Federal Work-Study (FWS)

Type of aid	Grant
Need-based?	Yes
Limited funds?	Yes
Award made by	Oklahoma State University
Application	Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
Deadline	As soon after January 1 as possible.
Other	Awarded to undergraduate and graduate students who demonstrate financial need. In some cases FWS eligibility can be converted to subsidized student loan eligibility. Refer to Required Reading for terms and conditions.

Federal Work-Study (FWS) provides jobs for undergraduate and graduate students with financial need, allowing them to earn money to help pay educational expenses. The program encourages community service work and work related to your course of study. OSU receives a specific amount of FWS funds to use each year. Since funds are limited, students are encouraged to complete the FAFSA as early as possible each year. The maximum FWS award is $4000 for the 2009-2010 award year.

The OSU Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid determines award amounts on the basis of financial need. In some cases, FWS eligibility can be converted into a Subsidized Student Loan. If you receive an FWS award and wish instead to utilize the loan program, please contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid to determine if this is an option for you.

Advantages of Part-Time Work:
Many students find advantages to working part-time while they are in school:

Helps ease the transition to college
Develops professional contacts
Builds a solid employment history
Develops time management skills

Community Service Opportunities:

Eligible students may be employed by any participating office or department at OSU or at any off-campus, non-profit agency. To provide as many unique opportunities for our student employees as possible, the OSU Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid has a significant number of off-campus FWS positions available. These positions allow students to earn their FWS award in the same way as students working on-campus, yet give them an employment experience possibly unavailable at OSU. All off-campus positions are paid. More detailed information about Community Service Federal Work-Study opportunities at OSU is available.

Pay Rates:
While all Federal Work-Study student employees are paid at least the current minimum wage, the actual rate of pay depends on their qualifications and the types of jobs they hold. Graduate assistants being subsidized by FWS will be paid on a monthly basis. All other students will be paid biweekly for hours worked during the period.

FWS jobs represent a small minority of all the student jobs on the OSU campus. If you don't receive a work-study award, you may still be able to find employment through OSU Career Services.