Federal Work-Study Program

How can the student apply for Federal Work Study?

The student can apply for Federal Work Study through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  The application is available on line at www.fafsa.ed.gov

Qualification 
Student must be:

a.       Registered
b.       Matriculated and enrolled at least half-time status

The Award Letter
The student will receive an award letter in the mail.  The amount of the FWS award is indicated on the award letter.  The student can work for a maximum of the amount awarded.

Placement
Once the student accepts a FWS award the student is ready to be placed. The student will be given a packet which contains all necessary forms:

a.      FWS Student/Employment Contract
b.     W-4 form
c.      I-9 form
d.     IT-2104E form
e.      IT-2104 form

The student can then choose to work On-Campus, Off-Campus, or Public Service Corps.

On Campus Placement
The student may work in one of the school’s offices in a variety of positions.  The hourly rate of pay for on-campus jobs is $8.00.

The student is paid every two weeks except for the first check, which could take approximately three to four weeks.

Off-Campus Placement
The student may work in a variety of eligible profit and non-profit organizations.  These organizations have signed an agreement with CUNY’s Central Office that specify the conditions under which students are eligible to be employed in their agencies.  The general range is from $7.25 to $9.00 per hour and payment is made every two weeks with the exception of the first check, which could take from three to four weeks.

Public Service Corps
The Public service Corps program provides students with an opportunity to work in a variety of agencies.  Students working through the Public service Corps are paid every two weeks.  Public Service Corps has a separate federal work study timesheet, calendar and hourly rate of pay beginning at $7.25

Students who inquire about and were awarded Work Study

1.     First we check the student’s profile to see that the student was awarded Work Study.
2.     Insure that student is:
a.     Registered
b.     Matriculated
c.      Not over package

3.     A notification letter is sent to the student explaining that Work Study is a federally funded program which allows students, who were awarded, an opportunity to earn extra money while attending college.  It is an optional program, entirely up to the student whether or not to participate.  Student is advised that he/she may work a maximum of 20 hours per week.  There is no minimum.

4.     The student is given the paperwork to take home and fill out. 

5.     When the student returns the completed paperwork we separate and retain our portion.

6.     The student is given an overview of the Federal Work Study time sheet and a copy of the time sheet schedule.

7.     Then we send the on campus Work Study student to Human Resources to see the placement advisor (Rita). We send the off campus and the Public Service Corps Work Study student to the site.  The student is advised to return the forms signed by the FWS Supervisor of the office or site they are assigned.

8.     When the student returns the signed forms, the paperwork is completed.

Students who inquire about and were not awarded Work Study
If a student who has not been awarded wants Work-Student and meets all the qualifications (as stated above in number 2), there are two options:

a. If we have discretionary funds available, we can give the student an award.

b. If there are no discretionary funds, we can put the student’s name and social security number on a waiting list and advise him/her that if he/she is awarded Work Study, the Work Study Coordinator will notify him/her by mail.

How the Work Study Student’s Hours are controlled:
Work-Study students must pay very close attention to their check stubs, as indicated to them during the first meeting with the Work-Study Coordinator. Every Work-Study check stub includes a summary of the hours paid, the budgeted amount, the amount the student earned to date and the remaining balance in his/her budget.  Thus the student knows exactly how much money he/she has left to earn.

The Student Financial Aid system shows how many hours are left for every Work Study student.  The Central Office (OUC) notifies the work student with how many hours left every payroll by e-mail.