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Second-year pre-psychology student Wanna Sahachartsiri has a work-study job on campus as a clerk.

The Federal Work-Study Program is emerging as a source of stability for students during troubled financial times.

Despite the end of State Work-Study Program funding – which, last year, made an additional $1 million available to UCLA work-study – the UCLA Financial Aid Office has adjusted to maintain student placements in work-study jobs.

But while students have been largely unaffected by the state cut, work-study employers facing new demands are cutting some positions.

UCLA still ranks No. 10 on a list of public schools with the most work-study funding.

“We have continued to award work-study to students who are eligible,” said Elizabeth Paniagua, a work-study program coordinator.

“In fact, historically, we have always over-rewarded, meaning that more students are offered work-study than actually participate in it,” she added.

This academic year roughly 12,000 students were offered work-study and 4,000 students are participating.

The Financial Aid Office has changed the way that student work-study wages are paid in order to make up for the loss of state funding.

With work-study, the federal government pays a portion of student wages and the employer pays the balance.

In previous years, the pay split was 60-to-40, with the government covering 60 percent of wages and the employer covering 40 percent.

This year, however, the ratio has been changed to 50-50.

In this manner, the Financial Aid Office has been able to stretch the $3.4 million it has been given for work-study by the federal government.

This money allotment is more or less constant, Paniagua said, adding that she does not expect next year’s allotment to change substantially, nor should work-study eligibility criteria change.

“Work-study funding is allocated independent of fee increases,” said Hanan Eisenman, media coordinator for admissions at the University of California Office of the President, reiterating the inflexible nature of the funds.

One way the work-study program can adjust its given budget is to carry forward or backward 10 percent of its money allocation.

“If current trends continue, we would be borrowing from next year,” Paniagua said.

She indicated students are utilizing, and hence draining, this year’s work-study funds.

Work-study positions are available in a wide array of areas, from office work to laboratory research to technical support.

Salary ranges from $9 to $16 per hour, and students may work up to 20 hours a week to earn the money for which they are eligible.

UCLA has set maximum wage cap for freshman and sophomores at $2,500, and at $2,000 for juniors and seniors.

An exception is made for students placed in positions designated by UCLA as community service. These students may petition for an increase in eligibility to a maximum of $5,000.

Second-year pre-psychology student Wanna Sahachartsiri considered taking a community service position through BruinCorps.

Instead, she decided it was more convenient to work on-campus as a clerk for the Deans Office for the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies.

“My current work is nicely tailored to my skills,” Sahachartsiri said.

She mentioned how her work requires her to be organized, detail-oriented and comfortable in a fast-paced environment.

Another benefit to her job is that it accommodates her school schedule. Also, it pays better than minimum wage.

Sahachartsiri receives $9 to $10 an hour, and, in compliance with the new work-study policy, half of this money comes from her employer.

Paniagua said the work-study office surveyed departments on campus to gauge their reaction to being responsible for covering an increased 10 percent of students’ wages, from 40 to 50 percent.

“They responded very favorably, as they understood the climate we were facing (the loss of state funding),” Paniagua said.

Unfortunately, not all departments were able to handle the new 50-50 split, when combined with other fiscal difficulties.

This year, the Royce Humanities Group was unable to rehire their work-study employees.

“We used to have two students working at our front desk, putting in a total of 20 hours a week,” said Raquel Escobar, the front office manager.

These students used to run errands, distribute fliers, and do high-end clerical work for 6 departments.

“Without their help, it has really been a stretch for us. There are endless things to do,” Escobar said.

“The University really relies on student help. Work-study is a strong backbone of campus.”