Helena College offers Montana State and Federal Work-Study Programs. The Work-Study Programs provide on- and off-campus employment opportunities to students in order to help meet their educational expenses. The Work-Study Program is funded through part of a total financial aid award based upon financial need. Students must be eligible in order to qualify for employment.
Students who participate in the Work-Study Program are paid biweekly. Students earn their Work-Study award on an hourly basis, the same way they would at a regular job.
Job Search & Responsibilities
The Work-Study Program provides students flexibility and responsibility. The Scholarship & Work Study Officer does not provide job placement for students; thus, jobs are not guaranteed for any student who is eligible for a Work-Study award.
Helena College operates its Work-Study Program in a “free market” environment, which means that the College does not assign you to a specific job. You are free to apply to any open position. The job search process allows for open communication between the student and supervisor and encourages students to contact only those departments and/or supervisors of jobs of interest. If a student has trouble finding a job or has not received responses from one or more supervisors after several attempts by email or phone, he/she should contact the Scholarship & Work Study Officer for assistance.
Although many employers post vacancies on the Work-Study Positions webpage throughout the academic year, most job openings are posted at the start of the school year in July and August. Don’t wait! Begin applying to positions early.
We recommend that you apply for several positions. The more positions you apply to the better your chances are of obtaining a job. Applying to just one position and waiting to hear back before applying to additional openings is not a good strategy.
If you do not hear back from an employer, follow up no more than a week or two later to reinforce your interest in the position and inquire about the status of your application.
To check your eligibility and obtain applications, please contact the Scholarship & Work Study Officer or the Financial Aid Office.
For more information regarding the Work-Study Program at Helena College, please review the Student Employment Handbook. If you are a supervisor looking for information here is the Work-Study Supervisor Handbook.
Positions for 2024-2025
Admissions & Records Work-Study
Department: Admissions & Records
Date Posted: 7/1/2024
Semester/Year: Fall 2024/Spring 2025
Location: Donaldson Campus
Hourly pay rate: Starting at $13.00
Hours: Up to 20 hours per week
Position(s) Available: 1
Supervisor: Marika Adamek , Assistant Registrar—406-447-6909
Duties: File and record management, answering a multiline phone, accepting documentation from students attending or applying to the college, making phone calls on behalf of Admissions Counselors and Registrar, answering questions of students and the public that enter the Welcome Center. May assist students during registration on computers, assist in mailings generated by Admissions and Records. Assist with recruitment efforts through data entry, making packets, answering questions regarding the admissions process and Helena College programs.
Other Requirements: Experience in communication, clerical, and customer service skills. Knowledge of the Helena College student portal, Word, Excel, Outlook, and Access recommended, but not required.
America Reads Work-Study
Department: Financial Aid Office
Date Posted: 7/1/2024
Semester/Year: Fall 2024/Spring 2025
Location: Local Elementary Schools
Hourly pay rate: Starting at $13.00
Hours: Up to 20 hours per week
Position(s) Available: 2
Supervisor: Valerie Curtin , Executive Director of Compliance & Financial Aid—406-447-6913
Duties: Literacy Tutors may be employed in a pre-reading or reading program for individual students or groups of preschool through elementary students, and also Family Literacy programs. Math Tutors may be employed to serve children in kindergarten through ninth grade.
Cashier’s Office Work-Study
Department: Business Services
Date Posted: 7/1/2024
Semester/Year: Fall 2024/Spring 2025
Location: Donaldson Campus
Hourly pay rate: Starting at $14.00
Hours: Up to 20 hours per week
Position(s) Available: 1
Supervisor: Cari Schwen, Executive Director of Fiscal Services—406-447-6920
Duties: Include but are not limited to: answering customer questions, providing information on procedures or policies; counting money in cash drawers at the beginning of shifts to ensure the amounts are correct and that there is adequate change; issuing receipts, refunds, credits, or change due to customers; maintain clean and orderly working areas; receive payment by cash, check, credit cards, vouchers, or automatic debits; direct customer complaints; calculate total payments received during a time period and reconcile this with total database transactions; perform general office duties including sorting mail, copying, faxing and filing; and handing confidential information. To be able to perform the duties specified above, the cashier assistant must be computer literate, have a good knowledge of Microsoft Office, have an accounting/math background, and have exceptional communication skills. Attention to detail is required as well as reliability, punctuality, and willingness to learn.
Facilities & Maintenance Work-Study
Department: Facilities & Maintenance Department
Date Posted: 7/1/2024
Semester/Year: Fall 2024/Spring 2025
Location: Donaldson Campus/Airport Campus on occasion
Hourly pay rate: Starting at $13.00
Hours: Flexible, up to 20 hours per week
Position(s) Available: 1
Contact: John Rutherford , Director of Facilities and Maintenance – office 406-447-6917
Duties: Responsible for event venue set-up of furniture and fixtures including cleaning before and after events. Greeting and interacting with college staff, faculty, and guests to satisfy their needs including last-minute changes. Perform general routine custodial work such as sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, emptying trash and recycling, cleaning windows, shoveling snow; cleaning, sanitizing, and resupplying restrooms as well as special custodial work. Maintenance work to include fixing and repairing and general maintenance.
