Thought I understood work/study but apparently not

Colleges and Universities Georgetown University
#1

<p>We have a $3000 work study award and are counting on the income to provide support for all the ongoing necessities of college life. I had thought the dollar amount figured into our tuition bill but now my daughter seems to have a different understanding.</p>

<p>If she declines the award (which I think won't happen) and finds an interesting, higher paying job, does she then owe $3000 to the college, that is, will this figure be absent from her tuition payment?</p>

<p>I had work study all 4 years of college myself and never thought that much about it until now, when I'm paying the bill. Of course it's a very simple answer and maybe somebody can clarify it for me.</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

#2

<p>As far as I understand it, if you decline the work study, you will owe $3000 to Georgetown. I recently "bought out" my work study job with a scholarship, so I think if you completely declined it, you would have to come up with the money.</p>

#3

<p>My husband just talked two weeks ago with financial aid at Gtown to discuss my son's FA package (more scholarship money came through unexpectedly) and work study award. We had lots of questions about work study and wanted to be sure they weren't going to reduce his work study money because he received more outright scholarship money. This is the way we understand work study:</p>

<p>Essentially the work study guaranteed a maximum of $3,000 for your daughter to use toward her tuition bill (should she decide to accept the offer and work). She owes the $3,000 to Gtown and she can either use her work study money to pay it (as laid out by her FA package) or she can use the money she makes from a non-work study job. If she finds a higher paying job she likes and that would work into her schedule, then I would encourage her to go for it. </p>

<p>Greenpenguin65 is also correct... You can buy out your work study with scholarships or other money. This similiar option was offered to my son by the FA office but he decided to go ahead and keep the work study even though he received more scholarship money. </p>

<p>Good news is the job application process is actually pretty easy. Everything has been moving rather quickly since the work study jobs starting being posted on-line. My son has been busily filling out applications and already has two interviews scheduled.<br>
Hope this helps!</p>

#4

<p>Thanks, I am remembering now that if more scholarship money turned up it would replace the work study funds as payment, just like a Carroll scholarship replaced a loan we would have been responsible for.</p>

<p>I really expected to be slammed for not knowing this basic information. Sometimes on this forum innocent questioners get ridiculed when they ask for clarification, and so I hesitated. I appreciate your help!</p>

#5

<p>No problem!!! When so much money is at stake it is imperative to try to get as much information as possible. I bet you daughter is excited to get to Georgetown-- my son is packing like a madman. haha</p>