At the beginning of every semester, Northeastern students awarded with federal work-study have one week to try to tie down a desirable job.

In 2003, 3,800 students were awarded work-study, earning just under $5 million by the end of the year, according to Northeastern’s Financial Aid Office.

These students searched through stacks of paper listings, called and visited offices, and went to interviews to find work schedules that would fit around their classes. Some students, however, never reached that final point and were unable to find an available work-study job that would not interfere with their classes.

Stephanie Gallup, a sophomore physical therapy major, thought she had a job lined up at Children’s Hospital, but when it fell through a week into fall semester, she couldn’t find any work-study positions on campus.

“When they are hiring, it’s easy to get a job, but when they are not hiring there is nothing you can do,” Gallup said.

Relief could be on the horizon for Gallup and many other students as soon as July 1. The lengthy process is being replaced by a web-based search engine for Northeastern students to seek out work-study jobs.

The site will be similar to the career search Web site, Monster.com. Students will be able to search for positions based on the hours they want to work or what kind of job they are interested in. The online program, which is currently in the early implementation phase, will bring much needed updates to the current paper system.

“The current system predates the web, and even some of the students,” said Seamus Harreys, dean of financial aid.

The online program will also allow students to be hired online, fill out their weekly timecards and set up an account that will notify them when new positions that meet their criteria become available. This will eliminate the current paper process, a listing of co-op positions that doesn’t have information on which positions have been filled or which hours are available.

“It’s really to benefit the students,” Harreys said.

Until this new program is put into effect, students who can’t find jobs are encouraged to check with the work-study office for suggestions on where to apply.

The work-study office refused to comment.

Richard Doyon, assistant director for special projects at student financial services, recommended that students who can’t find work-study jobs apply at the university bookstore and the library, because of the large number of positions available at those locations.

“Don’t give up. There are always positions on campus. We never have enough positions to fill all the requests we get,” he said.

Until a more centralized system is put in place there are no guarantees that the available positions can be found.

“I applied everywhere; I put my name in at the library, but no one was hiring,” said Gallup.

Work-study availability is not just an issue for students in class; it is available to students on co-op as well. Work-study co-op jobs are positions, mostly in the Boston area, at non-profit organizations that pay students through their federal work-study funds. The downside to this system is that some very desirable co-op jobs are only available to students with financial need.

Steven Marchaund, a sophomore biology major who said he came to Northeastern for the co-op experience, hoped to build his resume and try out his desired field before graduation. Marchaund was looking forward to applying for a job in Boston, but learned that the only three co-op jobs that Northeastern has set up for students in marine biology, including one at the Boston Aquarium, are work-study co-ops.

“It’s not my fault that my parents make enough money that I can’t have work study,” Marchaund said. “Working at the aquarium would’ve been perfect for me.”

Many students agreed that their parents are financially stable, but as students, they still need a source of income for weekly expenses and would like to work on campus in one of the many work-study positions.

According to Harreys, Northeastern doesn’t have much control over the amount of work-study funds that are distributed. Seventy-five percent of the money comes from the federal government and the other 25 percent is matched by the university, he said.

Each year the university gives out 5 to 15 percent over this amount, to make up for the students who do not use up all of their work-study funds. If any of the federal money is not used it needs to be given back to the government, but according to Harreys the projections over the past few years have been accurate and no money has been left over.

“It’s a very good program that I wish the federal government would participate more in,” Harreys said.

He also stressed the power that students have over the situation, encouraging students of voting age to get involved during this election year.

“The availability of more funds is contingent upon Congress and contingent upon voters,” Harreys said.