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This page focuses on Work Study. For a broader discussion of
financial aid, go to our Financial Aid
page.
What is Federal Work Study? The
Federal Work Study Program (FWSP) is a
structured program based on an agreement between a college or
university and an employer whereby a student works while attending
school. It is a need-based program which provides jobs for undergraduate and graduate students with financial need.
The school itself may be an employer for purposes of
the Work Study program. You might wonder whether this is any
different from you simply finding a part-time job while going to
school. It is different. These jobs are specifically
reserved for students under the Work Study program. However,
you do need to interview for the job and be hired by the employer.
In other words, you may be competing with other candidates for
these positions. The program encourages community service
work and work related to your course of study.
If you are interested in the Work Study program, the school you
are attending, or applying to, will have information on the
program in their financial aid office if they participate in it.
And quite likely, they will have information on their Web sites
about the Work Study program. For example, Ohio State
University has information at http://sfa.osu.edu/Jobs/Work-Study/FAQ.asp.
and the University of California at Berkeley has information at http://workstudy.berkeley.edu/.
Wages earned on your Work Study job are taxable by the IRS but
will not be counted against you on next years FAFSA.
 FAFSA
on the Web: a Web site of the U.S.Dept of Education.
You can apply online if your Web browser supports encrypted
transactions; they even help you determine this. The FAFSA is used
to determine your eligibility for Federal
Student Aid Programs, including Federal Work Study
(FWS). Be sure to indicate whether you are interested in
Work Study on line 34 of the FAFSA.
The
Student Guide, a publication of the U.S. Department of Education,
contains some information on the Federal
Work Study program.
Veterans
should visit the Department of Veterans Affairs; their Web site
has a page titled Student
Work-Study Allowance Program, pertaining to military veterans.
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