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Federal Work Study

What is Federal Work-Study (FWS)?
The Federal Work-Study Program provides funds that are earned through part-time employment to assist students in financing the costs of postsecondary education. Students awarded Federal Work-Study may work in the community at a non-profit agency that has registered with Career Services or on-campus at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Benefits of Federal Work-Study

  • Student Benefit: Unlike other forms of employment, wages from the FWS Program can be reported as “need-based” wages on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and these earnings are then excluded in the calculation for financial need for the following academic year.
  • Employer Benefit: Some departments on-campus and non-profit organizations off-campus can only hire FWS students due to limited budgets. The funding from the FWS Program allows the department or organization to hire three students at the cost of one non-FWS student.

How is Financial Need Determined?

Financial need is determined by the Financial Aid Office using a standard formula, established by Congress, to evaluate the financial information reported on the FAFSA and to determine the expected family contribution (EFC).
The fundamental elements in this standard formula are the student's income (and assets, if the student is independent), the parents' income and assets (if the student is dependent), the family's household size, and the number of family members (excluding parents) attending postsecondary institutions.
The EFC is the sum of:
(1) a percentage of net income (remaining income after subtracting allowances for basic living expenses)
(2) a percentage of net assets (assets remaining after subtracting an asset protection allowance).
Different assessment rates and allowances are used for dependent students, independent students without dependents, and independent students with dependents. After filing a FAFSA, the student receives a Student Aid Report (SAR), or the institution receives an Institutional Student Information Report (ISIR), which provides the student's EFC.

What does the word “award” mean?

An award is the MAXIMUM amount a student can earn for the semester.  Financial Aid determines the award using the formula set forth by the United States Congress.  Students CANNOT exceed this amount at any time during their employment.  If a student reaches his or her award before the end of the semester, the student must stop working or be paid from the department’s budget, if applicable. 

How do students apply for FWS?

  • Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
    • Students must indicate on the FAFSA application that you are interested in Federal Work-Study
  • Apply for Federal Work-Study by completing the application form located online at http://www.umsl.edu/services/finaid/workstudy/forms.htm or available in the Financial Aid Office MSC 327
  • Enroll in a minimum of 6 credit hours per semester for undergraduates, 5 credit hours per semester for graduates
  • A Federal Work-Study award is only valid for the current academic year. Students must reapply each year by filing the appropriate paperwork for the appropriate year

*****FWS funding is limited and awarded to students on a first come first serve basis.  *****
*****FWS is awarded to students with the lowest Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) *****

Enrollment Requirements

Your award may consist of a Fall and Spring award. In general, a student must be enrolled at least half-time to receive any financial aid.
-If you do not register for any semester, you will not be awarded during that time
-You will only receive an award for the semester(s) in which you are enrolled at least
half-time.
You must also be enrolled in a degree program to receive Financial Aid. The only undergraduate certificate program that is eligible for Financial Aid is the Teacher Certificate Program. Your award is based on a certain level of enrollment as indicated on your award letter. If you plan to change your enrollment, contact your Financial Aid advisor to determine how your enrollment status will affect your Financial Aid. 
Enrollment is verified each semester prior to disbursement of all funds and at the end of the add/drop period.

Other Important Information

  • You earn your Federal Work-Study award the same as all other jobs.  Students are paid when they perform the job duties required by the employer. 
  • Federal Work-Study does not credit directly to your university charges.
  • Students are paid electronically every two weeks via direct deposit to a personal bank account of the student’s request.  
  • Once you have earned your full award, you may ONLY continue working if your supervisor transfers you from Federal Work-Study payroll to the department’s budget payroll.  If this option is not available, the student must stop working. 

Once awarded, what do students do now?

When can a Federal Work-Study student begin working?
Employment may begin as early as the first day of the semester IF ALL of the following criteria have been met:

      •  Financial Aid Office awarded Federal Work-Study for the semester
      •  Attended a mandatory orientation session with Career Services (if this is the first time the student has received FWS at UMSL)
      •  Required employment documentations are completed and filed with Human Resources, which includes:
    • FWS Agreement
    • City Earnings Tax
    • Direct Deposit w/ voided check or savings deposit slip
    • FICA Checklist
    • I-9
    • Personal Data Form
    • UMSL Student Application for Employment
    • MO W-4
    • Federal W-4            
      •  Student has notified Career Services where he/she will be working
      •  Supervisor received employment paperwork from Career Services, completed it entirely and sent to Human Resources

Any Federal Work-Study student working prior to completing the required employment paperwork will NOT be paid retroactively for hours worked.

