Community Service Work Study

Students who have been awarded work-study have the unique opportunity to combine their need for employment with their interest in community service.  The UMass Student Employment Office has approved more than 100 community organizations on and off campus as worksites for students with work-study.

For current work-study job postings and more information about Community Service Work Study, visit the Student Employment website.

How community service work-study works

Work-study funds are part of a student’s financial aid package.  The federal government pays a portion of the student’s salary, making it more affordable for organizations to hire students.  Community organizations pay only a percentage of the student’s wages, making it a much more cost-effective way to employ student staff. 

Community organizations interested in applying for this program should consult the definition of community service below.  Organizations that qualify can contact the UMass Student Employment Office at (413) 545-1530 for more information and an application.

Definition of community service:

"services which are identified by an institution of higher education, through formal or informal consultation with local nonprofit, governmental, and community-based organizations, as designed to improve the quality of life for community residents, particularly low-income individuals, or to solve particular problems related to their needs, including:

1. such fields as health care, child care, literacy training, education (including tutorial services), welfare, social services, transportation, housing and neighborhood improvement, public safety, crime prevention and control, recreation, rural development, and community improvement;
2. work in service opportunities or youth corps as defined in the National and Community Service Act of 1990;
3. support services to students with disabilities; and
4. activities in which a student serves as a mentor for such purposes as tutoring, supporting educational and recreational activities; and counseling, including career counseling."

Taken from the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended by the Higher Education Amendments of 1992, and the Higher Education Technical Amendments of 1993