Federal Work-Study

Overview

What is Work Study? Work Study is a program designed to provide college students who are in need of financial assistance a chance to earn money and build their resume while pursuing their degree. The program provides part-time jobs for students on campus.

On This Page

Work Study Defined

Work Study Benefits

Work Study Eligibility

Work Study Process

Work Study Next Steps

Work Study Supervisors Info

Work Study Benefits

  • 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.

Work Study Eligibility

Federal Work Study eligibility is determined by the information you put on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). To meet federal criteria you must:

  1. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and indicate that you are interested in Federal Work-Study.
    1. Note: Eligible students will be awarded Work Study on a first-come, first-served basis according to their FAFSA completion date, beginning Oct. 1st and their financial need as determined by the FAFSA application.
  2. Have not reached the maximum financial aid you can receive for the year
    1. Note: You may request to reduce your loans in exchange for Work Study
  3. Have a valid GED, high school diploma, or its equivalent received and evaluated by Admissions
  4. Meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements
  5. Be degree-seeking at Santa Fe College
  6. Be a U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident, eligible non-citizen, or citizen of the Freely Associated States: The Federated States of Micronesia and the republics of Palau and the Marshall Islands (for more information, please see the FAFSA)
  7. Not be in default on any federal student loans, or have a (grant) overpayment
  8. Pass a background check with SF Human Resources (HR)

After filing the FAFSA and having it sent to Santa Fe College, a student’s eligibility for the Work Study program will be reviewed. Schools only receive a limited amount of funding. 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 date, beginning with students who submit the FAFSA October 1st
  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)

Work Study Process

As funds are available throughout the year, eligible students who showed interest in the Federal Work Study program on their FAFSA 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.

Once awarded, it is important to begin contacting supervisors immediately for interested positions! You will have approximately 10 days to apply, interview, and secure a work study position. 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!

Note: If the Work Study award is not visible on your My FA Status it is either because we have not gotten to your name on the list yet (keep checking!), you have not met requirements, we have run out of Work Study funding, you have reached the full amount of financial aid you can receive for the year, your FAFSA application date was later than other eligible students, or you did not indicate that you were interested in College Work Study on the FAFSA application.

Next Steps After Selection

Upon being selected for a Work Study position, the hiring supervisor will initiate the hiring process by completing the Work Study application internally. Once the Financial Aid Office reviews the application, you as the student will receive follow-up notifications prompting you with the next steps in the hiring process.

Student Responsibilities Once Hired:

  • Per federal law, you are not allowed to work during scheduled class hours.
    • The Day after the Last Day to Drop w/ a Refund is your set class schedule for that term.
    • However, you may be permitted to work only if you provide a note from the instructor indicating the cancellation of class.
  • You must report to the direct/immediate supervisor.
  • 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 attending the following term, and are approved to work by the Financial Aid Office prior to working the break period.
  • You and your supervisor partner together in managing your hours so that you maximize your earnings but do not go over your hours.
    • Work Study students have a scheduled award allocation of 22 hours per week and must not exceed the maximum hours for part-time students per the College's Salary Schedule.
    • Note: If you work more than the pre-set amount of 22 hours per week, you may run out of Work Study funds prior to the scheduled end date at the end of the semester! When this happens you will be required to stop working for the rest of the semester.

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.

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 a 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.
    • 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 original timesheets and send a copy to the Financial Aid department each pay period.
  • Immediately notify the financial aid office via email when a work-study student is released from the position (has been terminated)
Top