Student Feature
College Prep and Career Development
Student Success
“Earn while you learn” is what every college student wants, and with Federal Work-Study, you can do just that.
I started college in Spring 2018 part-time while working at a fast-food restaurant full-time. My life wasn’t going in the direction that I wanted it to go and a job opportunity opened up for me to be a Fire Testing Technician at a fire/security/healthcare technologies company. I quit school and worked there for two years, climbing my way up to Warehouse Manager and Office Administrator. I thought that I could live my life without going to college and be happy, which is true for some people, but wasn’t for me. I felt unfulfilled in my job and couldn’t imagine working there or at a job similar to it for the rest of my life. So, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, I chose to quit my financially stable job to pursue my dream of becoming an entertainment journalist, starting my journey at Coastline College.
Federal Work-Study @ Coastline
My name is Noah Nelson and I am a Coastline College graduate and Esports Writer for Coastline’s Esports Club. Not only is Coastline College an incredible school completely invested in each individual student’s future, but Coastline's Federal Work-Study is also a phenomenal program that gives college students the opportunity to start on the path toward their dream career that I will forever be grateful for.
What is Federal Work-Study?
To understand why Federal Work-Study is incredible, first, you need to know what it is. Federal Work-Study is an opportunity for college students to work part-time and make money while they attend school. Federal Work-Study jobs can range from a number of things, but most of them provide college students work in their related study fields like marketing, writing, or design.
The benefits of Federal Work-Study are seemingly endless, but to cover a few, students maintain a flexible work schedule as it is a maximum of 19 hours a week job, students can begin to build their resume with experience while working towards their degree, and students open networking possibilities for the future. From my perspective, there really is no downside to work-study.
How Do I Apply for Federal Work-Study?
What Federal Work-Study positions are open will vary, but applying for Federal Work-Study is as easy as asking. Students interested in a Federal Work-Study position at Coastline College need only reach out to the Financial Aid Office. From there, Coastline’s administrators will check students’ eligibility and offer work-study positions if available.
How to become involved in Federal Work-Study can look different for everybody, but the common thread among all students with Federal Work-Study jobs is that they gripped their destiny by the horns and took action. For me, I found myself with extra time in between classes, wanting to use my time to start building my resume and making some money. I asked all three of my Coastline English professors if they knew of any general writing openings, specifically something geared towards video games, music, movies, and/or tv shows, since that is the field of journalism I hope to be in one day. One of them quickly responded, saying that the marketing team had been looking for an esports writer for some time. From there, I sent my resume to Dawn Wilson, Coastline College’s Director of Marketing, had an interview, and got hired as the Esports Writer, officially becoming a work-study student.
Of course, there are some caveats that exist for students to obtain a work-study position. Students need to be enrolled with at least six units, must have submitted a FASFA, completed the financial aid file on MyCCC, and meet satisfactory academic progress, which is at least a 2.0 GPA. Since I just graduated with my Associate degree and will no longer be taking classes at Coastline College, unfortunately, my work-study job as Esports Writer is coming to an end. Federal Work-Study is the greatest way to get yourself through college while building your skills and resume for your future career.
Why is Federal Work-Study Amazing?
Okay, so if you don’t know by now, I think Federal Work-Study is incredible and everybody should have an opportunity to do it. I need to reiterate that Federal Work-Study is amazing on so many levels: earn as you learn, practice your craft, find out what kind of career is right for you by gaining hands-on experience, begin building your resume for jobs after completing your two- or four-year degree, network yourself among peers on the same path. The positives seem unending and the negatives seem nonexistent. Take it from a student that loved their time as a Federal Work-Study student, reach out to your professors and the financial aid office, and ask for a work-study job! You won’t regret it.
As one of my last blogs with Coastline College, I’m sincerely grateful I had the opportunity to begin my entertainment journalism career as a sophomore in college. Coastline College is an exceptional school with kind-hearted people keen on helping you succeed. Federal Work-Study is the best thing you can do in college for your future.
