Simpson to raise work study pay

Simpson to raise work study pay

by Allison LaneStaff Writer

Simpson work-study students will receive a raise in their hourly wages in accordance with the minimum wage increase in the state of Iowa.

The pay increase will not come into effect this current semester but will start for those who stay on campus to work during the summer and for the rest in the fall.

For the normal work study student, the raise is on a sliding scale. The first jump will be to $6.20 per hour, and starting in spring of 2008, the hourly rate will be $7.25. This is equal to the change in the state’s minimum wage.

For the undergraduate assistants on campus, the change will be a little different. They currently earn $7.25 an hour, and starting next fall, they will earn $8.25 per hour. This raise will not be two-part as the normal work study but will still give the undergrads a raise.

Tracie Pavon, assistant vice president for enrollment and financial assistance, said the tight budget doesn’t allow for large raises across the board.

“I think it’s fair to the students and Simpson to try and get it to balance as well as possible,” Pavon said.

Financial Assistance Counselor Karla Gilson said the current number of students in Simpson’s work study program is more than 600, which is a fairly large percentage of the total enrollment.

The plan to raise students’ salaries was done in such a way that the effect on the college would hopefully be minimal since the budget stayed the same.

“I think with the undergrad rate increasing, we’re being fair,” Gilson said.

One possible change students may see next year is a decrease in the number of hours of work. Unless the department needs more money to pay students necessary to keep it properly running, its budget will remain the same. This means either the number of students working or the number of hours could be cut.

Pavon said this will not necessarily be the case, however. While some students could see a slight change in their hours, several departments do not currently use every last bit of the money in their budgets and will be able to use that to lessen the impact also.

“Because we have so many students working, Simpson says to the supervisors that they have the same budget,” Pavon said. “Not many, though, are using all their budget, so the impact on students will be minimal.”

Tracy Robson is a junior who gets her work-study hours in by serving as one of Hawley’s undergraduate tutors for math. She said the program set up on campus is very convenient for the students.

“You can set up your own hours, and the job is right here on campus,” Robson said.

When told about the different pay scales for next year, Robson said she still plans on holding an undergraduate position. For her, the job isn’t only about the pay but about what she does to earn it.

“I just like doing my job,” Robson said. “It’s exciting when everyone’s goes up but as long as mine doesn’t go down, I’m not concerned.”