Federal Work Study
Work Study Basics
Federal Work-Study (FWS) is a limited funds, need-based
federally funded part-time employment program, which allows eligible
students to earn money to help pay for education expenses. Students
must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each
year to be considered for federal financial aid, including FWS.
If you have not been offered Federal Work Study as a part of
your financial aid award, then you a) were not eligible b) did not
request work-study on your FAFSA and/or c) funds were not available at
the time you were awarded. Please review all of the information below
for information on Federal Work Study at UNF. Work Authorization and
Payroll paperwork must be completed before you start work.
Please note: FWS cannot be used to pend
tuition, fees, or other charges due. FWS funds are not available to pay
a student’s tuition, fees, housing, or meal plan charges directly.
Work Study students are paid according to the UNF bi-weekly payroll
schedule based on the hours earned during the pay period.
Application Procedures
Complete the FAFSA
Complete the FAFSA
(Free Application for Federal Student Aid) for the appropriate aid
year. To be considered for Federal Work Study (FWS) you must indicate
on the FAFSA that you are interested in Work-Study as a source of
financial aid.
If you are not sure which FAFSA to fill out, visit Critical Steps to Financial Aid.
We recommend that you file your FAFSA as soon as possible after you
have filed your taxes, as funds for work-study are very limited.
View your Financial Aid award in myWings
From the Students tab in myWings, view “My Financial Aid
Awards” to determine whether you have been offered Federal Work Study
(FWS) as a part of your award notification.
If you do not see FWS award listed, you have not been offered
FWS. If you have not been offered FWS as a part of your financial aid
award, then you a) were not eligible b) did not request work-study on
your FAFSA and/or c) funds were not available at the time you were
awarded.
If you have been offered FWS, you must Accept or Decline the
award. The FWS amount listed is the maximum amount of FWS you may earn
for both Fall and Spring semesters. You must accept both semesters or
decline both semesters. If you have not accepted your award
within the first two weeks of the term, your FWS award will be
cancelled for both semesters. If you have not been placed in a
FWS job within the first four weeks of the term, your FWS award will be
cancelled. If you have difficulty in finding a job, please contact the
Work Study Coordinator in One Stop Student Services.
Once you have been authorized to work in a FWS position (see
below), you will be paid on a bi-weekly basis for up to 20 hours per
week, up to the amount listed on your award. You must have an accepted
FWS award to receive work-study funds.
Note: If you do not receive FWS as part of
your award package, but you are still interested in work study, you can
contact One Stop Student Services approximately one month before
classes begin for the semester to find out whether we are taking names
for a FWS wait list at that time.
If you do not qualify for work study, but are still interested in part-time student employment, visit www.unfjobs.org and search the available job postings for positions that do NOT indicate Work Study.
Obtain a Work Study Job
Once you have accepted your FWS award, you may search available job postings at www.unfjobs.org,
with position type "Student Employment" and Job Title "Work Study" or
"Work Study Student Employee." Departments will arrange interviews and,
if hired, the employer will submit an authorization form to One Stop
Student Services. The employer will be notified when the hiring process
is complete and work can begin.
Students are limited to 20 hours per week and 40 hours per pay
period. FWS cannot pay for any hours worked beyond these approved
limits. Additionally, you may only earn up to the posted FWS award for
the semester. As noted above, the amount awarded is for Fall and Spring semesters. You will only be permitted to earn up to half of your FWS award each semester.
