STUDENT
EMPLOYMENT
WHAT’S INSIDE: • Benefits and Earnings • On-Campus Employment • First-Year Job Placement Program • Work-Study • How to Find a Job
STUDENT EMPLOYMENT
& FINANCIAL AID
Student workers at St. Kate’s earn
$3,000+
per year, working just 7 hours/week. St. Kate’s Office of Financial Aid
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF WORKING ON CAMPUS?
Students who work on campus are making valuable connections with other students, staff and faculty within the St. Catherine community. Flexible scheduling works around your courses, athletic events or other campus activities, and you have convenient access (no car required!). Students who work on campus are exempt from FICA tax, so you earn 7.65% more each pay period than if you work off campus. Research also shows that students who work on campus do better academically and have higher graduation rates.
WHAT KINDS OF JOBS ARE AVAILABLE?
Jobs are available in a wide variety of areas. Positions include admission ambassador, dining, tutoring, IT, events, and more.
HOW MUCH DO ON-CAMPUS JOBS PAY?
The basic wage for first-year positions is $15.57 per hour. Students returning to the same position typically receive an increase in their pay rate. Wages for advanced positions that require greater skill and responsibility can be slightly higher.
HOW MUCH CAN I EARN?
The amount you earn depends on how much you work. We strongly suggest not working over 20 hours per week. Working 10-15 hours per week will help increase your income without affecting academic performance. The figures below can help you determine how much you’ll need to work throughout the school year in order to meet your financial obligation or daily expenses. Any earnings over winter and spring breaks count toward your financial aid work-study offer, but keep in mind that many offices will not require your presence at that time.
30-WEEK ACADEMIC YEAR YIELDS THE FOLLOWING:
MONEY MANAGEMENT
WORK HOURS PER WEEK
TOTAL PER ACADEMIC YEAR
8
$3,736
10
$4,671
12
$5,605
$15.57 PER HOUR
We offer students a free, award-winning money management program to learn how to budget and save, both in college and beyond. Sessions cover everything from outside scholarships to credit card basics. You can sign up for individual appointments and take a course that will help you implement money management strategies immediately.
FIRST-YEAR
JOB PLACEMENT PROGRAM Working while attending college is a great way to get involved, make new friends, and network within the St. Catherine community. It fosters connections to faculty and staff, and offers flexible scheduling. The University provides the majority of funding, about $2 million annually for student wages. Additionally, federal and state work-study funds provide meaningful support to our student employment program, and these are paid to eligible students according to our yearly allocations. The University’s financial commitment to student employment allows us to offer the First-Year Job Placement Program.
HOW DOES FIRST-YEAR JOB PLACEMENT WORK?
WHAT IS THE DEADLINE TO APPLY?
The First-Year Job Placement Program offers students the opportunity to be placed in a position on campus. An application to participate in the job placement program is included in your financial aid offer packet. Prior to the start of fall semester, the student employment coordinator will review applications, conduct an assessment, and match students to available jobs. Some positions will require an interview. Students will be placed into a position prior to the start of the fall semester. Please note that we cannot guarantee positions for all students.
Students are encouraged to apply by June 1 to be eligible for the job placement program. Students with federal or state workstudy offers will have priority for placement. Students who do not meet the June 1 deadline will be offered instructions on conducting their own campus job search.
WHAT IF THERE IS A SPECIFIC JOB I WANT TO APPLY FOR? Many factors go into job placement, such as schedule, timing, experience, and number of open positions for each area. Every effort is made to put you in one of your top choices, but choice preference is not guaranteed.
WHAT IF I WAIT UNTIL SCHOOL STARTS TO APPLY FOR A JOB? Students who choose to wait until they arrive on campus to apply for on-campus jobs will conduct a traditional job search using KatieCareer by Handshake, St. Kate’s online job database. Handshake requires that students apply to campus positions using a resume, and sometimes, a cover letter.
I enjoy working on campus because they are considerate of your class schedule, you save time and energy because you don’t have to drive anywhere, you get to meet other Katies, and you earn money to help with school expenses.” — EMILY RODRIGUEZ SANCHEZ ‘25
(continued on back page)
WORK-
STUDY WHAT DOES WORK-STUDY MEAN?
WHAT IF I DECIDE NOT TO USE MY WORK-STUDY?
As a student at St. Catherine University, you are expected to help contribute toward your educational expenses, whether you maintain an off-campus job or use the work-study program to work an on-campus job. Work-study on your financial aid offer does not guarantee employment. You must still seek and receive employment in order to earn those funds. Note that work-study, just like off-campus employment, is not automatically applied to your student account — you earn it throughout the year! If you use work-study, you will receive a bi-weekly paycheck during the semester.
Since work-study is considered a resource for paying your educational costs, if you decide not to participate, you will need to find alternative ways to pay your student account balance. Perhaps you worked over the summer and were able to save money for college, you or your parents have alternate resources you can use, or you decide to borrow additional loan funds to cover the work-study portion of your financial aid. You should talk with your financial aid counselor about the options available to you and your family.
WHAT IS WORK-STUDY PREFERENCE? All students are encouraged to apply for student employment; however, those applicants who have been offered federal or state work-study funding as part of their financial aid offers will receive priority consideration for on-campus jobs. This does not mean that students without federal or state work-study cannot receive an on-campus position. All hiring decisions are based on experience, education, schedules, and abilities. If all factors are equal, the federal or state work-study student would receive consideration first.
WHAT ABOUT SUMMER? Many students decide to work on campus during the summer, although not all positions may be available during summer break. Since summer is considered a period of non-enrollment, it does not count toward your financial aid work-study offer. However, there is an expectation that students will work over the summer, whether on or off campus, to help contribute toward their educational expenses for the upcoming school year.
QUESTIONS? F or more information about working on- or offcampus while attending St. Catherine University or about the First-Year Job Placement Program, contact the student employment coordinator at 651-690-8685 or email studentemployment@stkate.edu. For questions about financial aid and work-study as a first-year student, contact the Office of Admission at 651-690-8850 or 1-800-656-KATE (5283) or email admissions@stkate.edu. © 2023 St. Catherine University 01-006-1123
stkate.edu