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When you think about what you hope to gain from your college experience, debt probably doesn't jump to mind. Two-thirds of students graduating from four-year colleges have student loans to pay off. Among those with loans, the average amount of debt increased by 60 percent over seven years, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, March 2005.

But there's good news -- state and federal work-study programs give students the opportunity to earn rather than borrow to finance their education.

The deal: Work-study is awarded to students based on need as part of their financial aid package. Students are allowed a certain number of hours per semester they can work. The government pays part of the wage and the employer covers the rest. Students earn at least minimum wage.

"Using your work-study instead of accruing more debt is going to have you patting yourself on the back 10, 20, even 30 years from now," says David Williams, assistant director of the financial aid office at the University of California, Berkeley. "The money-savvy student knows that the less debt they have now, the more choices they'll have later in life."

Still need convincing? Here are 10 reasons to pursue a work-study job.

10. Work an hour here and there. Work-study jobs are usually flexible, offering work in short blocks of time around students' class schedules.

"They're very flexible and their motto is 'school comes first,' so if we need to take off early or not come in to do an assignment, that's fine," says Riangsey Keo, an accounting major at the University of Minnesota, Duluth.

Riangsey works four to five hours a week on campus as a student office assistant in the employment office. She's also been employed through the work-study program as an elementary school tutor and at the Boys and Girls Club supervising kids after school.

9. Do something good. The work-study program is designed to encourage employment in the student's field of study or in community service work. Off-campus employers are often nonprofits or public agencies, which benefit the community.

Jessie Hochhalter, a University of California, Berkeley, junior studying business and philosophy, works at the YMCA in childcare. When she first received her financial aid award letter, Jessie says she didn't know what work-study was. She was directed to the job listings Web site, and the YMCA position caught her eye since she was a member and had volunteered there.

"I respect the organization and they are good to their staff," she says. "Now I am a leader there and a role model for the kids."

8. Study while you work. While not all work-study jobs allow students to do homework on the clock, many of them are tolerant when students bring out a textbook now and then.

"If it's slow, we can do homework," affirms Nikki Burr, a sophomore studying education at the University of Connecticut (Storrs, CT). Nikki works about 10 hours a week in her school's student employment office, assisting students with finding jobs and filling out paperwork. "If I had a job off-campus, they probably wouldn't be as understanding."

Because the jobs are geared toward students, employers believe school is the first priority. In fact, when assigning work hours they take into account your class schedule and academic progress.

7. Get career-applicable experience. With the number and variety of work-study jobs available, many students are able to find a position that offers experience in their fields of interest.

"Let's say you're an employer hiring an entry-level marketing manager," proposes Williams. "Two recent college grads have applied and one lists coursework related to the position, extracurricular activities, and a summer job at a bookstore. Not bad, but if it's alongside a résumé that not only has similar coursework but includes one or more jobs as an assistant to a marketing manager, guess who's going to get the interview?"

Even if the job isn't a direct match to your career goals, any professional job can offer skills to give you a competitive advantage over other employment candidates.

Riangsey says she gets to work on her school's Web site and also develop customer service skills. "I'm learning the process of how they do things -- what they do with the applications, their procedures," she says. "I can always use that in other office work."

6. Get choices. Work-study jobs are available in a number of areas, from biology research to childcare.

"Every department on campus advertises with the student employment office, as do dining and extracurricular programs like theater," says Nikki. "There are also agencies that hire for off-campus work, like social work programs and law firms that hire grad students."

5. Make friends. You can never have too many friends, especially in college when you are transitioning to a new environment. Although Nikki lived off campus last year, she says she was able to make a lot of friends through her work-study job.

4. Interact with faculty. Getting to know the staff can be beneficial in a number of ways. Faculty can act as mentors and future employment references. After graduation, having good references can give you an edge in finding a job.

"If you tend to be intimidated by professors, working with one is going to help you not only overcome that intimidation, but it's going to be the beginning of your transition into the professional world," adds Williams.

3. No wheels? No problem. Most work-study jobs are on campus. "It's very convenient to work at school, especially if your class schedule is hectic," says Riangsey. "You don't have to have a big chunk [of time] to leave and go off to work. You can work an hour or two in between classes."

2. Get more out of your college experience by getting involved. Work-study engages you in a way a textbook cannot. It gets you interacting with other students and staff, while being part of real-life issues that affect the campus and the community.

"[You get to] take lessons from the classroom and apply them to hands-on experience," notes Williams. "Which is more exciting: reading about how to drive a car or actually driving it?"

Jessie says her job at the YMCA has enhanced her experience in many ways. "I have met so many different families and I feel like I am part of the Berkeley community now," she says.

1. Make money. Let's face it. That's what working is all about - getting paid. Why not do so on your terms?



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Dawn Papandrea is the Managing Editor of The CollegeBound Network. Learn more about finding a school that's right for you.

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