Federal Work-Study

Overview

Federal Work Study (FWS) provides part-time jobs for students on campus. The program's goal is to provide college students who are in need of financial assistance a chance to earn money and build their resume while pursuing their degree.  

On This Page

What are the benefits of FWS?

Who is eligible for FWS?

How do I apply for a work study award?

How do I get a FWS job?

What are my responsibilities once I am hired?

Work Study Supervisor's Information

What are the benefits of Federal Work Study?

  • Opportunity to work in a professional setting and earn money to help pay for your educational expenses.
  • Provides opportunities to serve the community and in some cases to work in areas that are related to your program.
  • Work Study employers acknowledge you are a student first and are flexible enough to work around your class schedule.
  • Provides beneficial experience and training, networking and references that build up your resume.
  • Can provide opportunities to develop your professional skills, like communication, time management and interpersonal skills.
  • Can lead to greater career opportunities.
  • Even though Work Study earnings are taxable, these earnings are not considered when figuring your “financial need” on your FAFSA.

Who is eligible for Federal Work Study?

Federal Work Study eligibility is determined by the information on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You must meet general eligibility for federal financial aid and the following additional requirements:

  • Indicate on your FAFSA that you are interested in Federal Work-Study.
  • Have not reached the maximum financial aid you can receive for the year
    • Note: You may request to reduce your loans in exchange for Work Study
  • Pass a background check with SF Human Resources (HR)

After completing the FAFSA and sending it to Santa Fe College, a student’s eligibility for the Work Study program will be reviewed. Schools receive a limited amount of work study funds. Because more students want Work Study than there is funding, to be eligible for College Work Study at SF students must:

  1. Have an early FAFSA submission date.
  2. Be Pell Grant-eligible for the applicable award year.
  3. Be enrolled in 6 credit hours or more toward their program for the term (including mini-terms/sessions)

How do I apply for Federal Work Study?

If you want to request a work study award you must:

  • Indicate on the FAFSA that you are interested in work study, or
  • Complete the SF Work study Interest Form. If the Work Study Interest Form does not show on this application screen, you do not meet the eligibility requirements for Work Study.

As funds are available throughout the year, eligible students who showed interest in the Federal Work Study program on their FAFSA or by completing the SF Work Study Interest Form are awarded a maximum award amount. The awarded amount has to be earned through part time employment. Once you are awarded you will receive a notification from the Financial Aid Office. Your Work Study awards can be viewed under Award Details in your My FA Status on eSantaFe.

How do I get a Federal Work Study job?

The Financial Aid Office does not provide job placement for students. A work study job is not guaranteed for any student when they receive a work study award.
To view available positions once you have been awarded:
  1. Log into eSantaFe
  2. Click the “Finances” tab in the main menu on the left side of the screen
  3. Click “My FA Status” button
  4. In My FA Status click “Work Study” in menu on left side of screen
  5. View available positions!
It is important to begin contacting supervisors immediately for positions you are interested in. You will have approximately 10 days to apply, interview, and secure a work study position. 

If a Work Study award is not visible on your My FA Status Awards Page it is for one of the following reasons:

  • your name has not been added to the list yet (keep checking!),
  • you do not meet the requirements for FWS,
  • we have run out of Work Study funding,
  • you have reached the full amount of financial aid you can receive for the year, 
  • or you did not indicate that you were interested in FWS on the FAFSA.

What are my responsibilities once I am hired?

  • To begin working you must complete the onboarding process with the Human Resources Department.
  • You and your supervisor partner together in managing your time so that you maximize your earnings but do not go over your allowable hours.
    • Work Study students are awarded enough funds to work 22 hours per week and must not exceed the maximum hours for part-time students per the College's Salary Schedule.
    • If you work more than 22 hours per week, you may run out of Work Study funds prior to the end of the semester. When this happens you will be required to stop working for the rest of the semester.
  • Per federal law, you are not allowed to work during scheduled class hours.
    • The schedule you have after the last day to drop with a refund is your set class schedule for that term.
    • You may be permitted to work if you provide a note from the instructor indicating that class was cancelled.
  • You may only work during the certified work period, which is through the last day of final exams.
    • You may only work between terms if you are enrolled the following term, and are approved to work by the Financial Aid Office prior to the break
  • You must complete a timesheet electronically each pay period. Both you and your supervisor will sign the timesheet verifying the hours are correct. 

