on campus during their first semester graduated within 6 years…

A process of work-study job placement at the University of South Carolina which improves the efficiency of program management is described, including a preliminary campus survey, a manual for employers, and a job board from which students can select preferred jobs. A sample job advertisement and award letter are included. (MSE)

A survey of all types of colleges in nine southern states revealed that 37 percent pay the minimum wage to all student workers and 63 percent pay differential rates. Survey results are reported and a plan for differentiated pay rates based on job classification, seniority, and merit is outlined. (JT)

Results of a statewide survey of institutional policies and procedures for paying student employees are reported, with emphasis on the issue of federal minimum wage provisions as applied to institutions of higher education. Differences among public, private, technical, and proprietary schools are discussed. (LBH)

The relationship between type of work (work-study, university employment, and food service) and academic performance was examined to determine whether students with different types of jobs at Iowa State differed in their cumulative grade-point averages. They did not differ among themselves or from the nonworking students. (MLW)

The use of a peer counselor in a staff support position in the student financial aid office at Wesleyan University is discussed. An academic credit course taught by the Director of Financial Aid was organized. Peer counselors must be selected, trained, and given responsibilities normally assigned to professionals. (MLW)

A study using data from the High School and Beyond Survey examined the effects of employment on grade point averages, dropout rate, and postcollege wages and employment rates of 4,068 college students. While working students were more likely to drop out than nonworking students, they also did better in the labor market if they do graduate. (MSE)