With a Federal Work-Study job, the student will work part-time on or off campus to help pay for education expenses. The Federal Work-Study Program is open for undergraduate, graduate and professional students with financial needs.
Not all schools participate in the Federal Work-Study Program. To find out if a particular school is a participant, contact that school’s financial aid office.
Can I do Work-Study even if I study full-time?
Yes, the Work-Study program is available for students that are enrolled full-time or part-time.
Wont the work clash with school?
When assigning you work hours, your school’s financial aid office and the employer must consider your class schedule and your academic progress.
How many hours can I work per month and academic year?
How much you can work will depend on how much you can earn, and how much you can earn will be determined by the size of you total Federal Work-Study award.
The size of your Federal Work-Study award is impacted by several factors, including:
- Your financial need
- Your school’s funding level
- When you applied
What is the pay?
The pay must be the current federal minimum wage or higher. Your earnings will depend on several factors, including which type of work you do and which skills that are required.
- Undergraduates are always paid by the hour.
- Graduate students and professional students are paid by the hour or by salary, depending on the work.
How often will I receive my pay?
You will receive your pay from your school and you must be paid at least once a month.
You will be paid directly (cash or check) unless you ask the school to use the money to pay for your educational expenses, such as your tuition, school fees, and room and board.
If you want the money to be deposited into your bank account instead of getting cash or check, you have to notify your school about this.
What kinds of job are available?
The Federal Work-Study Program is administered individually by each participating school, and the available job positions and tasks can vary considerably from one school to another. The program encourages the schools to offer community service work, work in civic education and work related to the student’s course work, but you may be offered an on-campus job that doesn’t really fall into any of these categories.
Off campus work
The Federal Work-Study jobs offered off campus will typically entail working for a private nonprofit organization or public agency, but some schools also have agreements with private for-profit employers that provide work-study jobs.
For off-campus jobs, the work must be in the public interest or relevant to the student’s course of study.
On campus work
If you work on campus, you will typically work for your school.