DEPARTMENT WORK STUDY POLICY AND PROCEDURES
Commonly Asked Work Study Questions:
What is work study and how does it work?
How is a student eligible for work study?
How does a student apply to receive a work study award?
Work study Rules and Restrictions
How much should we pay our work study student?
How does a student apply for a work study job?How many hours per week can a student work under the FWS program?
What does the awarded FWS amount mean?
What is the definition for community service?
What is work study and how does it work?
The Federal Work Study (FWS) program provides opportunities for students to work on/off campus while attending school half-time or greater. Most work study positions are on-campus. All off-campus agencies must have a contract through the FWS department to employ FWS students. These contracts are already established and are extremely limited in number.
A work study award is like other forms of financial aid in that students receive an award for a certain dollar amount. The difference is that the student must earn the award in a work study job. As the work study student works, his or her work study award helps to pay that student's salary. The student receives a paycheck twice per month for hours worked and regular income taxes are deducted. The amount of FWS awarded to you by the financial aid office is the maximum amount you can earn throughout the fiscal year which is July 1-June 30. Once the student has earned an amount equivalent to his/her award amount, the employer has the option to hire the student as an hourly employee and pay his or her full salary, or terminate him or her.
How is a student eligible for work study?
A student interested in work study must meet the following requirements:
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To be eligible for work study, a student must be admitted and matriculated in a degree-granting program. Applications for undergraduate, graduate, and international student admission are available from the Admissions Office, 250 Student Services Building.
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The Federal Government funds the work study program so a student must be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen. If the student is not a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen, he or she may contact the International Center at (801) 581-8876. They will provide information about funds that are available to international students.
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The student must be attending classes half-time or greater at the institution from which they wish to receive financial aid.
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A student must have financial need. Financial need equals the difference between what the University of Utah estimates it will cost to attend this institution and the amount the student and the family will be expected to provide, as determined by the U.S. Department of Education.
Example: Estimated Cost to attend the University of Utah
(- subtract) Expected Family Contribution (EFC)_______
=
Student's Financial Need
- Changes to any part of this equation will, in turn, change how much work study a student is eligible for or if the student is eligible at all.
- A student must be making Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAT) toward a degree in order to be eligible for financial aid. Please refer to the policy for a specific outline of the SAT standards.
How does a student apply to receive a work study award?
A student must complete the online Free Application for Financial Student Aid (FAFSA) or the renewal FAFSA. The FAFSA is available from your high school counselor or the Financial Aid Office at any college or university. The FAFSA can also be filed electronically on the Web at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov .
The priority-filing deadline is March 15 of the calendar year prior to the academic year for which the student wants aid . (Example: For aid during 2002-2003 academic year, apply by March 15, 2002.)
Complete the electronic online FAFSA or mail the paper FAFSA or Renewal FAFSA by priority filing deadline for the earliest consideration for available funds. The student must also check the box in Step One of the FAFSA indicating he or she is interested in work study. Most aid programs have limited funding. Applicants who file by the priority-filing deadline are considered first for such aid.
If the student does not apply for need-based aid before the priority-filing deadline, he or she may still do so at any time during the academic year, as long as the information for the Federal Processor reaches the University of Utah before the last day of class for the semester that you are requesting aid. However, paper applications take approximately 120 days to process, and tuition and fees must be paid on time. Filing an electronic application can shorten the processing time.
If a student is not offered FWS by filing the FAFSA by the priority-filing deadline and would like to be considered, the student must request in writing to the Financial Aid Office that his or her name be placed on a FWS waiting list. All qualifications must be met and the student must comply with all provisions set forth by the Financial Aid Office to remain eligible for FWS. A student must be awarded FWS funds prior to being hired as a FWS student at a department.
Work study Rules and Restrictions
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FWS students' work hours are limited to 20 hours per week during the semester. A workweek of 39 hours is allowed during a summer term in which the student is not enrolled and during semester breaks (i.e. Spring Break, Holiday Recess). Students that consistently work more than 20 hours per week will be penalized with the loss of the FWS award.
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A student cannot earn more than the amount of his or her award.
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A student must be making Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAT) toward a degree in order to be eligible for financial aid. Refer to Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAT) policy for a specific outline of the SAT standards.
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Work study awards are subject to change or cancellation. Violations of any work study rules or changes in any aspect of a student's financial aid file may result in reduction or loss or that student's award.
- Students must promptly submit any paper work or information as requested by the Financial Aid Office. The status of a student's financial aid often hinges on the requested information.
- The student could lose his/ her award if he/she fail to provide requested information. The student must reapply for FWS each year she/he would like to be considered. After the award has been made, the student has 45 days to find a job before their FWS award is cancelled. Also, the student's remaining FWS award will be cancelled if the student stops earning work study wages for a period of 60 days or more.
How much should we pay our work study student?
How does a student apply for a work study job?
The department must determine how much the work study student will be paid. Contact Human Resources if assistance is needed. The employing department must pay 100% of any wages exceeding $10 per hour.The student must contact the employing department for information on how to apply. A listing of open work study positions is available to students outside the Student Employment office (Student Services Building, Room 350).
How many hours per week can a student work under the FWS program?
A student can work up to 20 hours per week under the FWS program. Limiting the hours ensures that the student's main priority is school while gaining related work experience. Throughout summer semester and semester breaks (ie. Christmas break, spring break), a student is allowed to work up to 39 hours with the approval of his/her employer.
What does the awarded FWS amount mean?
The amount of FWS awarded to students by the Financial Aid Office is the maximum amount that can be earned throughout the fiscal year, which is July 1-June 30. This amount includes the employer's contribution of 25% along with the Federal portion of 75%. When students have earned the maximum awarded amount, the employer has the option to hire them as an hourly employee, paying the student the full hourly rate or to terminate the student.
When does FWS start and end?
The FWS program can start and end anytime throughout the fiscal year, which is July 1-June 30. If students are eligible to continue working under the program, the student may work until the maximum award is met or until June 30 of the following year, whichever is first.
Community Service Definition
The Financial Aid and Scholarships Officeis required to track work study dollars expended on Community Service. Jobs can meet the definition of Community Service provided that the services are open and accessible to the public, and that the student is working directly with the community. Please review the following definition and code the Job Referral Notice accordingly.
Community service is defined by the Federal Government as:
Services designed to improve the quality of life for community residents (particularly low-income individuals) or to solve particular problems related to their needs including, but not limited to:
- Health Care
- Crime and prevention control
- Child Care
- Recreation
- Literacy Training
- Rural Development
- Education (including tutorial services)
- Community Improvement
- Welfare
- Support services to students with disabilities
- Public Safety
- Social Services
- Transportation
- Housing and neighborhood improvement
- Activities in which a student serves as a mentor for such purposes as
tutoring, supporting educational and recreational activities, or counseling;
which includes career counseling.
Work is not "in the public interest" if:
- It primarily benefits the members of an organization with membership limits.
- It involves any partisan or nonpartisan political activity.
- A student's political support or party affiliation is taken into account in hiring.
Although it is not a requirement that community service jobs serve only low-income individuals, they should place a priority on the human, educational, environmental, and public safety needs of the community residents.
Send Workstudy Questions and/or requests to: Workstudy
Send Financial Aid and Scholarship Questions and/ or requests to: Financial Aid/Scholarships