Other requirements: Must possess good customer service skills. Maintain a HIGH level of ethical behavior. Able to work with a team and independently, as well as have time management skills.
Fire & Emergency Services Work Study Assistant Position
Department: Fire and Emergency Services
Date Posted: 7/1/2024
Semester/Year: Fall 2024/Spring 2025
Location: Airport Campus
Hourly Rate: $15.00
Hours: Up to 20 hours per week
Position(s) Available: 1
Contact: Nolan Eggen email: Nolan.eggen@helenacollege.edu phone: (406)447-6982
Duties: Responsible for cleaning of the fire and emergency bays, as well as all equipment needed for regular operations of courses or hands one activities. Performing regular maintenance on all vehicles in the fire and emergency center bay areas. Assisting with set up and tear down of course activities or projects needed as determined by position supervisor.
Other Requirements: (if applicable) This position will occasionally require lifting equipment roughly 25lbs - 50lbs crawling under/over various emergency equipment, climbing ladders, working in enclose areas, as well as standing for long periods of time while performing duties. Able to work with a team and independently, as well as have time management skills. Attention to detail is required as well as reliability, punctuality, and willingness to learn. Must have an interest in the Fire and Emergency Programs at Helena College and or be enrolled in the program.
K-12 Partnerships Work-Study
Department: K-12 Partnerships
Date Posted: 7/1/2024
Semester/Year: Fall 2024/Spring 2025
Location: Donaldson Campus/Airport Campus on occasion
Hourly pay rate: $13.00
Hours: Up to 20 hours per week
Position(s) Available: 1
Contact: Cheryl Ravenscroft, Dual Enrollment Coordinator - 406-447-6993
Duties: The K-12 Partnerships Student Assistant will work collaboratively to support creative projects to generate content that can be used for prospective and current dual enrollment students and families. Projects may include: creating short instructional videos with screenpal, reviewing website content, designing graphics for use on the website and for other dual enrollment materials, assist in the planning and promotion of career exploration events, creating newsletter content for students, parents, and/or school staff.
Qualifications: Should have graphic design experience, and web design experience.
Media Arts Studio Aide & Monitor
Department: Gen Ed: Humanities Fine Art
Date Posted: 7/1/2024
Semester/Year: Fall 2024/Spring 2025
Location: Donaldson Campus
Hourly pay rate: $13.00
Hours: Up to 10 hours per week
Position(s) Available: 1
Supervisor: Seth Roby , Fine Arts Instructor, 406-447-6992
This position would be for a student to be present and available of the lab in the media arts room located on the Donaldson campus, for students to use. Currently the Media Arts students can only gain access to the lab during class hours. The room remains locked outside of those hours, this work study position would allow the lab to accessible during outside class hours.
Duties: Include cleaning the room,assisting students use the lab, oversee the tools and studio space. Have hours outside of the media arts classroom time to be free to work. Monitor computer usage, printers, scanner, and other technology usage as well in the studio when students use them. be the contact for the instructor and report regularly the on goings of the media arts studio. Assist with any set up or prep material for upcoming lessons, making sure students clean up afterwards.
Requirements: Strong communication skills, positive attitude, detail oriented, ability to work independently and meet deadlines. Knowledge of Media Arts equipment and studio operations preferred but not required. Able to work any day of the week that the media art room is not being used for classtime. Has good time management and a willingness to help students in the arts.
Necessary Narratives Assistant
Department: Academics
Date Posted: 7/1/2024
Semester/Year: Fall 2024/Spring 2025
Location: Donaldson Campus
Hourly pay rate: $13.00
Hours: Flexible, up to 20 hours per week
Position(s) Available: 1
Contact: Virginia Reeves, Writing & Communications Instructor 406-447-6964
This position works with the director of the Necessary Narratives program. The position includes training on the art of interviewing and recording, audio editing and mixing, and simple web design.
Duties: Include tagging and ordering existing narratives by theme, updating existing narratives to include date of graduation or current student status, reorganizing the website by theme, assisting with new recordings, editing and publication to the website, assisting with the production of the Necessary Narratives podcast, planning and organizing open mics, photographing participants.
Experience in any of the above is preferred, but not required. Must maintain a HIGH level of ethical behavior and confidentiality of any and all information regarding participants in the program.
Nursing Department Work Study Position
Department: Nursing
Date Posted: 7/1/2024
Semester/Year: Fall 2024/Spring 2025
Location: Donaldson Campus
Hourly pay rate: $14.00
Hours: Up to 20 hours per week
Position(s) Available: 1
Supervisor: Debra Rapaport , Nursing Dept. Director—406-447-6987
Duties: Include (but are not limited to)faculty support by helping to set up nursing labs prior to lab. Preparing clinical packets by copying, filing, and maintaining organization of lab supplies. Administrative support by conducting mailings, report compiling, file audits, updating the nursing bulletin board. Preparing for graduation/pinning ceremonies, keeping printer stocked with paper and shredding and recycling.
Experience in any of the above is preferred, but not required. Must maintain a HIGH level of ethical behavior and confidentiality of any and all information regarding students in the program.
