Agency Eligibility

Student Eligibility

Work-Study Award

Award Revisions

Award Period (Employment Dates)

Types of Jobs and Community Service

Pay Rates and the FWS Share

Maximum Work Hours and Quantity of Work

In order to be considered for participation in the Federal Work-Study (FWS) Program at the University of Texas at Austin, interested non-profit employers* must submit the following documentation to the Work-Study Office:

• Federal Work-Study Agreement, Federal Work-Study Agreement Supplemental Form, and Payee Information Form, all of which may be obtained by calling the Work-Study Office at 475-6247.
• Copy of IRS letter verifying your agency's non-profit income tax exempt status.
• General description of the agency (mission statement).
• Proof of agency’s "good standing" with Texas State Comptroller’s Office.

*NOTE: UT student organizations are not eligible to apply.

In addition to the above documentation, prospective Work-Study employers may be asked to provide information about:

• Funding: Knowing what percentage of the funding is recurring and what percentage is derived from donations helps us assess the employer’s ability to pay students for all hours worked.
• Logistics: Knowledge of the employer’s facilities helps us assess the employer’s ability to provide a safe environment for students, and knowledge of the employer’s current staffing level helps us assess the employer’s ability to properly supervise students and correctly complete all required Work-Study paperwork in a timely manner.
• Positions: A description of the Work-Study job can help us assess the employer’s overall eligibility to participate in the Federal Work-Study program.

Employers that currently have an agreement on file with the Work-Study Office need not re-apply. However, the Federal Work-Study Agreement may be terminated at any time by the Institution or the Agency upon two weeks' prior written notice to the other party.

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The following criteria establish a student's eligibility for Federal Work-Study at The University of Texas at Austin:

• A student must show documented financial need every year by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Need is determined by an analysis of financial resources available to the student.
• A student must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy standards as established by the Office of Student Financial Services.
• A student must be awarded Federal Work-Study on the Work-Study Verification (WSV).

A student must maintain at least half-time enrollment in regular UT coursework at all times:

Please note that per FWS Regulation 34 CFR 675.16, "FWS funds may not be used to pay for work performed after the student withdrew." Students must remain enrolled as noted above in order to qualify for participation in the FWS program. Because it is impossible to monitor enrollment in UT Extension or Distance Education coursework, such hours cannot be included in the student’s total number of hours for Work-Study eligibility purposes.

• Even if a student meets all the above-mentioned criteria, they may still be barred from participating in the FWS Program. This is usually the case when a student has a record of serious misconduct with a previous FWS employer.

«TIP» Remind your students to re-apply for financial aid early every year (no later than March 31st).

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The FWS award amount represents the total gross amount the student may earn per semester. For example, Sue Student’s pay rate is $7.00/hour. In order for Sue to earn her $1400 Fall FWS award, she must work 200 total hours (200 x $7 = $1400). This means Sue must work an average of 14 hours per week. Employers may easily verify the FWS award amount during the job interview by asking to see the student’s Work-Study Verification (WSV).

Students continue to receive large FWS awards, resulting in a greater likelihood that all FWS funds will be spent. For this reason, employers are strongly encouraged to hire their FWS students early and then promptly submit the Off-Campus Sign-Up Sheet to the Work-Study Office to secure funding for the position.

A student is never allowed to earn more than the amount of their Work-Study award. The Work-Study Office will not reimburse an employer for hours paid in excess of the award. FWS Regulation 34 CFR 673.5 states: "An institution may fund a student's FWS employment with FWS funds only until the amount of the FWS award has been earned or until the student's financial need, as recalculated under paragraph (d)(1) of this section (due to unexpected resources received by the student), is met."

A Work-Study Balance Sheet is available to assist students and employers in determining the amount of Work-Study earned-to-date. The student and the employer are responsible for monitoring FWS gross earnings.

«TIP» Review the student's Work-Study Balance Sheet immediately after each payroll.

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Occasionally, a student may have their FWS award revised by the Office of Student Financial Services (OSFS). OSFS may reduce the award upon learning of:

• Additional resources, e.g. scholarships or tuition waivers.
• Less than half-time enrollment, including withdrawal from The University.

Employers will be notified of any revision to the student's FWS award. The revision notification will state the amount of the original award and the amount of the new award. The notification enables employers to determine the amount of FWS award remaining to be earned by the student.