How do students find positions after being awarded Federal Work-Study?

During the mandatory orientation session, Career Services will provide students with information on searching and applying for positions along with answering any questions students may have. 
Only those that have been awarded by the Financial Aid Office can apply for a Federal Work-Study position (FWS positions are not open to all students).

What steps do students need to take after being hired?

After accepting a position to work, students are required to inform Career Services.  It is imperative to notify Career Services so all required documents can be completed and sent to Human Resources.

Last Day of Work for Federal Work-Study Student Employment

The last day of the semester is the last day student employees may use their Federal Work-Study award to collect payment for employment. The last permissible workday may differ ONLY if you are approved for Federal Work-Study for the following semester.  Contact the Office of Financial Aid for details if you are unsure. 

Timesheets

Timesheets are due every two weeks to the Human Resources Office.  For a list of when timesheets are due, please visit Human Resources website: http://www.umsystem.edu/ums/departments/fa/controller/payroll/calendars.shtml

How many hours can student employees work?

Student employees (both Federal Work-Study and non Work-Study) can work a maximum of 20 hours a week.  This is the total number of hours a student can work on-campus. 

Maintaining Eligibility for Federal Work-Study Awards


Satisfactory Academic Progress:
Federal regulations require the Financial Aid Office to monitor the progress of all students toward the completion of a degree. This monitoring progress is called Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP):

  • Undergraduate student are expected to complete the requirements for graduation (120 credit hours and a 2.0 GPA) in no more than 12 full-time semesters.
  • Graduate students must complete their program within six full-time semesters.

Maintaining satisfactory academic progress is essential to remain eligible to receive funds from any Federal Title IV, state or university aid programs. Please note that some scholarships may have a higher renewal GPA requirement.

To maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress students must meet the following requirements:

  • Undergraduates must maintain a 2.0 overall GPA. Graduate students must maintain a 3.0 overall GPA.
  • Complete, with a passing grade, at least 75 percent of credit hours attempted. If a student withdraws from all classes or fails all classes, aid will be cancelled for future semesters.
  • Students may repeat classes for which they received a failing grade to improve their grade point average.

Probation: Students who fail to complete 75% of credit hours attempted after one semester and/or maintain a 2.0 overall GPA will be placed on SAP probation. Students placed on academic probation will be placed on Financial Aid probation as well. Students are eligible to receive aid funds while on probation.

Suspension of Award: A student's Financial Aid, including Federal Work-Study, will be suspended for any of the following reasons:

  • The student fails to make progress toward a 2.0 overall GPA during the semester(s) following notification of probation.
  • Failure to complete 75 percent of the credit hours for which a student is enrolled during the semester following notification of probation.
  • Complete withdrawal from the University during a semester for which aid was received.
  • Dismissal from the University for any reason.
  • Failure to complete with a passing grade (A,B,C,D) all credit hours attempted during the semester.

Disciplinary Action and Terminations

Voluntary Withdraw: Federal Work-Study students must complete a form located in Career Services (278MSC)  if they voluntarily decide to withdraw from the program.  Note:  If a student quits working and does not find another position, this is also considered voluntarily leaving the program.

Termination: If student employees do not perform their duties satisfactorily and are terminated, supervisors are required to notify the Career Services in written form.
Examples of reasons that a supervisor can use corrective counseling, warning, or termination:

  • Inability to perform the job to the supervisor's standards.
  • Repeated tardiness.
  • Use of office equipment or supplies for personal use.
  • Discourteous to clientele/public.
  • Use of abusive/offensive language.

If a supervisor engages in the warning process, the following steps will be taken:

  • Oral warning
  • Written warning
  • Discharge

If you have been terminated from your position, you are responsible for writing an appeal letter to the Office of Financial Aid before applying for any other position in the same semester. An appeals committee will evaluate your appeal and contact you in writing regarding probation or suspension of any future Federal Work-Study awards. This process must be complete before moving into any new position.

Improper use or violation of university property and falsification of timesheets will result in your termination without grounds for appeal.

Transfers/Resignations

Student employees are encouraged to remain in their positions for the full academic year. However, transfer requests can be made to Career Services at the end of each semester or during the semester under certain circumstances. Student employees must give a two week notice to the supervisor when leaving the position.

If you have any questions, you can either e-mail Kelli Knight or give us a call at 314-516-5114.