“I do it for the money,” is the most common reason given by NIU students when asked why they work during the school year.

“Approximately 6,000 students work on campus during the school year,” Student Employment Coordinator Melody Amundsen said. But only about 3,000 students are on the payroll during the school year because some students come to work and then quit. However, the overall number of students who have worked is 6,000, Amundsen said.

Students can work on campus as long as they are enrolled in at least six credit hours at NIU and not on academic probation, she said.

If a student is on academic probation but wants to work on campus, he must get permission from his advisor, Amundsen said.

She said most students working on campus will earn campus minumum wage, which is currently $3.80 per hour, but it will be raised to $4.35 an hour this April.

Amundsen said the University Food Service is the largest employer on campus. About 700 to 800 students work for the food services on campus.

The food service’s minimum wage is higher than other university employers’ wages, $4.40 an hour, as an incentive to encourage students to work for them because of the type of work involved, she said.

The Holmes Student Center and Founders Memorial Library also employ a large number of NIU students, she said.

Alicia Moates, administrative assistant and student employee at Founders Memorial Library, said close to 250 students work at the Library during the school year and more than 100 students are employed by the Library during the summer.

Students with full class loads who are concerned about fitting their class time with work time can schedule their work loads around their classes.

While school is in session, students can work up to 43 hours during a pay period which averages to 20 hours a week. Students are paid the first and 16th of every month. When school is not in session, students can work up to 37.5 hours per week, Amundsen said.

If a student has a grade-point average of 2.5 or better, he can get permission from the student employment office to work up to 65 hours during a pay period, or 30 hours per week, she said.

Students wanting to work on campus should go to the student employment office in Swen Parsons Hall, room 245, with their social security card and NIU photo identification card to get work certification. Students cannot work on campus without being certified.

Students who are unsure of where to work on campus can use books that are available for students’ use in finding jobs on campus. “It’s up to them (students) to find a job,” Amundsen said.