In the case of less than half-time enrollment or withdrawal from UT, employers will be notified of the date the student was last eligible to work as a Work-Study employee, and advised that they will not be reimbursed by the Work-Study Office for any hours the student worked beyond that date.

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The award period is the period during which students may earn their FWS award. Award periods (Employment Dates) are as follows (these dates are also preprinted on the student's Off-Campus Sign-Up Sheet/Job Description Form):

Students may never begin their FWS job prior to the start of the award period or continue to work after the award period ends. A student's FWS award is meant to be earned over the entire award period -- it is unacceptable for a student to earn the full award in the first half of that period.

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FWS students can be employed in a variety of positions. These include but are not limited to clerical assistants, data entry operators, photographers, and production assistants. Work-Study students must have the same qualifications as non-FWS individuals applying for the same jobs.

FWS Regulation 34 CFR 675.18 states: "A school must use at least 7% of its FWS allocation" for students employed in community service jobs. This must include at least one FWS student hired as reading tutor for children in preschool or elementary school, or one FWS student involved in family literacy activities. Some FWS positions have met the definition of Community Service in past years. That designation continues to be important because in the event that FWS funds become limited, those positions designated as Community Service, Reading Tutor, or Math Tutor will be approved first. See the Work-Study Award section above.

Community Service positions usually support off-campus agencies involved in programs designed to improve the quality of life for community residents, particularly low-income individuals. In the past, some of these positions have been found in areas of child care, health care, social services, welfare, crime prevention/control, transportation, recreation and education.

«TIP» When completing the Job Description Form (reverse of Off-Campus Sign-Up Sheet), pay close attention to those questions concerning Community Service.

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Students employed under the FWS Program can never be paid on a salary, commission or fee basis. They must be paid instead on an hourly basis for their actual time spent on the job. Although the rate of pay is determined by the off-campus agency, all jobs must pay at least minimum wage ($5.15 per hour). Most jobs pay more, however, depending upon the student's experience and skills.

FWS regulation 34 CFR 675.76 requires that FWS students be paid at least once per month. The FWS share of wages paid to students employed under the FWS program shall not exceed 70% except in those cases where the Work-Study Office has reviewed and approved the position as:

• A Reading Tutor for children in pre-school or elementary school or
• A Reading Tutor in a family literacy program that provides services to children from infancy through elementary or to their parents or caregivers or
• A Math Tutor for children in grades K-9

For the eligible tutor positions above, the FWS share will be 100%. This also includes up to 20 hours of tutor training. The FWS share will be 70%, however, for any tutor training hours beyond 20! This is because the goal is to spend funds for FWS students to interact with the children, not for other activities.

Please note that employers will not be reimbursed for hours worked:

1. Prior to the approval of the Off-Campus Employer's Agreement to participate in the Federal Work-Study Program
2. In excess of the student's FWS award
3. Prior to the start or after the end of the Award Period
4. After the student has lost FWS eligibility by dropping below half-time enrollment or withdrawing from all classes

Because FWS students are not eligible for benefits, FWS funds must not be used by the student's employer to provide benefits such as sick leave, vacation or holiday pay. Also, FWS funds must never be used by the student's employer to pay the employer's contribution to Social Security, Worker's Compensation, retirement, or any other welfare or insurance program.

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During the award period, an FWS student cannot be "hired" to work more than 19 hours per week. They may, however, work more than 19 hours per week during the award period when classes are not in session (e.g. Spring Break).

Please note that under no circumstances may FWS students ever be asked to work when they are scheduled to be in class, or to work more than 8 hours in any 24 hour period.

Students may not work in more than one Work-Study job at the same time. If your FWS student plans to work in a Work-Study job and a non-Work-Study job at the same time, they should be aware of the "Quantity of Work" guidelines. The Quantity of Work guidelines were established to help students achieve balance between their schoolwork and their job(s). Finding the right balance is the key to maintaining satisfactory academic progress.

The Quantity of Work guidelines say that undergraduate students should not commit to more than 40 hours per week for all their jobs and classes combined. For example, if they are enrolled in 12 credit hours and their Work-Study job requires them to work 18 hours per week, they would be advised to work no more than 10 hours in a non-Work-Study job (12 + 18 + 10 = 40). The Quantity of Work Rule does not change for the summer semester.

For graduate students, the number of credit hours a graduate student is registered for is multiplied by three. This number is then added to the number of hours worked per week. The final figure cannot exceed 56.

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