Earning money while you’re in school can be a great way to help pay for college. But be careful. Research has shown that working more than 12 hours per week can get in the way of your studies.
Some good job opportunities for college students
If you’re careful about how you use your time, here are some opportunities you may want to look into:
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Part time jobs
If you make $17 per hour and work ten hours a week you could make around $5100 per school year! And you might even discover something you like to do. -
Federal work study
Fill out the FAFSA early and sign up for the Federal Work Study Program. This program, created especially for students with financial need, isn’t available at every school, but it’s worth asking about. Note: You still have to research and apply for available jobs at the college you are attending. -
Semester/holiday break
Most colleges have a long holiday break. If you take a holiday job for 40 hours a week for 3 weeks at $17 per hour, you could earn $2040! And still have a week or two to relax. -
Summers
If you work 40 hours per week at $17 per hour for 10 weeks you can make $6,800. These jobs get filled up starting in February, so scope out the good ones and apply early. Be sure to go to all the job fairs at your college and keep an eye out at the career center.
By the way, according to the 2022 US Tax Code, if you earn more than $12,950 a year, you may have to pay taxes on that income. But even so, it’s better to earn more with taxes than less without them.
Why it’s good to limit your work hours
Think about it. If you put in too many hours at work, and not enough to keep up in class, you may have to re-take a course or two. That means you’d be paying for those courses twice – which would cost much more than whatever you’d earn at a job. Not to mention that it’s bad for your GPA.
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