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If you are like most students, then you are strapped for cash. The cost of college is constantly on the rise with tuition, books and room and board getting more and more expensive every year. Just one year of school can cost well over $30,000 in some institutions.

This is one of the reasons work-study programs have been established. Work-study programs are, essentially, a program where you receive financial aid for college in exchange for work. Work is usually part time and will go directly to your tuition or other college expenses.

The Federal Work Study Program, put on by the Federal government, is the largest work-study program in the nation. In fact, 3,400 institutes across the nation participate in the Federal Work Study Program which means there is an extremely high chance that your preferred school is one of them.

To determine if you qualify for the Federal Work Study Program who will need to fill out a Student Aid Report (SAR) from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) website. This report, which is free, will indicate if your situation qualifies you for the work-study program.

Federal Work-Study programs can be either on campus or off campus and companies across the nation participates in this program. There are usually a number of hours you can work per week and many of the jobs are in community sectors, such as in the library, in administrative offices or in child care centers.

There are work-study programs at the state level as well. To learn more about your state work-study program, check out your state’s education website. Furthermore, many college institutes also have their own work-study program. Often work-study programs at the private institute level will involve on-campus duties such as tutoring and working in the student centers. Visit your financial aid office on campus to learn about your options.