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MISHAWAKA–– Working while attending college full-time is a reality for many students on campus. Even with many students needing to work, there are not as many student workers this year and there is a greater need to fill positions so campus can run as smoothly as possible.
According to Cindy Kuehn, payroll and employee benefits manager, about 20% of students have on-campus jobs. The hardest part about filling all the positions available is that many students are too busy with classes, sports, extracurriculars or other activities and do not have time to work.
“We did add a few more [positions] due to initiatives we are pursuing through some short-term grants we were awarded,” Kuehn said in an email interview.
Each position is paid about the same, but certain positions have had an increase in wages due to grant funding.
With the addition of a few new positions, there is a slightly greater need for workers. Many times, there are not positions filled and nearly everywhere on campus is hiring.
There are many benefits to working on campus. An advantage is that students are exempt from FICA taxes on their incomes, which is about 7.65% that is taken out if students have jobs off campus. In addition, students can work fewer hours and fit it into their school schedule easier. If students work off-campus, the jobs are less likely to be as flexible. Some students only work an hour or two, and off-campus jobs rarely offer that few hours. This is beneficial for having a small source of income while in school, but it is still manageable for students.
“The student is really able to customize their work schedule based on their needs,” Kuehn said.
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