On-Campus Jobs vs. Loans: Covering Tuition for Nepali F-1 Students
On-campus work feels like the perfect side hustle. You earn U.S. dollars, meet people on campus and keep your visa in good shape. The question is whether that income can close a real tuition gap or if you still need a loan. This article gives you clear rules for F-1 work, a simple way to run the math and a short plan to lock in campus income without hurting your grades.
What F-1 work really allows on campus
Know the basics before you plan hours or a budget:
- You can work up to 20 hours per week during the academic term. During official breaks you can work more hours if your university allows it.
- Jobs include library aide, lab assistant, dining, gym front desk and some research roles. Ask international student services for a list.
- Off-campus work needs separate authorization: curricular practical training (CPT) during your program or optional practical training (OPT) after graduation. Learn work authorization for international students rules early so you do not risk your visa status.
Time and energy are also limited. A heavy course load plus 20 hours of work can harm grades. Most Nepali students find eight to 15 hours is the sustainable range during term.
A quick earning-picture you can adapt:
- Pick a realistic campus wage in your city. Many roles fall in a mid-teens per-hour range.
- Multiply by weekly hours, then by paid weeks. During term you may have about 15 weeks of work. During a long break you may add four to eight more weeks if you stay on campus.
Example for one term only:
- 12 hours per week × US$14 per hour × 15 weeks = US$2,520 before taxes
What this means:
- On-campus wages rarely cover tuition. They can help with food, local transit and part of housing.
- If you depend on this income for rent, choose roles that match your class schedule and ask about steady shifts before you accept.
Pro tip for Nepali students:
- Open a bank account near campus as soon as you have the right documents. Direct deposit avoids paper checks and “convenience” fees on cards.
- Use campus tools listed under international student resources to find departments that hire steadily, like housing, the library or the gym.
Run the numbers for your tuition gap
Think of your budget in three lines: what the university will bill, what you already have and what is missing. Write each line in your notes app:
- Annual cost of attendance: tuition and fees from the university page, plus the living items your school lists
- Money in hand: scholarships, savings and family support
- Gap: line 1 minus line 2
Now estimate what on-campus work can add:
- During term: weekly hours × hourly pay × weeks in term
- During breaks: weekly hours × hourly pay × weeks available
If your gap is US$24,000 for the year and your realistic on-campus earnings across two terms and a break total US$5,000 to US$7,000, you still face a large shortfall. Campus work reduces the loan size you need, but it rarely replaces a loan for tuition.
Keep your study abroad budgeting honest:
- Do not count overtime or wish-list hours. Use the lower end of your range for term weeks and the middle of your range for breaks.
- Add a small buffer for taxes and unpaid weeks during exams.
- If your university is in a high-cost city, assume housing will absorb most of your campus income. Plan to fund tuition separately.
If family in Nepal plans to help with living costs:
- Ask them to send fewer, larger transfers to reduce FX and wire fees.
- Align transfers with your rent due date so funds arrive a few days early.
- Keep a shared note with amounts and dates so everyone sees the same plan.
How MPOWER Financing can help
MPOWER Financing focuses on international students at eligible universities in the U.S. and Canada. For eligible U.S. programs, funds can be used for approved education costs such as tuition, fees and education-related living expenses listed by your school. For eligible Canadian programs, funds cover tuition and university-invoiced expenses. That policy clarity helps Nepali students decide what to fund with a loan and what to cover with work or family support.
Here is how many Nepali students pair the two:
- Use on-campus income for month-to-month needs like groceries, transit and a portion of rent.
- Use a no-cosigner private student loan option to close the tuition gap after scholarships and savings. The goal is a smaller principal so international student loan repayment stays comfortable during OPT.
- Choose fixed rates so your future monthly number is clear. You can ask for a sample payment schedule before you sign, then keep your campus hours steady without chasing overtime.
Why this pairing works:
- Your visa story becomes simple. Tuition is funded by a clear source that matches the university’s cost of attendance. Living costs are covered by campus work and planned family support.
- Your cash flow is balanced. You do not rely on unpredictable overtime to pay a tuition bill.
- You keep family assets in Nepal unpledged if local bank collateral is a concern.
Bringing it all together: A simple way forward
On-campus work is worth pursuing, but treat it as support for rent, food and transit rather than a full tuition solution. Use conservative hour estimates during term, aim for steady shifts that fit your classes and protect your grades first. If your earnings do not touch the tuition bill, that is normal for most Nepali F-1 students.
When a gap remains, pair campus income with a right-sized education loan that covers only the shortfall after scholarships and savings. For U.S. programs, confirm whether funds can be used for approved education costs such as tuition, fees and certain living expenses listed by your university. For Canadian programs, expect tuition and university-invoiced expenses only and plan living costs separately. Ask for a sample payment schedule so your first payment feels realistic, then set auto pay and keep a small buffer.
Keep your story simple for the visa window and for yourself. Tuition is funded by a clear source that matches the cost of attendance. Living costs come from campus work and planned family support. If your family will help from Nepal, send fewer, larger transfers to cut FX spread and wire fees. Revisit the plan each term, adjust hours as classes change and keep all documents in one folder so funding, work and academics stay in sync.
