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Federal Work-Study is available for both undergraduate and graduate students.

Description

Federal Work-Study (FWS) is a Federal Campus-Based Program that provides students with the opportunity to earn college funds by obtaining a part-time position on or off campus. FWS is need-based aid and only available to students who qualify after completing a FAFSA. Eligibility is determined by the Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA) and awarding is subject to Important Dates for Limited Funds Consideration. Because FWS is a limited-fund program, it is advised that students complete the FAFSA before December 15th each year to receive priority consideration.

FWS awards appear on the student’s financial aid package along with all other financial aid. The amount shown is an amount of funds allocated to the student to earn by obtaining a FWS job. FWS funds are paid directly to the student every 2 weeks based on the amount of hours worked during the 2-week pay period. FWS funds are not automatically applied to the student’s university balance. FWS awards are not applied toward tuition, fees or other charges due.  For the current academic year, the minimum FWS award is $2,000 ($1,000 per semester) and the maximum FWS award is $4,000 ($2,000 per semester).

There are several benefits to participating in FWS, including:

  • Ease of access- most FWS positions are located on campus or near campus and accessible via UGA or Athens transit
  • Flexible with class schedules
  • Excluded from the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) calculation
  • Variety of options- There are FWS positions available in dozens of university departments and community organizations
  • Rate of pay- FWS positions come with a rate of pay between $11.00/hour – $15.00/hour

Eligibility

To be eligible for FWS students must:

Students must maintain eligibility at all times during the term of employment. Dropping or withdrawing from courses or receiving additional aid such as scholarships can impact eligibility. Once a student is determined to be ineligible they must discontinue working in a FWS capacity immediately until they are instructed otherwise.

Process

To be considered for FWS, students must demonstrate their interest by answering “yes” to question #31, “Are you interested in being considered for work-study?” when completing the FAFSA. If awarded, students will have the option to either accept or decline FWS when their financial aid package becomes available, typically over the summer.  Students must accept the award on Athena in order to participate. Students must accept FWS for both semesters.  Failure to accept FWS within 30 days may result in the award being systematically cancelled and the funds then offered to another student. Declining FWS does not affect future eligibility or consideration. To reduce or cancel your FWS award, please fill out a Change In Aid request.

Students awarded FWS will be able to apply for FWS-specific jobs on Handshake. FWS jobs are obtained through an application and interview process and can be competitive, so it is advised that students update their Handshake profiles, resumes and CVs. FWS jobs are not the only employment opportunities available to students. For more information on non-FWS employment please visit the UGA Career Center. While students are allowed to hold more than 1 job on campus, they can only hold 1 FWS job at a time.

Types of Jobs

There are several types of jobs available to students with FWS, some of which involve:

  • Customer service
  • Office support
  • Laboratory support
  • Records management
  • Web content / development
  • Tutoring
  • Community service

In addition to on-campus jobs, there are several off-campus opportunities available as well.

Jobs are available in over 80 UGA departments and several off-campus organizations / companies.

Pay rates for FWS jobs range between $11.00 – $15.00/hour depending on job function. Individual departments / organizations determine the pay rate for their FWS positions.

Students awarded FWS will be able to view FWS-specific jobs on Handshake.

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