It depends - at many schools you cannot get work-study during summer break - you have to be taking classes.
Also at many schools all you get from work-study is the “right” to look for a job. (Certain jobs are designated work-study only, others are either open or work-study). If you do not find an employer who offers you a job, you do not get to claim your grant.
Sorry, I guess I wasn’t clear. I was referring to work-study during the school year; independent employment during summer break.
My point was that it would be difficult for a student whose post-grant/scholarship school costs were @ $10-15K/year to make that kind of money during the summer break. Not too many students make $1K or more per week.
For a top-notch education @ Stanford, to graduate with $50K in loans after four years would not be that bad. I’d venture that those grads are 90%+ employed within 6 months, even in a tough economy. Most of the “highly competitive” universities make sure their students are adequately funded, one way or the other. I know most if not all the “Ivies” make sure their students are 100% funded, and graduate without debt.