Federal Work Study

The Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (OSFA) and the Career Center offer employment services to students in Federal Work Study (FWS) and Work Assist positions.

FWS provides part-time employment for undergraduate and graduate students who have established financial need through the submission of the FAFSA.

Students must demonstrate financial need to be eligible to participate in the FWS Program. Financial need is determined by the completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). To be considered for FWS, the question on the FAFSA regarding “interest in work study” needs to be answered with a “YES.”

• Funding for the Federal Work-Study Program is limited; students may or may not receive an award from year to year.
• Students who have been awarded FWS will receive an award notification indicating the maximum amount of gross pay to be earned per term.
• Information for students who have already been awarded Federal Work Study is available in the Federal Work Study Handbook (PDF).
• If you do not have a FWS award in your financial aid package, please contact your financial aid counselor. If eligible, you will be added to the Wait List. There is no guarantee, but if funds become available later, a FWS award could be added. You will be notified by the Work Study office if this occurs.

If you have been awarded Federal Work Study, the information below will explain your next steps and how to secure a job and complete additional requirements.

• Accept your Federal Work Study Award via SeaNet.
• For new FWS recipients, you must complete the required FERPA Awareness Training.
• Explore available student employment opportunities at Handshake. Handshake will also have opportunities for Work Assist (non-need based) positions available on campus and is managed by the Career Center. For guidance on how to access the Handshake portal, please view the Handshake Step-by-Step Guide (PDF).
• Work Study positions on Handshake are available on and off campus. Off-campus positions are within non-profit organizations in the local community. While the pay rate may be considerably more for community service positions, you must have your own transportation to the job site.
• Earnings are not applied to your Student Account/E-Bill.
• You will receive a paycheck on the 15th of each month for the hours worked the previous month.
• You may not earn more than your awarded amount for Work-Study.

Have more questions? Check Out our
Work Study FAQs