Have you ever filled out the FAFSA and got to the question “Are you interested in being considered for work study” and wondered what it was talking about? There are a lot of unknowns when it comes to work study, so if you’re looking for answers, keep reading! Federal Work-Study gives students with financial need opportunities for work while in school.
What you need to know about Federal Work-Study:
- You apply for it on the FAFSA. If you fill out the FAFSA early, you are more likely to get offered work-study.
- The U.S. Department of Education provides money to colleges to pay student employees whether that is on-campus or sometimes in the community.
- A big misconception around work study is that it takes money off your tuition. Work study actually comes through a normal paycheck and many use it for day-to-day expenses in college. It can help you borrow less in the long run. Since you can spend it how you want, you could also use it as savings for your next semester or year’s bill.
- You can still get jobs without work-study, but some on-campus jobs may require it. They get funding from the government to pay you if you have work-study available.
- Undergraduate and graduate students can apply for work-study.
- Your total work-study funding depends on when you apply, level of financial need, and your school’s funding availability. You are guaranteed to make at least federal minimum wage, but you could earn more based on the factors above.
- The program emphasizes work involved in community service or your field of study. This helps provide an opportunity for professional development and experience while still in college.
- Being offered work-study doesn’t guarantee you a job. You will still have to apply to on and off-campus jobs. It does give you a “leg up” for jobs that receive funding from the government to pay employees. You can look for jobs via the Career Center’s Handshake portal at https://www.k-state.edu/careercenter/handshake/.
- Work-study provides flexibility for students. They know that college is your priority, so they will have that in mind. A student with work-study cannot go over their given award, so most students work about 8-12 hours a week with work-study to use up their given amount.
- A benefit of work study is it will not affect your FAFSA income. This means that it will not count against you and cause you to receive less financial aid the next year, unlike other part-time work income.
- Earnings are still subject to state and federal income tax.
If you are awarded work study, be sure you and your employer fill out the Federal Work Study Position Description that K-State requires. Each federal work study employee is required to fill the document out in compliance with the U.S. Department of Education. To find the current file please visit: https://www.k-state.edu/sfa/scholarships-aid/federal-work-study/. If you would like to see an example of how to fill it out, please see the following link:https://www.k-state.edu/sfa/manage/forms/fwspdsample.pdf.
The FAFSA for 2022-2023 will be available to fill out on October 1, 2021. It is important to know what the questions are about, so you are not missing out on extra financial aid. Another thing to remember is to fill out the FAFSA as early as possible because some aid is on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Please feel free to make an appointment with Powercat Financial if you have questions about paying for school, and your federal financial aid option including work-study.
We are on the last days of our annual GET ON THE MONEY scavenger hunt (https://tinyurl.com/KSUGetOnTheMoney) that will end this Sunday, September 12 at 11:00pm. The scavenger hunt aims to help students familiarize themselves with the free financial education resources that K-State has to offer. Five students can win gift cards from $50-$200 with answers found at our website!
We also have walk-in days on the first Friday of every month where students can simply walk-in without an appointment to ask a quick money question and get a free pop. Our next Pop Up to Powercat Financial day will be October 1st.
Anytime you want help with student loans, job offers, budgeting or have additional questions about other financial topics, remember Powercat Financial is available for Zoom or in-person financial counseling sessions. They may be requested via our website link at www.k-state.edu/powercatfinancial.
Laura Peterson
Peer Financial Counselor II
Powercat Financial
powercatfinancial@ksu.edu
www.ksu.edu/powercatfinancial
