Federal work-study is a part-time work program that allows college students to earn a paycheck throughout the academic year. Students apply for work-study by submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA^®). The college financial aid office determines which students may participate in the work-study program based on each family’s financial circumstances and the federal financial aid formula, Students are notified of their work-study award in their financial aid offer.

Work-study is essentially an offer of employment. Students are not obligated to participate in the program, nor are they guaranteed a job. Those who receive work-study in their financial aid offer will receive information about applying for work-study positions from the college financial aid or student employment office in the spring or summer before the fall semester begins.

How do work-study funds work?

Work-study funds are not given to students at the beginning of the semester as other financial aid is. Instead, work-study funds are set aside, waiting to be earned. As students work, they receive the funds in paycheck (or direct deposit) format. Students only earn money for the hours that they work. Once they have earned their full work-study amount, they need to speak with the financial aid office to see if there are additional work-study funds that can be earned, which will allow them to keep working. If a student does not earn the entire amount of their work-study award, the remaining funds will be returned to the school’s main bank of work-study funding (and the student will not receive those remaining funds).

As families evaluate financial aid offers, they should keep in mind that the work-study funds will not help to pay the college bill at the beginning of the semester, as grants and loans will, but can be used for additional incidental college expenses as paychecks are received throughout the year.

Work-study funds are taxable income, but they are excluded from the student’s income total for purposes of assessing financial aid eligibility in subsequent years.

What if you don’t receive work-study or can’t find a job?

Not all students will be offered work-study, and of those who are, some may not be able to work in a work-study job, as schools have a limited number of work-study positions and fill them on a first-come, first-served basis.

If you received a work-study offer and don’t find work in a work-study position, it simply means you won’t earn specific work-study funds. But you can still make money by securing another part-time job. If you did not receive work-study as part of your financial aid offer, you can also still consider income from a part-time job in your plan to pay your college bill.

Research and compare on-campus and off-campus part-time job opportunities. There are on-campus jobs that are separate from work-study jobs and open to all students. Off-campus businesses located near colleges are often accustomed to hiring students for part-time work and are happy to work around class schedules. Consider important factors such as whether an on-campus job opportunity may be regulated by the school calendar or how a job can add value to your resume.

If you have questions about your work-study offer, or your eligibility for the work-study program, reach out to your financial aid office.