By Adriana Rangel, Vallo Vision News
It’s the start of a new semester and with that comes with buying new textbooks, school supplies and more. Students low on cash might seek out a job to help pay with all these expenses.
While some students work off campus, some are able to attend class and go to work while never having to stray away from Montevallo’s bricks.
There are a variety of on-campus jobs for students to apply for. There are administrative and clerical jobs. There are jobs in Carmichael Library, the Child Study Center, environmental sciences, tutoring services, science laboratories, student life, athletics, and many other departments and programs at the university. Students can even work where they live by having a position in Housing and Residence life.
Yasmin Nearor is an example of a student who works where she lives. Nearor is a RA in the Main Hall dorm. She says, “I loved to find events and collaborate with RAs in my building. It’s always a fun time. And RA teaches so many lessons about leadership, time management and communication.”
Before applying, students should know which job they can apply for. Work Study and Jobship are the two classifications of on-campus jobs.
Jobships can be filled by any student who is qualified based on their application and interview. It’s like applying for any other job out there.
Work Study is a Financial Aid program. This is only for students who meet a certain criteria. A student’s eligibility is based on their FASFA form and part of their financial aid package.
Mark Balton, manager of student employment, says “Having a Work Study award does not guarantee a student on-campus employment as they are still required to apply and interview for positions.”
The main thing students are probably most concerned with is knowing how much these positions pay. The minimum wage in Alabama is $7.25 an hour. However, as of Jan. 2nd, the minimum hourly rate of on-campus jobs will be $8 an hour.
Balton says, “Most students start at the minimum pay rate but student salaries are ultimately determined by the complexity of the work, required skills to perform the job, and the environment in which the work is performed.” Also, he says most students are exempt from FICA tax which Balton says “is 7.65% of your earnings.”
Working on campus can come with many benefits. There is the obvious one of not having to leave campus to go to work. This saves students time and gas money. Nearor says, “As a college student, I don’t have a car. So transportation definitely played a factor in why I wanted to be an Ra.” Being an RA also comes with other benefits such as free housing and a stipend each month.
Balton says an advantage of working on campus is “developing relationships with faculty, staff, and other students with whom you may work with”, and also “developing skills and experiences to add to a resume.”
Nearor agrees working on campus is a good way to make new connections with people at Montevallo. She says, “I wanted to be an RA to meet new people and be a leader that my residents could turn to for help.”
Working on campus might not be for everyone though. For those who don’t live on campus, some may find a job closer to where they live more reasonable. Also some students might just want a change of scenery instead of staying, going to school and working on campus.
Students who are interested in an on-campus job can check for available positions on the school’s website. Students can also check the job description and see if the position is Work Study or jobship.
Vallo Vision News 