For students struggling to make ends meet, some on-campus jobs not only pay a salary but also help pay for food and dorm costs.

The Department of Housing and Residential Education employs about 500 students, making it one of the largest student employers on campus.

Many jobs provide flex money and a discount on room payments.

“Our student staff is the core of what we do,” said Larry Hicks, director of the housing and residential education.

With such a large workforce comes a substantial payroll. Hicks said roughly $1.9 million is spent on salaries and benefits for the students, which includes $110,000 for meal flex.

Hicks said that reduced housing costs adds up to about $1.3 million.

Jobs range from residential advisor to working at the front desk of community offices.
About half of the student employees serve as residential advisors, he said.

Most residential advisers receive a $450 a month stipend and $200 in flex money a semester and a reduced housing price.

Lauren Smith works as an RA in Craige Residence Hall and said her favorite part of the job is building relationships with residents and coworkers.

“You make more friends through your staff,” Smith said. “You build a family.”

Other positions in the Housing department receive other benefits.

For example, student coordinators for living learning communities receive reduced housing along with $300 in flex plan per semester but don’t receive salaries.

Sophomore Tara Summerville, a student coordinator in Ehringhaus’s Service and Leadership living-learning community, said that although she loves her job, she wishes that student coordinators received an income like the RAs.

Office assistants work at the front office of a community and handle things such as missing keys and checking out items such as DVDs and games. They make $7.25 an hour.

The community manager position pays $8,000 a year and $200 in flex money. Applicants must have previously served as an RA or office assistant.

Michelle Austin, a community manager in Craige Residence Hall, said that working for housing has taught her to rely on her own abilities as a leader.

“(My community director) is not going to lead me by the hand,” Austin said. “He’s going to let me figure it out. That’s really been the best and the most challenging part.”

Applications for all these jobs can be found on the department’s website.

Many applications have rolling deadlines, and hiring occurs throughout the year.

Other positions include residential computing consultants, summer RAs and public relations-marketing interns.

Smith said that employees are not necessarily those who are most outgoing, but those who best represent the University.

“I think that everyone can be a part of housing,” Smith said. “Maybe it’s not being an RA, or a student coordinator, but something else. There’s really no limit to working in housing.”

Contact the desk editor at university@dailytarheel.com.