Federal Work-Study Handbook
Federal Work-Study Overview
Federal Work-Study (FWS) is a program funded by both the federal government that provides part-time employment to students that display financial need. Eligible students have an opportunity to earn money to help with educational expenses while gaining valuable professional experience in college or community service jobs.
Benefits
When discussing job opportunities with potential work study student employees, make sure to share some of the benefits of the program:
- Allows students to earn money to pay for your educational expenses.
- Provides opportunities to work in areas that are related to a student's program of study.
- Supervisors are legally required to work around a student's class schedule.
- Provides opportunities to develop professional skills, such as communication, time management and interpersonal skills.
- Provides valuable experience, training, networking and references to build a student's resume.
- Can lead directly to career opportunities with the college.
Eligibility
Federal Work-Study eligibility is determined by the information on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Student's must meet general eligibility requirements for federal financial aid and the following additional requirements:
- Be Pell Grant-eligible for the applicable award year.
- Be enrolled in 6 credit hours or more toward their program for the term (including mini-terms/sessions)
- 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)
Interested Students
Supervisors should have interested student complete the . If the Work Study Interest Form does not show on the application screen, they do not meet the eligibility requirements for Work Study.
As funds are available throughout the year, eligible students who completed the SF Work Study Interest Form will receive maximum Work Study funding.
Work Study Position Allocations
- The process to determine work study allocations begins each year in March during the
annual budget process.
- Departments will be provided with a form to renew, add, or reduce their positions.
- Departments with no positions after allocations have been approved can contact the Financial Aid Office to make a request.
- Requested position allocations are reviewed by the executive leadership team (ELT) of the college. The ELT will determine final allocations based on staffing needs of the college.
- Departments will be provided with a form to renew, add, or reduce their positions.
- Departments with newly approved positions should be prepared to provide:
- A draft job description, limited to 255 characters.
- Contact information for direct supervisor that work study will be reporting to.
- Position information will be updated in Workday by HR according to the information provided.
Work Study Hiring Process
Recruiting
- Work-study positions are not assigned by Financial Aid. Supervisors may view the list of eligible students in MS Teams.
- Interested students should receive a private Workday application link from the supervisor.
- Job requisitions must be created as "non-public postings" to ensure only eligible students apply.
Student Onboarding & Workday Requirements
- Students complete the hiring process through Workday and HR onboarding before starting.
- Supervisors should verify that a student鈥檚 Workday onboarding and employment status are fully processed before assigning work hours.
Work-Study Funding & Payroll Notes
- Supervisors must use their department鈥檚 cost center when completing job requisitions.
- Work-study overages (hours worked beyond the awarded amount) are charged to the department's budget.
Timesheets & Work Hours Tracking
- Work-study hours must be logged and approved in Workday each pay period.
- Students should generally work up to 22 hours per week, with a 25-hour maximum per college policy.
- Work hours must not conflict with a student鈥檚 class schedule.
- Supervisors should monitor student hours regularly to ensure funding lasts through the semester.
- If a student does not submit hours by the payroll deadline, payment may be delayed.
- If a student abandons the position and does not submit their final timesheet, supervisors may sign off on the timesheet and include a note explaining the situation.
Termination & Final Payroll Submission
- If a student leaves or is terminated, supervisors should immediately notify Financial Aid at faprocessing@sfcollege.edu with the student's last date of employment.
- The supervisor must ensure the final timesheet is submitted and approved in Workday.
- For payroll issues, contact Human Resources (human.resources@sfcollege.edu) or Payroll (payroll@sfcollege.edu).
Supervisor Resources
- Awarded student lists, forms, and resources are available on the right navigation pane of the hub.
- Work Study Interest Form PDFs are uploaded in batches and may experience minor delays.
Questions?
For further details, refer to the Federal Work-Study Handbook or contact:
- Financial Aid: faprocessing@sfcollege.edu
- Human Resources: human.resources@sfcollege.edu
- Payroll: payroll@sfcollege.edu