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.
*After careful review and consideration of the challenges presented by the 2024-25 FAFSA, the University of Georgia has suspended its priority consideration deadline for need-based funds for the 2024-25 academic year. Limited need-based funds will be awarded as FAFSAs are received until all available funds have been exhausted.
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 number 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 – students will never be asked to work during scheduled class/exam time as this is not allowed
- Excluded from the Student Aid Index calculation – can help students potentially be eligible for future grants
- Variety of job options – there are FWS positions available in dozens of university departments and with off-campus community organizations
- Can help lower debt burden – work for aid instead of borrowing loans or more loans than needed
- Gain Experiential Learning (EL) Credit – students working in off-campus FWS positions can gain credit based on hours worked in their positions
- Rate of pay – FWS positions come with a rate of pay between $11.00/hour – $15.00/hour
- Gain valuable work experience & skills – build up your resume, gain references, network, and enhance after-college job prospects
- Potential SNAP benefit eligibility – students working in FWS-specific positions can potentially be eligible for SNAP benefits (Food Stamps) as determined by their state of residence
Eligibility
To be eligible for FWS students must:
- Meet all Basic Student Eligibility Criteria
- Demonstrate at least $1,000 in Unmet Need per semester
- Be enrolled at least Half-Time
- Be otherwise eligible as determined by OSFA. This includes but is not limited to maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
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 complete a FAFSA for the appropriate aid year. The FAFSA no longer includes an FWS interest question. FWS awards will be awarded as FAFSAs are received until all available funds have been exhausted. 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 off-campus opportunities available as well.
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 based on job duties and years of experience. .
Students awarded FWS will be able to view FWS-specific jobs on Handshake.
FWS Waitlist
Students who did not receive an FWS award on their Financial Aid Offer may contact [email protected] and ask to be placed on the FWS waitlist. Students will be screened for an award based on their eligibility and available program funding.
