You have /5 articles left.
Sign up for a free account or log in.
First Hires at the University of Miami is one avenue to support student persistence through addressing financial needs.
University of Miami
Thousands of college students receive Federal Work-Study aid as part of their financial aid package each year. Unlike other forms of student aid, the responsibility of accessing work-study dollars often falls on the shoulders of the student to identify, apply for and land a role at their college or university.
The University of Miami is helping streamline this process for incoming students, helping explain what work-study is, how it can be accessed and some of the available positions students can fill.
First Hires, launched in summer 2023, reduces the barriers for new students to engage with Federal Work-Study opportunities and has contributed to increased retention rates among participants.
What’s the need: Federal Work-Study allows qualifying students to work on campus using federal aid dollars and is included in a student’s financial aid package.
Internal analysis by two university’s offices, Student Success and First Year Foundations as well as Student Financial Aid Assistance and Employment, identified that students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds persisted at lower rates compared to their peers. Students who were employed in Federal Work-Study jobs persisted at higher rates than those students who were not employed, showing an opportunity to maximize student engagement and retention.
Students, however, experienced confusion with how the program functions as well as how to find or apply for student employment.
“They were overwhelmed and underinformed and were missing out on important financial resources as well as amazing early-career development opportunities,” said Darby Plummer, executive director of student success and First Year Foundations.
In response, the offices created a resource for students prior to stepping onto campus to clear up some of this confusion.
How it works: Incoming first-time, full-time students who accept the Federal Work-Study offer in their financial aid package are invited to participate in First Hires.
Now, before they arrive on campus for the first term, students can learn more about work-study, available roles on campus and what they need to be successful in landing one of these opportunities.
First Hires provides three webinar offerings for students throughout the summer. The event is hosted by the Student Success Center, with support from the Office of Student Financial Assistance and Employment and the Toppel Career Center.
Potential Cuts to Federal Work-Study
Proposals to cut Federal Work-Study funds have been introduced at the federal level in cost-saving measures from House Republicans.
The sessions highlight national and institutional data on the benefits of on-campus employment when it comes to student success and college satisfaction ratings, as well as how work-study functions and how to identify available jobs.
Additionally, each webinar features campus partners who hire Federal Work-Study employees in a sort of virtual job fair, sharing opportunities like desk assistants in the Wellness Center, dining service assistance, technology specialists and more.
Participants can get more personalized support from staff during the Q&A portion of the webinar, as well as a virtual résumé writing and interviewing skill–building workshop.
The impact: During summer 2023, 63 students participated, and this number nearly doubled in summer 2024 to 121.
Feedback has shown that First Hires addresses students’ questions about work-study and clears a pathway to participation.
In addition to instilling more confidence in students to land these roles, the university saw more utilization of available funds and students who participated in the First Hires program earned a higher average GPA in their first term, compared to their peers who were eligible but didn’t opt in.
“First Hires allowed us to match students and jobs effectively leading to better placement rates, and helped students make connections on campus,” said Daniel Barkowitz, assistant vice president of student financial assistance and employment.
Next, the university is considering avenues to build in more support for Federal Work-Study students throughout their first term, including monthly lunch-and-learn events that would prioritize career workshops, peer-to-peer mentorship connections and leadership development.
Do you have a career-focused intervention that might help others promote student success? Tell us about it.
