Federal Work Study (FWS)

For many students, Federal Work Study (FWS) eligibility will be part of your projected aid package. Being employed on-campus through the Federal Work Study Program allows students to make up to $2000+ per year. Employment on campus may provide convenience, increased campus involvement, contact with others, reduction of travel costs, and other advantages.

It is also important for you and your family to realize that a Federal Work Study award, if included in your financial aid award letter, is different than other award items in a couple important ways:

  • Unlike grants, scholarships, and loans, FWS is NOT a guaranteed amount since it is the student’s responsibility to find a FWS job on campus.
  • Unlike grants, scholarships, and loans, there is NO automatic posting of dollars to the student account. This occurs only if the student takes the initiative to deposit the biweekly paycheck into his/her own account.
  • When planning how the FWS award may affect your annual costs, you must project the actual amount you expect to earn. In many cases, the actual amount may be less than the total allowed by your Financial Aid award.

Our suggestion is that if Federal Work Study is part of your aid package, consider it as a way to earn money to pay for non-billed expenses such as your books and various miscellaneous out-of-pocket costs.

View our list of the different types of jobs that are occasionally offered to students here at TUFW.