Co-op programs and alternating terms

A cooperative education program, usually called a co-op, lets you alternate terms in class with terms of full-time paid work in your field. This page explains the common schedules, what a work term can change for aid and loans, and what to ask before you sign up.

How the schedules work

In an alternating co-op, you spend a full term studying, then a full term working, and repeat that pattern for two or three rounds. In a parallel co-op, you work part-time while still taking classes. Schools that build co-ops into a degree often plan for it to take about five years instead of four.

The co-op office usually helps you find a placement, prepare your application and plan which terms you will work. Employers interview candidates much as they would for a regular job, so a placement depends on the employer's choice.

Enrollment status during a work term

Many schools register co-op students in a zero-credit co-op course during work terms so they keep student status. How the school reports that status matters, because it can affect health coverage through the school, campus housing and student loans. Federal loan repayment generally starts after a grace period once a borrower drops below half-time enrollment.

Ask the aid office whether your co-op terms count as enrollment for federal loans and for any scholarships you hold. Some scholarships pay only for terms when you are taking classes, while others can be paused and resumed.

Before your first work term

• Confirm how the term is reported for enrollment
• Check health coverage and housing
• Update your W-4 for full-time pay
• Plan your next class term with an adviser

Pay, taxes and later aid

Co-op jobs are usually paid, and the pay is taxable like any other wage. A full-time work term can bring in more than a part-time campus job, so review your W-4 when you start. The earnings will also appear on a later FAFSA, which is worth planning for when you budget.

Students on a student visa usually need work authorization tied to the program, often called Curricular Practical Training. The international student office handles that request, and the authorization has to be in place before the first day of work.

Questions to settle first

Ask how many work terms the program expects, whether placements can be out of state, and who covers moving or housing costs. Ask too whether a work term would delay any required course that is offered only once a year.

Talk with students a year or two ahead of you in the program, through the co-op office or a student organization. They can describe how the schedule works in practice.