Parking Monitor Work-Study
Department: Facilities & Maintenance
Date Posted: 7/1/2024
Semester/Year: Fall 2024/Spring 2025
Location: Donaldson Campus/ Airport Campus
Hourly pay rate: $13.00
Hours: Up to 20 hours per week
Position(s) Available: 1
Supervisor: Tommi Haikka , Assistance Director of Facilities & Maintenance—406-447-6936
Duties: Applicant needs to be able to perform several duties, such as parking lot patrol, administering parking permit program, issuing parking ticketing recommendations to the Executive Director of Operations and/or Facilities Director. The work study may be under the instruction of the Personnel Officer and the Facilities Director, or his designated representative.
Expectations: the successful candidate will be expected to maintain a regular schedule of work always arriving at the designated times. The work study maybe at times, given responsibilities of access to sensitive areas of staff, employees and classrooms. However, they will not be allowed to enter the Faculty area without express approval from the Facilities Director.
New Tiered Payscale for Work-Study
The three tiers have been determined by
- The range and complexity of job duties,
- The knowledge and skills requirements necessary to perform the job, and
- Equity (wage relationships with other student employees doing similar work).
Student Earning Ceiling
The chart below reflects the estimated number of hours a student may work per week to fully utilize his/her employment eligibility during the academic year. These figures are based on a possible 30 weeks of work for the academic year (excluding breaks).
Student Employment Week
Student Employment Week is April 13-19, 2025.
Why We Celebrate
Helena College employs a wide variety of student workers who perform invaluable services with passion, commitment, and initiative. All while developing important skills and experience they will carry with them into their future careers upon graduation. Our student employees contribute so much to the campus community and providing access and support to our students’ success.
In addition, through the Federal Work Study Program, several local nonprofit agencies hire Helena College students to work in community service positions for their organizations.
We encourage all departments to recognize them for their hard work not only during Student Employment Week, but throughout the year to let them know that their efforts are valued.
Student Employee of the Year Nominations
Supervisors nominate their student workers for Student Employee of the Year.
Click on the form below to nominate your employee! Form submissions will open January 13th, 2025 and will close February 10th, 2025 at 5pm!
Purpose
The Helena College Student Employee of the Year Award was established to recognize and help promote the outstanding contributions and achievements of Helena College students who effectively combine campus work with their academic commitments. We look to supervisors within the college to nominate student employees who they feel are especially worthy of recognition based on their performance.
Nominee Criteria
Nomination forms should be completed and submitted to the Scholarship & Work Study Officer. To be considered, nominations must be complete and submitted NO LATER THAN 5:00 pm, February 10th of each year. Additional letters of nomination may be submitted by following the instructions at the bottom of the nomination form.
To be eligible for consideration, the nominee must be:
- Currently enrolled in at least 6 credits as a Helena College student;
- Working at least 10 hours a week on- or off-campus as a Work Study student;
- Employed with the same department/office for at least 6 months during the selection period which is the academic year July 1 st to June 30th; and
- Must be maintaining good academic standing.
- Nominees are not restricted to students employed through the Federal/State Work Study Programs. All student employees are eligible for consideration.
Please keep the following guidelines in mind:
- Must be nominated by a Helena College employee by using the forms link above.
- Please submit a one page letter of recommendation and upload it to the forms link above.
- A committee comprised of the Work Study Committee and a representative of Helena College Student Government Association will select the Student Employee of the Year. The student employee selected will be announced during the Student Employment Week.
Tips for nominating your student employee
- It is best to type up the letter of recommendation letter before completing the nomination form. Please note that you may only attach one document that is no more than 2 pages in length. These may also be emailed to the Scholarship & Work Study Officer dana.palen@helenacollege.edu.
- Nominations will be reviewed for minimum eligibility requirements. Only students meeting the minimum eligibility requirements will be reviewed further. The Student Employee of the Year should be maintaining academic performance while working.
- Reviewers will be reading for specific examples of how this student demonstrates the following: Team work/Collaboration, Commitment, Excellence in Attitude, Initiative & Creativity, and Problem Solving. Avoid only using general statements.
- The nominators of the students selected as Student Employees of the Year will be notified in advance to the awards ceremony to ensure they will attend.
Should you require additional information, please call (406)-447-6914.
Past Student Employee of the Year Awards
2018-2019 Student Employee of the Year
Lakota Lawson- Admissions & Records
2017-2018 Student Employee of the Year
Stanley Munson- Financial Aid Office
2015-2016 Student Employee of the Year
Gregory Matteucci- Machine Shop
2014-2015 Student Employee of the Year
Lori Cooper- Student Support Center
Notice to all Helena College Work Study Students:
All payroll information/changes may be made at Cyberbear.
Instructions: Login to Cyberbear using the above link. Below the sign in boxes under the Need Help With Your Account? heading click What's My NetID? Enter the requested information to retrieve your NetID and then click the Forgot Password link to obtain password to login.
To obtain calendars of time periods and time sheets go to HR Forms page under Payroll.
Please contact the Helena College Financial Aid Department at 406-447-6916 with any questions.
Helena College provides equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees without regard to race, color, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, marital status, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, or political beliefs.
