Employing Federal Work-Study Students

Employing Federal Work-Study students can result in substantial savings to your college or department. 

As an on-campus employer, you have access to a talented pool of Federal Work-Study (FWS) job applicants that bring with them diverse personal, academic and career interests that can meaningfully contribute to meeting your department’s business needs. FWS provides part-time jobs for undergraduate and graduate students with financial need, allowing them to earn money to help pay for educational expenses. Since the majority of the cost of employing an FWS student is federally-funded, work-study students are also a budget-friendly way to meet your needs.

Let Student Financial Aid and Scholarships (SFA) help you get started in creating an FWS position for your department—contact SFA at mailto:SFA-FWS@mail.ufl.eduSFA-FWS@mail.ufl.edu or call us at 392-0296.

Benefits of employing an FWS student: 

  • Work-study students are valuable to help with time-limited or seasonal tasks
  • Work-study students’ experiences help diversify your work environment — their input can provide useful information for improving communications, offering real-life feedback, and more
  • A department only has to cover 25% of the cost of the student’s wages — 75% of the wages are federally funded

Benefits for FWS student employees: 

  • Work-study students gain valuable engagement and support from the campus community
  • Work-study positions provide students with opportunities for experiential learning
  • Working in an FWS position can assist students in reducing their need to borrow loans to finance their education
  • Students gain valuable work experience in a professional environment which helps them to be more competitive in the workforce post-graduation

What our FWS students say:

Noah Seppanen

“Being a Federal Work-Study student has provided me with the opportunity to stay employed and involved with the university, while still focusing on my studies. This program puts an emphasis on academics in a way that other jobs won’t.  Every day I’m surrounded by like-minded people who have become a system of support for me and my education.”

— Noah Seppanen

 

 

 

Lise-Carla Honore

“A Federal Work-Study position allows you to work in an environment with people that understand the challenges that come with balancing your studies and having a job, which makes them more compassionate towards the difficulties that you may face. You also get the opportunity to create a bond with colleagues and supervisors that care about your well-being and want to see you succeed.”

— Lise-Carla Honore

 

 

Across campus, UF employs students in a wide range of areas:  there are FWS lab technicians, clinical data managers, qualitative interviewers, communications and marketing specialists, students who work in administrative services and advising, database management and more.

Work-study positions enable students to gain valuable work experience, build their resumes, make connections across campus, and have a more enriching college experience.

  • Students are usually limited to a maximum of 20 hours per week, but most students work about 10 hours per week.
  • When hiring a FWS student, your department will be funding 25% of the student’s salary. The other 75% will be funded from the U.S. Department of Education’s FWS program.
  • Each department determines the pay scale for their student employees. Earnings are paid bi-weekly directly to students.
  • Students must complete a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) in order to be considered for Federal Work Study. Students can complete a FAFSA at http://studentaid.gov/fafsaStudentaid.gov.
  • Work-study students may begin work on the first day of classes through final exams each semester they are enrolled at least half time.
  • Students are not permitted to work during hours conflicting with scheduled classes.