Student Employment for First-Year Students
Entering in the Fall of 2012
Congratulations on your matriculation to Franklin & Marshall College. We are excited to have you as part of the Franklin & Marshall family. The following information pertains to entering first-year students who will be matriculating in the fall and who wish to know the first steps involved in obtaining on campus employment.
The first step to working on campus for U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens is to complet the Federal forms in our Student Payroll Office in the Business Office on Race Avenue with Ms. Lori Few. This process must be done in person and with official, original documentation. Entering students will have an opportunity to complete this process during Beginnings in May before they enroll and during First Year Orientation Days in August upon their arrival to campus and moving in. Click here for more information.
There are four types of student employment programs at the College: Federal College Work Study, aided College Work Option, non-aided College Work Option, and Private Stipend Employment:
- Federal Work Study students are United States citizens who are considered aided work students, have demonstrated a financial need for campus employment during the academic year (based upon the FAFSA - Free Application for Federal Student Aid), and have been packaged with Federal Work Study as part of their financial aid package.
- Aided College Work Option students are non-United States citizens who are also considered aided work students, have demonstrated a financial need for campus employment during the academic year, and have been packaged with College Work Option as part of their financial aid package.
- Non-aided College Work Option students have received neither Federal Work Study or College Work Option in their financial aid letter, yet they wish to work on campus. Non-aided College Work Option students may be employed under the same conditions and wages as all other students, but as part of the non-aided campus employment program. These students are second priority in hiring behind aided work students.
- Private Stipend employed students, aided or non-aided, may be offered special opportunities to work and receive a stipend paid privately by an individual department/office on campus. Because most of these opportunities occur as a result of established relationships on campus, stipend paid jobs are often offered to upperclass, returning students.
Aided Federal Work Study and aided College Work Option students are packaged with $1,900 by the College for the academic year. This amount reflects a $7.25/hour wage x 8 - 10 hours week x 15 weeks per semester x 2 semesters in the academic year. Non-aided sudents will also be eligible to earn up to $1,900 at 8-10 hours per week for the academic year. Stipend paid students will receive a stipend payment that amounts to an hourly wage of at least $7.25/hour (Federal minimum wage as of July 24, 2009). Students will still be able to work up to 10 hours/week during the academic year and earn up to their packaged amount.
All earnings from on-campus employment are paid directly to the student bi-weekly and will not automatically be accounted toward the semester bill. Many students and parents agree on students using their campus work earnings toward spending money for books or other miscellaneous expenses. Students may choose to work fewer than 10 hours per week if they desire to earn less money per semester. However, the College does not supplement unearned work study dollars with additional need-based aid. Direct deposit for student earnings into a student's personal banking account is available and is a preferrable method of payment.
All students, aided and non-aided with work, will be eligible to begin work for the academic year as early as the last Sunday of August. Priority remains for departments to hire work-aided students.
Student should seek employment on campus in the same way that they would seek employment in their community. They will be self-advocates in finding a campus job either by word of mouth, by using the online job bulletin board (http://boards.fandm.edu), or by simply approaching any office on campus. Depending on the department and the supervisor, students may need to fill out an application, have an interview, enter into a training program, submit letters of reference, etc. Each department, in this regard, has its own hiring and employment procedures.
Note that a few hundred seniors, many of whom were employed on campus, graduate each year leaving many campus job vacancies. Many departments that hire student employees are very interested in hiring conscientious, hard working first-year students with "staying power" so that they can train them once and keep them for four years. First-year students are strongly encouraged to take advantage of this as soon as possible after they arrive.
Students who eventually wish to work on campus are advised not to wait into the semester before seeking work. It is expected that first-year students, overwhelmed by the new transition, might choose to wait and get used to school before taking on a job. However, the choice to aggressively search for work from the beginning and the confidence of having secured a job, is an arguable aid in the transition to Franklin & Marshall.
Campus employment during enrollment can be conducive to good balance and time management. It can also provide you with invaluable experience and connections to the campus community; not to mention, possible references for graduate school and employment beyond Franklin & Marshall. Parents please note that working 10 hours per week has been deemed by many colleges and universities to be a healthy amount of hours for a full-time college student to balance studies, earn spending money, be involved with co-curricular activities, and have fun.
Our advice to first-year students, or any student, is to get out on campus, on foot, as early in the Fall semester as possible. Nearly every standing building on campus hires students in some capacity. When you approach an office/department to inquire about a job, be sure to:
1. Ask for the hiring student employee supervisor - the person in the office or department who hires students for that office or department.
2. Have a one-page resume listing your past working experience - paid or unpaid - and co-curricular and extracurricular activities and achievements. Keep it brief, clear, and simple.
3. Have written down on a paper the times during the week that you are available to work. Be sure to include weeknights and weekend availability. Do NOT just bring your class schedule and expect a potential supervisor employer to be able to discern your availability.
4. Know whether or not you are work aided or not. If you are work aided, you have a financial aid package with either Federal Work Study or College Work Option listed in the award. If you are work aided, let the supervisor know. If you feel comfortable quickly showing that part of your financial aid award letter to confirm this for your employer, then bring a copy and do so. If you feel comfortable.
5. Be flexible and open-minded. You may not acquire the job you thought you would when you set out, but you could end up with something better or something that may lead to something better.
6. Be prepared to be interviewed on the spot or to have to return for an interview. Each office or department will manage the student hiring process as they best see fit. You will need to be accommodating to them.
7. Follow student employment policies and procedures. You may acquire only one (1) job up until October 1. You may work up to 10 hours per week on campus.
8. Smile.
If you are a non-U.S. citizen, please click here, read the following information, and contact for additional information.
