The college will cap most on-campus student jobs at 15 hours per week, citing a roughly 27% reduction in federal work-study funding for next year.

The change will reduce weekly earnings for many student workers, who currently are allowed to work up to 20 hours per week during the fall and spring semesters and up to 25 hours per week during J-term and over the summer.

Columbia’s federal work-study allocation will drop from $780,780 this academic year to $570,359 next year, according to Senior Vice President for Enrollment Strategy and Student Success Emmanuel Lalande.

Lalande said the college chose to reduce hours for everyone rather than eliminate jobs.

“We felt it was more equitable to make it across the board 15 hours, to ensure that everyone is put on an even playing field,” Lalande said, adding that no positions have been eliminated.

The reduction comes as federal work-study funding faces significant uncertainty nationwide. The Trump administration’s proposed federal budget for fiscal year 2027 would reduce overall Department of Education spending by 2.9% and slash federal work-study funding by about 90%, though the plan has not been approved by Congress.

Students who receive federal work-study funding are awarded a set amount of aid through their financial aid packages, which they earn through on-campus jobs. Other student workers are paid through institutional funds, but the 15-hour cap applies to both groups.

Amelia Lutz, vice president of the Student Government Association and incoming president, said the change makes it harder for students to earn a living wage while staying enrolled, raising concerns about potential loss of SNAP benefits and broader financial insecurity.

“When we think about all of the student-driven events around campus — theatre performances, galleries, fashion shows, film sets, fabrication hours — an off-campus job will limit what students can be involved in, but many won’t have a choice if they need to make a living wage,” Lutz said.

SGA has created a student feedback form to present to the administration next week.

“Those five hours are life-changing for so many students,” Lutz said. “I hope the administration is hearing this impact and will consider how this decision is affecting students.”

The new 15-hour limit applies to the total number of hours a student can work on campus, not per job, meaning students can work multiple jobs as long as their weekly hours don’t exceed 15 under the new policy.

Some student jobs, such as student ambassadors, may be granted more hours, Lalande said. 

“It’s unfortunate having these cuts made on the federal level that is beginning to impact,” he said. “But, our goal continues to be ‘how do we minimize that impact to our students here at Columbia?’”

On Handshake, the platform the college uses to post on-campus jobs, several positions for Fall 2026 posted last month show positions at 20 hours per week, including graduate admissions assistant, graphic design student worker for the School of Communication and Culture and transfer services student worker.

Anna Ogier-Bloomer, associate dean of career development and industry relations, did not respond to several emails from the Chronicle seeking information about how many students work on-campus jobs and how many may be impacted by the policy change. 

While the 15-hour cap will apply across the academic year, including summer, whether students must reapply for their jobs depends on individual departments, according to Lalande, who said units determine staffing needs based on budgets and operations. 

“Student employment is managed at the department level,” he said. “Each department determines its hiring needs from one term to the next, including summer, based on budget, operational needs, and available hours.”

That means changes to student roles may vary across campus.

At least one academic program has already begun shifting student employment tied to coursework. Ames Hawkins, director of the School of Communication and Culture, said classroom assistant positions for radio and voiceover courses will no longer be needed as the curriculum evolves.

“Times have changed, the radio industry has shifted, and our curriculum and pedagogical approach reflects that shift,” Hawkins said. “Rather than thinking about these skill sets as separate, we understand they are integrally connected and no longer need to be separated in a classroom setting.”

Other programs are not making similar changes. Ben Sutherland, director of the School of Audio and Music, said classroom assistants in that school will continue as normal.

“There has been no announcement or news suggesting otherwise from SAM,” Sutherland said.

At the Career Center, student employees were told they will need to reapply for their jobs to continue working during the summer semester, and that the center will adjust front desk staffing to “meet the reduced summer traffic,” according to an email from Ogier-Bloomer.

“This is not expected of the Career Center,” said Ocean Kovarik, a sophomore creative writing and film and television double major.  “I worked here last year, and this did not happen. And now we’re just caught with our pants down scrambling for work before summer in a terrible job market.” 

Ethan Ivanov, a sophomore acting student who works at the library, said he is worried about how he will be able to afford housing if his hours are cut. He currently lives in the University Center.

“With this new change, we will be seeing a significant financial burden put onto student workers as we lose $300 a month with this new 15-hour cap,” he said. “This is an entire week of pay for us that will be lost if Columbia continues with their current plan.”

Editor’s Note: Some senior student leadership roles at the Chronicle are currently structured at 20 hours per week.

Additional reporting from Nico Waugh.

Copy edited by Katie Peters