The college work study program is different than other federal aid programs because students earn their award as opposed to receiving a lump-sum disbursement at the beginning of the semester. The following FAQ’s may help your understanding of the program as you consider whether or not to participate. Should you have additional questions, comments, or concerns please reach out to our office at vsfa@uthscsa.edu.
- What is work-study?
Work-study is an employment opportunity program (Federal and State) for students who have demonstrated financial need. Unlike other financial aid awards, work-study is paid to students in the form of a paycheck for hours worked. It is also on-the-job training and a way to obtain important experience you can use after graduation by developing skills, networking in your field, and building a solid reference for future employment. Work-study students are vital to the University’s daily operations and are a valued part of our workforce.
- How can I be considered for work-study?
To be considered for a work-study position, you should answer “yes” to the work-study question on the VSFA Worksheet every year to receive an email confirming your eligibility for the program. Work-study is a need-based program, so not all students qualify even though they may have indicated their interest in participating. After you receive your eligibility email, you can begin looking at the available jobs and request an interview with the supervisor. Jobs are posted in early June but a student cannot begin working until their semester begins.
- What do I need to do to start working?
Students may not begin working until they receive an e-mail from Veteran Services and Financial Aid office indicating your start date.
This is a rough outline of the work-study process:
- Students receive an Employment Eligibility Notice
- Students interview for a position and if accepted, the supervisor notifies the VSFA office
- Students will submit their hiring paperwork (such as W4 forms or the I9 form) in person to VSFA office
- After HR conducts the background check and clears the student, an email is sent indicating your date to begin working
- How will I be paid?
Your supervisor will submit a time sheet to VSFA indicating the hours you have worked for the previous 2 weeks. It is the student’s responsibility to work with their supervisor to ensure time is reported every pay period by the deadline. Within 48 business hours of the payroll submission an email will be sent indicating how many hours are left to work based on your award amount (current award minus hours worked to date).
Students receive their paycheck, by either direct deposit or paper check depending upon their preference stated in their employment paperwork, on the Tuesday of the following week after payroll has been submitted.
- Why don’t I qualify, or why was I given a reduced amount?
Since work-study is a need-based fund, it must fit within your cost of attendance budget. Scholarships, grants, and some student loan programs are also need-based so there may not be room for work-study without eliminating or reducing other awards. This depends on your Student Aid Index, formerly known as your Expected Family Contribution (EFC), as calculated on the information you provided on your FAFSA. If you qualify for a reduced amount, you may still have work-study, but you will not be able to work as many hours or as long during the school year due to the reduced award.
If you receive other gift aid after you have begun working, such as scholarships which are considered more favorable, your award may be reduced to prevent an over-award of federal funds. A system-generated email will be sent if that happens to notify you of the change.
- Can I have more than one job?
You cannot have more than one job because the federal work study program requires students work less than half time. Teaching or research assistants cannot participate in the program because they are already employed by the university at least half time
- How do I find a job, and what kinds of jobs are available?
The best way to find an open work-study position is by visiting our job database webpage. If you have a question(s) or struggle to find a position, please contact one of our staff to request assistance with finding a job.
Work-study jobs can be both on-campus or off campus. Duties can range from answering the phone to developing web pages for the department or even working in a hospital environment, depending on individual department needs.
- What if I don’t find a job?
An eligibility notice does not guarantee that you will find a job—it only means that you qualify to work as a work-study. There are more eligible students than there are open positions—just like a real job, you will be competing with other qualified applicants for those positions.
- How many hours a week do I work?
Work-study students may work a MAXIMUM of 20 hours per week. Any hours submitted in excess of 20 cannot be paid.
There is NO minimum number of hours you have to work, but a department may set a minimum if they have specific needs.