Federal Work Study (FWS)

Employing Federal Work Study Students

The FWS program provides part-time jobs for degree-seeking èƵapps with financial need, allowing them to earn money to help pay for educational expenses. Employing FWS èƵapps can result in significant savings for your college or department. Since most of the cost of employing an FWS èƵapp is federally funded, work-study èƵapps are a budget-friendly way to meet your departmental needs.

As a èƵapp employer, you have access to a talented pool of FWS job applicants with various personal, academic, and career interests that can meaningfully contribute to meeting your department’s business needs.

Work-study positions enable èƵapps to:

  • Gain valuable work experience in a professional environment
  • Build their resumes
  • Make connections across campus
  • Have a more enriching college experience
  • Be more competitive in the workforce post-graduation.

FWS positions can be on-campus or qualifying community service jobs, off-campus. Community service jobs must be approved annually and are primarily managed by the Center for Career & Professional Development

Benefits of Employing an FWS Student

Employing FWS èƵapps has several benefits:

  • FWS employees are “real” employees and are valuable to help with time-limited or seasonal tasks.
  • Work-study èƵapps diversify your work environment. Their input can provide useful information for improving communications and processes, offering real-life feedback, and more.
  • A department only has to cover 25% of the cost of the èƵapp’s wages; 75 of the wages are federally funded.

FWS Allocation

The Provost, each VP, and the Dean are given a Spending Authority (SA) Allocation to cover FWS payroll expenses for all hiring units under their authority. Each is responsible for sub-allocating spending authority to their hiring units and ensuring none exceeds the allocation.

Each hiring unit must determine how many èƵapps they can hire within their SA allocation. Hiring units must stay within the SA allocation and the èƵapp’s awarded amount.

If you do not have an FWS Spending Authority Allocation, contact your Vice President or Dean to inquire about FWS funds.

Hiring Department Responsibilities

The hiring department or èƵapp supervisor is responsible for the following:

  • Create FWS job descriptions on Handshake and follow employment guidelines and policies.
  • Select èƵapp candidates and initiate èƵapp interviews.
  • Offer FWS jobs and follow HR hiring procedures.
  • Collect class schedules each term to ensure èƵapps are not overlapping their class and work schedules.
  • Monitor FWS expenditures to ensure:
    • The èƵapp’s earnings do not exceed the FWS award.
    • The department is not spending more than their FWS Spending Authority Allocation.
  • Ensure the employee is eligible each semester for èƵapp employment.
  • Each department determines the pay scale for its èƵapp employees. The departments have the right to pay FWS èƵapps based on skill. The pay may vary by department. 

Student Eligibility Requirements

Students must meet the following eligibility requirements to maintain their FWS employment.

  • Degree-seeking
  • Enrolled at least half-time
  • U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen
  • Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
  • Meet Satisfactory Academic Progress
  • Meet financial aid eligibility requirements

FWS Restrictions

  • FWS èƵapps can work up to 20 hours per week.
  • The work schedule and class schedule cannot overlap.
  • Students must remain within the FWS award allotment and cease working if the award is exhausted.
  • Students must cease working if enrollment drops below half-time status.
  • Students must cease working if they no longer meet Satisfactory Academic Progress.