Work Program
How the Program Works?
Learning to work responsibly is a vital aspect of the educational experience at Bass Memorial Academy. Work experience develops self-confidence and trains students for future contributions to society.
Work opportunities are available on campus and in the school industries. Job assignments will be based on ability, financial need, and class schedule. Each student must accept the job assigned by the work coordinator. Students will not be allowed to miss work except for illness or school-approved trips and leaves.
Student work will be evaluated on attendance and performance. The following conditions must be met in order to receive a satisfactory work evaluation:
Teaching students the value of a good work ethic is one of the goals of the Seventh-day Adventist educational system.
Students must be at least fourteen years old to work at Bass and 16 years old to work more than three hours per school day. All students must work a minimum of two hours per day, but depending on a student’s age and their job assignment, it is typical to work 2.5 – 3 hours per day.
Students working on-campus who faithfully attend work on a daily basis, can typically earn between $250-$275 per month. If a family chooses to have 10% taken out of a student’s pay for tithe, and an additional 10% taken out for student bank, then students typically earn between $200-$225 per month towards their school bill. If a student chooses to pick up additional shifts on the weekend, these amounts can increase.
The academy does not promise or guarantee the amount of work hours that will be provided through the work program. Students receive paychecks for their hours worked after deduction of applicable taxes. As part of the registration process (called Online Enrollment), students and parents determine how they wish to allocate the student’s earnings for tuition expenses, tithe, and to their Student Bank on campus. Students can withdraw these funds at any time. Details and instructions are provided on the Online Enrollment form prior to registration each year. Students who receive financial aid may not allocate more than 10% of their earnings to student bank.
There are a limited number of campus jobs during the summer. Preference is given to current students who have a balance on their accounts. The blueberry packing house on campus employs students who are at least 16 years old. Other available campus jobs may be available in the maintenance or grounds departments, or in the administration offices.
Students may also find work at Camp Alamisco and other SDA summer campus. Check with each Conference on their minimum age requirement for summer workers.
Mega Books program (literature sales in Gulf States and other Conferences) recruits students.
All summer jobs listed above are eligible for a 25% matching scholarship from Bass if the following requirements are met:
1. Students must work the full period of time that they commit to work at the beginning of the summer. Quitting early will forfeit the matching scholarship.
2. All paychecks must be delivered to the BMA business office, signed and applied to the students’ tuition account. 10% may be applied to tithe and 10% may go to the student bank. At least 80% must go to the tuition account. If only some of the paychecks are applied to the account, no matching scholarship will be granted.