Living & Working On or Off Campus

Students may choose to take a campus job during the academic year, work during the summer months, or take an off-campus job. In most cases, students will use these earnings to pay for a student's personal expenses, books, and supplies—not College-billed charges such as tuition, housing, food, and the student activity fee.  

In addition, some students choose to live off campus, which may impact a student's expenses and have implications on a student's eligibility for Swarthmore College Scholarship. 

Tax Considerations

The College cannot provide tax advice so all students are strongly urged to utilize resources and professional tax advice when  they have questions about taxable income from work, or other income. Many resources are available on the Internal Revenue Service website.  Income paid to you directly through Student Payroll will be reported on your annual Swarthmore College W-2 wage statement form.

Working a campus job

Many students work a campus job to gain professional skills and to meet the needs of a portion of their educational expenses. If your financial aid decision contains a component of campus work, you will receive this funding only after performing work and submitting a timesheet per the College's state policy.  All campus jobs are paid hourly through the Student Payroll Office.  All questions regarding student employment should be directed to the Student Employment Office.

Summer earnings expectations

Swarthmore’s expectation is that students will work during the summer months and be able to save about $2,000 in the summer before beginning at Swarthmore and about $2,500 in the summers after the first year. 

If you choose not to work, are unable to work, or are unable to save this amount of money, you may work more during the academic year or may be able to borrow additionally to fill the gap. If this is the case, please let the Financial Aid Office know as soon as possible if you will earn or borrow more during the academic year.

Living off campus 

The vast majority of Swarthmore students choose to live on campus. If you choose to live off campus (but not with your family), the Financial Aid Office presumes that you will need to pay housing and food expenses equal to the amount the College charges. Therefore, the budget that is used to determine your aid eligibility is the same whether you live on or off campus. 

Although College aid cannot exceed your College bill, you may use federal, state, or family resources to meet off-campus living expenses. Students who have questions about how living off campus will impact any financial aid eligibility should contact the Financial Aid Office prior to making any formal arrangements.  By doing this, students can fully understand how living off-campus might change their financial obligations.