Information for Work Study Supervisors

Obtaining Work Study Positions for Your Area

  • Department Budget Authorities request positions by contacting the Financial Aid Office.
    • Requests for positions only occur during the annual budget process in March.
    • Recommendations for approval of position allocations go to the Vice Presidents. The VPs will determine final allocations based on staffing needs of the college.
    • All positions must have a designated direct supervisor whose position meets requirements for supervisory responsibilities.
      • The supervisor will oversee Work Study student-workers and administration including timesheets, schedules, and records.
  • Departments will be informed of status of their request for Work Study positions: approved, alternate, or denied.
    • Approved positions will need a draft job description, limited to 255 characters.
    • All positions must have a designated direct supervisor whose position meets requirements for supervisory responsibilities.
  • Approved position information will be posted and viewable in the student’s My FA Status account.
    • The position information displayed will include job title, summary job description, suggested experience, supervisor’s name and contact information.

I Have A Student Interested In Work Study

Interested students should Complete the SF Work Study Interest Form. If the Work Study Interest Form does not show on this application screen, the student does not meet the eligibility requirements for Work Study.

As funds are available throughout the year, eligible students who showed interest in the Federal Work Study program on their FAFSA or by completing the SF Work Study Interest Form are awarded a maximum award amount. 

Hiring Steps

  • Once awarded Federal Work Study funds, students will go to their My FA Status account to view positions and contact the hiring supervisor to schedule an interview appointment.
    • The Financial Aid Office does not place Work Study students. Eligible and awarded students will directly contact supervisors who will need to conduct interviews with students to determine which candidate is a good fit for their FWS position(s).
  • After the interview is complete and you are certain you would like to recommend the student for employment at the College, you create the FWS Student Application using the following steps:
    • Type the SFID of the student you'd like to hire in the input box of the upper left corner of the eStaff menu.
    • Select the Additional Information Menu Group.
    • Select FWS Student Application.
      • The screen may say record not found, indicating no prior Work Study application).
    • Use the Job Number dropdown to select the job for which the student is applying.
      • You will only see jobs for which you are the supervisor.
    • Fill in the Job Certifier Number.
    • You may optionally input Job Skills and Work Experience of the student.
    • Clicking Update creates an timestamped Work Study application for the requested student that the Financial Aid Office will review within 3-5 business days.
    • The Job Status will show the following statuses throughout the process:
      • Blank until the Financial Aid Office reviews.
      • "P" (Pending) after the Financial Aid Office reviews and the application is with HR for review.
      • "A" (Approved) or "T" (Terminated) once HR staff have reviewed the application. If the determination is "T" please contact human.resources@sfcollege.edu to determine the reason.
    • The student will receive notifications throughout this process.
  • Note that once Financial Aid reviews, the candidate's application is automatically forwarded to Human Resources (HR) for review.
    • The student will receive a notification update stating that HR has been notified, and another notification once HR has completed review.
  • The student is responsible for following up with the HR on-boarding process and keeping open lines of communication with supervisor to begin working.
    • For more information on the status of your new hire after waiting at least 5-7 business days, contact human.resources@sfcollege.edu or call 352-395-5185.

Responsibilities Once a Work Study is Hired

The supervisor of a work study position must do the following:

  • Meet the college policies and guidelines in addition to noted federal government regulations.
  • Monitor the student’s hours to ensure the work-study works up to their award allocation of 22 hours per week and does not exceed the maximum hours for part-time students per the college's Salary Schedule.
    • Note: If the Work Study exceeds the pre-set 22 hour per week allocation, the student may run out of funding before their scheduled end date.
  • Ensure student’s work hours does not conflict with class schedule.
  • Keep all timesheets and email a copy to the Financial Aid Office each pay period (FAProcessing@sfcollege.edu)
  • Immediately notify the financial aid office via email when a work-study student is released from the position (has been terminated)
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