HCC ranked among top colleges for Federal Work-Study aid

Oct 25, 2016

The Student Loan Report has ranked Houston Community College (HCC) number three in the nation for Federal Work-Study Employment, having placed 739 students in jobs through the Federal Work-Study (FWS) Program in 2016. The average amount earned per job was $5,500.

HCC was also ranked number five in Texas for the most overall financial aid awarded to its student body through the FWS Program.

The Student Loan Report, which released the study, ranked colleges and universities across the country using statistics from the August 2016 Peterson's Undergraduate Financial Aid Database to calculate the rankings.

Formerly known as College Work-Study Program, the FWS Program funds part-time jobs at participating university campuses for student workers in need of financial aid. According to the U.S. Department of Education, hourly wages must not be less than the federal minimum wage. Student earnings may be used toward tuition, textbooks, or living expenses.

HCC student Breanna Williams is a FWS Program recipient and works as an assistant in the Financial Aid department while completing coursework for a dual degree. Williams, who plans a career as a dental hygienist, said that the work-study program has helped her develop time management skills.

“I work 19 and a half hours every week, which is the maximum number of hours the program allows. The rest of the time I’m studying,” explained Williams.

The FWS Program provides an alternative to student loans. According to the 2016 Student Loan Report, approximately 60 percent of undergraduates are borrowing federal student loans. Of those borrowers, only 56 percent are successfully repaying the loans.

Breanna Williams will not become one of those statistics. Through the FWS Program, she will graduate in 2017 debt-free.

For more information about the Federal Work-Study Program, visit www.ed.gov/programs/fws.