Jobs & work-study

Having a job while pursuing your UC education is one way to meet your student contribution and reduce the amount you'll have to borrow. UC expects that a typical student will work part-time (10-20 hours per week) during the school year, and full-time during summers.

There are a couple of ways to approach having a job while pursuing your UC education:

Work-study

Your financial aid package may include work-study funds. Work-study is a form of student employment limited to part-time during the school year, and students usually work no more than 20 hours a week.

Partially funded by the federal government, this program provides financial assistance through student employment. Instead of a financial aid payment, your work-study award is paid in the form of a payroll check for time/hours worked.

However, most UC students who work during the school year do not have work study awards, as there is a limited amount of federal work study funding available.

Some UC campuses also offer campus funded work-study programs, but these are also limited. All students with work authorizations in the U.S. can work utilizing campus funded work-study.

Visit the U.S. Department of Education to learn more about federal work-study.

Other part-time jobs

Regardless of whether or not you qualify for work-study, you can likely find a part-time job either on or off campus.

Balancing work and study 

Most students who receive financial aid also work 10 to 20 hours per week during the school year and more in summer during college. Saving for your education before you enroll – by working during the summer, for example – will reduce your need to work during the school year. It's up to you to decide how many work hours you can handle during the school year. Campus student employment offices list hundreds of jobs on and off campus, and most employers can accommodate your class schedule.