Many students in the United States and Canada find it impossible to finance their way through university or college without working part time for a company that sells clothes or provides craft services. Toronto to Indianapolis, post secondary education is becoming more expensive with each passing year. As an answer to this problem, there has been a recent upswing in combined work/study programs that alternate terms of classroom learning with terms of practical paid job experience and are often longer in length than normal programs.

Why would you consider taking a work study program instead of financing your education the old fashioned way, through part time jobs? Because pumping gas or doing the books at a shop that does collision repair in Windsor doesn't give you relevant experience in your field. Your work during the work terms in a work/study program will probably be as an intern or other entry level minion, but it will be for firms in your field that will look good on your resume. It's also not uncommon for the firms that hire you for work terms to offer you a job once you graduate.

Where could you find yourself working during your work terms? Terms generally last from three to four months, which is long enough to include a relocation. Some students apply for local positions so they can stay in the same apartment, while more adventurous students apply all over and might find themselves working at a language school in Canada or Southeast Asia.

What sort of programs offer work/study options? The main sources of such options are undergraduate university programs like engineering and mathematics, where the specific nature of the program of study gives students a narrow range of job options. You're unlikely to find work/study options in fine arts or social sciences, simply because graduates of those programs could find themselves working anywhere, from libraries to custom printed packaging companies.

What schools should you look into if you want to do a work/study program? Universities and private training colleges are your best bet, but such programs are no longer a university trademark. Canada's top technical schools offer work/study programs and here in Indianapolis you can find them at Purdue University, the University of Indianapolis, and Ivy Tech State College. The programs they are offered with vary, but include social work, engineering, and business. For more information, visit the website of the university you're interested in.