Work-Study Students to Be Paid for Remainder of the Semester
The Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center normally relies on student workers for clerical work. Photo by Michael D Wilson
Work-Study Students to Be Paid for Remainder of the Semester
Those in non-work-study jobs who cannot work remotely will receive wages for two additional weeks
With the overwhelming majority of BU students now hunkered down at home and learning remotely as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s become impossible for most of those with work-study jobs or on-campus jobs to continue working.
The University announced Friday, March 27, that students with federal work-study jobs will be paid for the remainder of the semester, whether or not they can work remotely. Student employees who do not have federal work-study jobs and are unable to work remotely will be paid for two additional weeks, and then their employment will temporarily end.
“The University understands that our student workers depend on this income to assist with their expenses,” says Christine McGuire, vice president and associate provost for enrollment and student administration. “Last week more than 4000 students were paid on the weekly payroll for work in critical campus and online learning support, mostly through remote work. But many BU students do not have this opportunity.”
Non-work-study, nonremote students, who have not been paid since before spring break, will receive two weeks of pay based on their standard weekly hours, for the weeks ending April 10 and April 17.
For instance, students are working remotely for the Center for Career Development, the Peer Tutoring Program, and the Educational Resource Center. They have been assisting staff with developing graphics and reports, taking part in interviews with next year’s student ambassadors, and conducting remote résumé and cover letter reviews and tutoring sessions over Zoom. But for other students, such as those who serve food in campus dining halls or swipe IDs at FitRec, working from home is impossible. Students have been turning to forums on Reddit and Facebook to voice their concerns about whether or not they would continue to be paid.
Under the federal work-study program, students are awarded work-study as part of their financial aid package. Work-study wages are not used towards tuition, but students rely on them for living costs and incidentals. The US Department of Education urged colleges and universities in March to continue to pay federal work-study students, even if they are no longer able to work, saying that the loss of this form of financial aid could be “devastating.”
Mary Ann French, director of the Student Employment office, says that more than 11,000 students have held a job this year, including federal and nonfederal positions.
“Many departments across the University rely on student workers to perform everything from research to tutoring to event assistance,” McGuire says. “The workforce, as well as the work performed, in many ways mirrors the University’s full-time staff, providing critical labor in support of the University’s primary mission.”
If students are experiencing a financial hardship because of COVID-19, they are asked to contact the University Service Center at usc@bu.edu as soon as possible.
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