In interviews with Centre students, many said they appreciate the convenience of campus jobs but feel the pay is far too low. \u201cThe work is easy and flexible,\u201d one student noted, \u201cbut it just doesn\u2019t cover much.\u201d Others mentioned that they prefer working at the Norton Center, where pay is a few dollars higher\u2014something they described as \u201cmore reasonable for a college student in Kentucky.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A number of students also said they work off campus to supplement their income, since their campus wages aren\u2019t enough to cover food, gas, and other daily expenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Understanding Federal Work-Study<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the U.S. Department of Education\u2019s website, StudentAid.gov<\/em>, the Federal Work-Study (FWS) program provides part-time employment to college students with financial need, allowing them to earn money for educational and personal expenses. Both public and private Kentucky colleges participate, including the University of Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky University, and Centre College.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most work-study jobs are located on campus\u2014in offices, libraries, or residence halls\u2014though some involve community service positions with local schools or nonprofits. Students are paid hourly and typically work between 10 and 20 hours per week. In Kentucky, the pay rate often aligns with the state and federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, though some colleges choose to pay slightly more for specialized or advanced roles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Student Wages Nationwide<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Changes to the national work-study program could make things even tougher for both colleges and students. The One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) Act<\/strong>, scheduled to take effect in July 2026, will reduce the federal government\u2019s contribution to student wages from 75% to 25%, forcing colleges to cover the remaining 75%. According to the College Benefits Research Group, this shift could result in fewer available positions, especially at smaller institutions with limited budgets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The same report notes that the 2026 federal budget proposal includes nearly $1 billion in cuts to the work-study program, which could further shrink opportunities for students who depend on campus jobs. In addition, new federal rules now prohibit using FWS funds for political work, such as campaign roles or voter registration drives, reinforcing the program\u2019s academic and community service focus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Centre vs. Other Kentucky Colleges<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Compared to other Kentucky institutions, Centre College ranks among the lowest-paying work-study programs in the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the University of Louisville<\/strong>, work-study students earn $15 per hour<\/strong>, with non\u2013work-study jobs averaging around $13.93<\/strong> (louisville.edu<\/em>). At the University of Kentucky<\/strong>, hourly wages range from $12 to $20<\/strong> depending on the position (studentsuccess.uky.edu<\/em>). Even Lindsey Wilson College<\/strong>, a smaller private institution, pays $8 per hour<\/strong> for work-study positions\u2014slightly above the federal minimum (lindsey.edu<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Centre, by contrast, continues to pay the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour<\/strong>, placing it at the bottom among Kentucky colleges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Wage Gap in Danville<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The issue becomes more striking when viewed in a local context. Within 35 miles of Danville, no jobs currently advertise wages below $13.50 per hour<\/strong>, nearly double what Centre students earn. This raises an uncomfortable question: are student workers being taken advantage of?<\/p>\n\n\n\n For many, working off campus isn\u2019t realistic due to transportation challenges, job availability, or visa restrictions. That leaves on-campus jobs as their only option, even when they pay significantly less.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Centre\u2019s broader campus community has also seen wage-related concerns. In june, faculty members agreed to redirect a portion of their annual raise toward boosting pay for custodial and maintenance staff after months of staff advocacy. As reported by LEX 18 News<\/em>, custodian Jayden Sims said, \u201cThis has been a constant issue\u2026 They keep saying it\u2019s not in the budget, but there\u2019s money for new buildings, not raises.\u201d Is the Problem Centre\u2014Or Something Bigger?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Low wages aren\u2019t unique to Centre. Across the country, pay rates have failed to keep up with inflation, housing costs, and tuition. While states like California have taken steps to raise minimum wages, Kentucky\u2019s has remained stagnant at $7.25 since 2009.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ultimately, part of the solution must come from lawmakers in Frankfort. Raising the state minimum wage would benefit not only student workers, but thousands of Kentuckians earning low hourly pay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the same time, Centre could make changes of its own. Not all student jobs are equal\u2014some, like residence hall desk assistants, can do homework during shifts, while others, such as team managers or laundry workers, require constant attention. Wages should reflect that difference in responsibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s hard not to notice the contrast between Centre\u2019s multimillion-dollar facilities\u2014new buildings, sculptures, and the $50 million Champions athletics complex\u2014and the stagnant pay for student workers. Even if many of those projects are funded by donor gifts earmarked for specific purposes, the optics are striking. Students see the money all around them but feel little of its benefit in their paychecks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Daniel Covington It\u2019s no secret that many students at Centre College rely on Federal Work-Study jobs to help make ends meet. Over the past few years, a growing number of students have begun pushing for the college to raise student wages\u2014arguing that the current pay doesn\u2019t reflect either the cost of living or the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":8351,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8966","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cento.centre.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8966","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cento.centre.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cento.centre.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cento.centre.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cento.centre.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8966"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cento.centre.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8966\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8967,"href":"https:\/\/cento.centre.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8966\/revisions\/8967"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cento.centre.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8351"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cento.centre.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8966"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cento.centre.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8966"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cento.centre.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8966"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/p>\n\n\n\n