One way to pay for college when you do not have enough with the loans and grants that you qualify for is to use the College Federal Work Study Program. The Federal Work Study Program allows you to work while you go to school by providing an incentive to your employer. Here is how it works.
When you are employed under a work-study program, the government pays a portion of your salary, and your employer must pay the rest. This makes you look like a better option than other students to an employer who might be hesitant to employ a student due to the fact that you will not be staying with his company long-term. Since the employer only has to pay a portion of your salary, you are a more affordable option. You can then use the money you earn to pay for your schooling, as well as other expenses you might have.
In order to participate in the Federal Work Study program, you must be a student that is registered at a school that participates in the program. If you are not a registered student, you cannot participate. You also must show sufficient financial need as determined by your answers on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). If you are eligible for the program, the financial aid office at your school will help you find employment that participates in the program. Many of these jobs are on-campus, but some are offered off-campus by private companies who have chosen to participate in the program.
There are several benefits to this type of job versus a regular job. First, the money that you make does not get counted as part of your income if you were to apply for other financial helps for future years of your education. Second, the program requires that the hours of your job are short enough and flexible enough to allow you to keep up with your studies. Finally, you receive the money directly, so you can use it to pay other college-related expenses, such as books or room and board. Of course, you could waste the money, but this would be unwise as you would still need to pay your bill at the end of the school year. The amount you can earn under the Work Study Program is dependent upon your award, but you could work too few hours to earn your awarded amount. In this case you would not be given that money. It must be earned through your employer.