by Michelle Thornton
Staff Writer
As a part of their financial aid award package, many University of La Verne students were awarded federal work study this year.
The aid is received through working at an on-campus job. The money can either go to the student directly or can be signed over to the student accounts office to be credited to the student’s account.
ULV students and some departments have been complaining that these jobs are hard to come by.
Donna Kent, assistant director of financial aid, said that there has not been a cut in the number of work study jobs on campus nor has there been a cut in the number of students to receive work study.
Of the 20 or so departments many are full or are only missing a few positions and that is due to terminations, or from students who have denied their work study aid.
“No student who wants to work will not have a job guaranteed,” said Kent.
Dr. Marlin Heckman, head librarian, says he often has problems finding and keeping his work study employees.
Dr. Heckman said that so far this year he has had 23 students work for the library. Of those 23 students, six of them have already quit. Many by what Dr. Heckman calls “self-termination.”
“Most of them are self terminations. They don’t show for two or three weeks, and then when they do, they don’t want to work,” said Dr. Heckman.
Last year, Dr. Heckman had 22 positions open and throughout the year he had 43 people fill those positions. He ended the year with 16.
Lou Ann Shier, business manager for the Movement and Sports Science Department, says she has problems finding non-athlete workers.
In this situation the conflict comes up when all your athletes play in the games that need to be worked.
“Athletes want to work in the athletic department,” said Shier.
Shier also said that the department’s need for workers is much higher than the number that they have presently working for them.
Kent said the allocations given to each department are the same throughout the year and they do not change.
The Child Development Center also has problems finding work study workers because they are located off campus near the Fairplex and many students have a hard time getting there. ULV vans will work with students schedules and help transport them to the center if needed.
It is also easier for students to work a few hours here and there when they can leave straight from class and walk to their job, instead of driving to off campus locations.
“I think this is an important position to have. We help you learn work. For many of these students this their first work experience, but they have to be here to do that,” said Dr. Heckman.
Hourly pay rates for work study students are $5.75 for the first year, $6 for the second year, $6.25 for the third year and $6.50 for the fourth year.
