What is the Federal Work-Study Program?
Federal Work Study Instructional Videos
The Federal Work Study (FWS) program is a federally
funded work program administered by the Financial Aid Office, which allows students to work on or off campus part-time jobs to help offset their educational expenses. You must apply for FWS each year and meet federal eligibility requirements. If you are awarded FWS as part of your financial aid package the money you earn will not be directly credited to your account. Instead you will receive a paycheck biweekly for any hours you have worked.
How Do I Qualify for Federal Work Study & How Do I Apply?
Eligibility for the FWS program is determined by completing the Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on the web at www.fafsa.ed.gov. FWS is a need-based program that is awarded to students with financial need on a first come first serve basis. You should complete your FAFSA form by March 1st each year. After completing your FAFSA form eligibility will be determined by The Financial Aid Office.
How Do I Proceed to Find a Job?
There are a vast number of jobs on and off campus in which to choose. If you have accepted your FWS award you should go to this website . This will show you a list of departments who can employ FWS students. Also, print out: Federal Work Study Employment Form, I-9 Employment Eligibility Verfication with your social security card (for first time Stockton employees), W-4 Employee Withholding Allowance located at the top of this web page. You will need to take these forms to the department for whom you would like to work. You can either call or visit the department contact person to set up an interview. Once you have been hired and all paperwork is complete, please return it to the Financial Aid Office. You may begin your employment when this process has been completed.
How Do I Get Paid?
You will be required to record the number of hours that you have worked on "Web Time Entry"(WTE). Your supervior/contact person may opt to do this for you. Time is submitted every two weeks, thus paychecks will be issued every two weeks and will be available for pick up from your department after 4:00 PM on Thusday. Students working off campus can pick up their paycheck in the Financial Aid Office. Checks not picked up will be mailed home. A separate notification will be issued during holidays. Any discrepancies in your paycheck should be reported immediately to your supervisor so that problems can be resolved as soon as possible.
How Will I Know When I Have Exhausted My FWS Award?
Both the student and employer share the responsibility of monitoring FWS earnings to ensure that the award limit is not exceeded. You may earn up to half of your award during the fall semester and the remaining award during the spring semester. If you earn the fall portion prior to when the semester ends, you may not work again until the first day of classes for the spring semester. However, you may consult with your supervisor to work in a student assistant position provided the department has the funds available. This may be done for both the fall and spring semesters.
What Are My Responsibilities To My Employer?
A student job is an employment opportunity, which gives you, experience in the work place and your supervisor is a potential reference when you seek employment after leaving Stockton.
Therefore, it is your responsibility to:
Most employers prefer to hire students who have blocks of time available. Some jobs require specific shifts or work schedules while others allow more flexibility. The average student works 8 to 12 hours per week, not to exceed 25 hours per week while school is in session and 40 hours during semester breaks.
You are also responsible for maintaining your schoolwork and not letting your job interfere with academics. However recent studies show that academics are enhanced by students who have committed themselves to a part-time job because they acquire excellent time management and organizational skills.
What Are My Rights As A Student Worker?
As a work-study student, you have certain rights as follows:
Your supervisor is the key person in all communications that involve your work. You should bring any problems or concerns to his/her immediate attention. If the two of you cannot resolve the problem you should contact the Financial Aid Office to discuss your concerns.
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