Maysville Community and Technical College is one of 190 institutions from across the country that received a waiver in 2020 on federal financial aid rules from the U.S. Department of Education, allowing more students to get work-study jobs in their field of study.
The initiative, known as the Federal Work Study Experimental Site, is aimed at gathering more data to determine whether the federal work-study program can enhance a student’s learning experience and improve student retention and graduation rates and preparation for employment.
“We are thrilled to be participating in this program,” said Jessica Kern, MCTC chief officer of Enrollment and Student Services. “Our students will now have the opportunity to meet future potential employers, gain valuable work experience related to their program of study, and get paid.”
MCTC is the only community college in Kentucky selected to participate in the experiment. The college is gearing up to launch the program this semester and is working to identify employer partners and student participants. In most cases, federal work-study funds can be used to pay 75 percent of the student’s wages, while the small business employer only pays 25 percent. Participating employers will develop a job description and lead the application, interviewing and hiring process. Student workers cannot work more than 100 hours per month and employers may need to be flexible with hours in order to accommodate class schedules.
“When the opportunity came about last year, it was an easy decision to apply,” said MCTC President Russ Ward. “We plan to place about 20 students in off-campus work study positions throughout our entire service region and grow that number each semester.”
The experiment runs for at least the next three years.
Employers interested in participating in the experiment and hiring a work-study student, should contact MCTC Workforce Solutions for more information: Angie Potter, 606-759-7141, ext. 66112 or Michael Cooper at 606-759-7141, ext. 66512.
