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by Karli Greenfield | Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes

So your student received a financial aid offer, and there is an “award” amount listed for Federal Work Study, or FWS. Or maybe, your student received a financial aid offer but Federal Work Study was not listed, and you are hoping that your student is eligible for work study funding. Let’s discuss the FWS Program, and answer the question, “How does FWS work?”

Defining Federal Work Study

The FWS Program provides need-based funding to your student’s college, to cover a portion of the part-time employment funding required to pay your student for work performed. Simply put, if eligible, FWS funding helps cover the payment cost of employing your student. While not all schools participate in the FWS program, most do.

Eligibility Requirements

FWS funding may be available to students who are enrolled in a degree-seeking undergraduate, graduate, or professional degree program. Students may be enrolled as either part-time or full-time. Students are required to submit the annual FAFSA form, and must have remaining financial need, as determined by your student’s college financial aid policies (in accordance with federal student aid regulations).

Common FWS Program MYTHS

1. Your student will earn minimum wage. While your student will be paid at least the federal minimum wage, many schools will have a pay range higher than this rate.
2. FWS funds will be applied directly to your student’s bill. FWS funds are not automatically applied to your student’s bill for direct charges incurred at the school. Rather, your student will be paid in the form of a paycheck per pay period, to be used at their individual discretion.
3. Your student is guaranteed an on-campus job. While some schools have comprehensive FWS programming that assists eligible students in securing an eligible on or off-campus FWS job, some schools do not. Either way, your student will likely be required to search and apply for applicable job opportunities.
4. My student is not eligible for federal FWS funding, so they cannot get an on-campus job. While some schools require student workers to be eligible for FWS funding, many do not. Even if your student is not eligible for federal FWS funding, they may still be able to secure an on-campus job that is paid for by institutional funding resources.

Keep in mind that work-study jobs may be limited on your student’s campus. Given that your student is not necessarily guaranteed a work-study job, it is important to consider work-study earnings as ideal for assisting with your student’s day-to-day expenses, rather than providing substantial funding towards direct charges by the institution (your student’s bill).

Encourage your student to apply for work-study jobs before beginning or returning to school each academic year. Prompt them to proactively reach out to departments and employers with positions related to your student’s program of study. Most importantly, discuss work-study options with your student’s college financial aid office, and ask for school specific FWS opportunities and eligibility requirement information. Remember, there are no silly questions in this process; if you never ask, you may never know.

Learn more about Federal Work Study at Catholic University