Federal Work Study Overview: Earning Tuition Through School-Coordinated Jobs
The Federal Work-Study (FWS) program is a $1 billion dollar program that helps low-income students earn money to pay college costs. FWS may be offered along with grants and loans as part of a financial aid package. It is administered by approximately 3400 participating colleges and is funded to a large extent by the federal government but schools and other employers also contribute to the program. Limited funds are allocated to schools for one academic year at a time so the neediest students usually get first preference.
Who is eligible?
U.S. citizens, permanent residents and eligible non-residents who attend school full-time or part-time as undergraduate or graduate students may be eligible. Financial Aid Administrators have a great degree of flexibility in granting federal work-study awards so there is no predetermined financial-need requirement. Students can only work in the U.S., or at a U.S. government facility such as a military base or embassy overseas. Additionally, the school the student is attending must be a participant in the FWS program.
How does a student apply to get a work-study award?
As with most other financial aid, students must submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to be considered for the FWS program. The resulting Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) information is sent to each school that a student listed on his/her FAFSA application. Each school that offers work-study as a financial aid option will automatically consider each student for this aid along with other federal, state and school aid.
What kinds of jobs are available?
There are several different types of work-study jobs available. Community service jobs, on-campus jobs and jobs related to the student’s major are the primary types of jobs.
The FWS program requires that at least 7% of work-study jobs be community service jobs that are in the public interest. Some examples are tutoring, working in a library, a public healthcare facility or with law enforcement, among many others. These jobs are offered by public agencies or non-profit organizations. The America Reads and America Counts programs are a source of many community service work-study jobs.
On-campus jobs can range from peer-tutoring to faculty assistant to web development. Some schools have agreements with for-profit organizations that offer jobs related to a student’s major.
How much do these jobs pay and how much can a student earn?
Undergraduate students earn an hourly rate that must be at least the federal minimum wage or higher. The rate depends on the type of work being performed. Graduate students may be paid hourly or a salary. No work-study job can be based on commissions or fees. Students are awarded an amount for work-study and cannot earn more than the award amount. If there is money left-over, it cannot be rolled into the next year. In some cases, a student may continue working after the award amount has been met if the employer agrees to pay directly. The average award is typically in the $1200-$1600 range.
How does a student find a work-study job?
Schools typically list on-campus work-study jobs on their website and have career centers to help students find jobs. However, the responsibility ultimately falls with the student to find a job. In some cases, a student can create or find a job that is of particular interest or is related to their major even though it doesn’t exist as a work-study job initially.
How are work-study jobs funded?
Funding varies depending on the type of work-study job. For private sector jobs, the employer pays 50% and the federal government pays the rest. On-campus jobs and off-campus non-profit jobs receive 70% of funding from the federal government and the school or non-profit pays the rest. Two exceptions to this are the America Reads and America Counts programs which are paid for 100% by federal government.
Federal Work-Study Tips
- Apply early as funding is limited – Students should submit the FAFSA as soon after January 1st as possible.
- Some award money goes unused – Some students don’t take advantage of their work-study award so students may want to contact their financial aid office to ask about unused aid.
- The best jobs may be hard to get – Students should take the interview process seriously to get the job they want.
Resources
U.S. Department of Education Work-Study Program description.
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