The money that funds Tennessee State University‘s student work study program will run out of funds before the semester ends.

Nearly 900 of the university’s students were notified Thursday, just days before the beginning of Spring Break, about the situation. The jobs they’ve had all school year were at risk of elimination, leaving many without a source of income.

For the past eight months, hundreds of TSU students have spent countless hours out of class working on campus like Brittany Delfs, who said work study has been convenient.

Students are able to work on campus and the money to pay them comes from both federal and university dollars.

“Coming from class and getting to come right here makes it so much easier than having to drive somewhere else,” said Delfs.

A university spokeswoman said because of the rocky economy and limited jobs – more students utilized the federal funds during the 2009-2010 school year.

“This is money I definitely depended on to get around, to do my daily things other than school. I was on deferred payment, so I was paying for school with this money,” said sophomore Dejanel Henry.

There was some good news that came from a meeting at the university Friday morning. The administration decided to allow different departments to use operational funds or grants to pay work study students for the remainder of the semester.

“We had to switch them to institutional fund in our office, and many of the offices around campus are doing that so that we can keep them working,” said Interim Director of Financial Aid Amy Boles Wood.

The school had nearly 900 students granted work study, but more than 200 students never accepted a job on campus. If students do not work, they never receive the funds.

While students have an allotted about of money they can earn, they are only paid for the hours they work.

Each month the university could spend more than $100,000 for work study. Boles Wood said the university is working hard to ensure all students, who have consistently worked, will have a job.

There is no official number of how many students are able to continue working through the work study program.

A spokeswoman with TSU said there are around six more weeks left within the semester where work study students can earn money.