A Work College—KuyperWorks™
KuyperWorks™
Kuyper College is the first institution of higher learning in Michigan, and only the 10th in the country, to be recognized by the U.S Department of Education as a Work College. Unique to work colleges is the commitment to learning through work by requiring all residential students to participate in a comprehensive work-service-learning program. The most visible display of Kuyper’s Work College initiative is our KuyperWorks program, which integrates classroom learning with the learning you experience within your workplace, either on or off-campus. KuyperWorks is designed to also help lower your tuition costs.
A Unique Educational Experience
Work-based learning is a core component of study under KuyperWorks. You will graduate with both an academic transcript and a work transcript, which details your work experience for future employers and gives you a valuable edge in today’s competitive job market.
Making College Affordable
Through KuyperWorks, your education will be more affordable. You will be compensated through a reduction in the cost of tuition, anywhere from $4,050 to $8,100 per year, depending on the number of hours worked. Compensation will flow through direct payments to your student account, tax-free.
Build Workplace Skills
You will gain many new skills during your time in KuyperWorks. However, no matter what kind of job you have, you will develop five key competencies. You will also be able to quickly connect with other students, learn to appreciate work, and lower the cost of your education.
Collaboration
You will learn to work with others to accomplish goals in the workplace.
Critical Thinking
You will sharpen your ability to think in a clear, rational way informed by evidence.
Effort and Productivity
You will experience what it means to work hard and produce results.
Professionalism
You will develop the ability to perform your job with skill, ethics and courtesy.
Theology of Work
You will develop a biblical understanding of work, and experience practical ways to live out that understanding.
Have Questions? We Have Answers!
Get answers to frequently asked questions about work colleges and KuyperWorks
What made Kuyper decide to become a work college?
Since the very beginning, Kuyper has been committed to purposefully integrating service, work, and learning. It has long been a place that offered work to students, and becoming a work college was a logical next step in that mission.
Why is being designated as a work college by the U.S Department of Education so important?
With this new designation comes opportunities for additional funding, which allows Kuyper to keep costs for students low. It also means that compensation earned in job placements is tax-free, which allows students to keep more of what they make.
Who is eligible to participate in KuyperWorks?
All students are eligible for work placements as an essential part of their studies at Kuyper College.
What types of positions are available?
Students could choose to work on-campus in places like the library, facilities, Admissions or Advancement Offices, and more. They could also choose to work off-campus with partnering organizations such as Spectrum Health, Lumberman’s, and Butterball Farms.
How many hours can students work?
They can choose to work 8, 12, or 16 hours per week. They can accomplish this by taking one position or multiple positions.
What is the compensation level?
Depending on which tier of work hours they choose, student compensation can be $4,050, $6,075, or $8,100 per year.
How exactly does KuyperWorks make college more affordable?
Compensation through KuyperWorks is applied directly to the tuition balance on students’ accounts. Since this compensation is tax-free, all of it goes toward reducing the cost of their education.
What is the difference between an academic transcript and a work transcript?
An academic transcript details what students have studied in the classroom and how well they have performed. A work transcript does the same for the workplace, showing the experience gained in their job as well as performance reviews.
How do work colleges compare to non-work colleges in preparing students for the workplace?
A research report by the Work College Consortium shows a major difference in the level of preparation cited by students in public, private non-work, and private work colleges who answered “very well” when asked how well they were prepared to go into the workforce.
Public Colleges: 48%, Private Colleges: 55%, Work Colleges: 68%.
