Work-Study Students FAQ
What is Federal Work-Study?
Federal Work-Study (FWS) is a need-based employment program. It is designed to help both undergraduate and graduate students meet educational expenses by working. OSU and participating off-campus employers pay only a portion of your FWS wages, with the remaining portion paid from federal funds. Community service jobs are available to students, as well as jobs related to most majors.
How do I find an FWS job?
A list of Community service positions are available, or you can review a complete list of FWS jobs through the Career Services homepage. From there go to the "Students site," then "find a Job/Intership " and "HIRE system." From the HIRE system site, you will either create new account or sign-in if you are a returning user.
Once you find a job that interests you, you should setup an interview with the contact listed.
You should approach this interview as you would any job interview. It is important to present a neat appearance, be able to give references and respond to questions about your past work experience.
Don't forget to bring these to your interview:
- a copy of your most recent Award Letter
- your class schedule
When can I work?
Your work schedule is arranged by you and your employer, taking into consideration the amount of your FWS award, your class schedule, and your employer's needs. By dividing your FWS award amount by the rate you are to be paid and by the number of weeks you will be working, you can determine an average number of hours per week that you may work.
If you are unable to schedule enough hours at your FWS job to earn your full award, you may hold an additional FWS job. We advise you not to work more than twenty hours per week. You may not work more than forty hours in any one week. You may earn your fall FWS award during the fall and spring semesters (any unearned amount from your fall award will carry over into spring,) but your spring FWS award can only be earned during the spring semester. FWS awards made for the fall and spring semesters cannot be used in the summer. You may work during dead week, finals week, Fall break, Thanksgiving, and Spring Break. Under certain conditions, you may be able to work between the fall and spring semesters. In general, FWS employment at OSU is not available during the summer term.
How do I receive my FWS award?
You are paid wages or a salary for the time you work. Most FWS students are paid by the hour and receive a paycheck every two weeks. Graduate students on FWS may be paid a monthly salary. Your pay rate is determined by your employer who should take into consideration your education and previous experience. You must be paid at least the federal minimum wage of $5.15.
You will keep an accurate record of the time you work on an FWS time sheet which you will turn in to your supervisor. Paychecks may be picked up at the Bursar's office, 113 Student Union, or be directly deposited to most banks. Your employer will have you fill out payroll forms that must be filed with University Personnel Service before you can be paid. If you are a new employee you will be asked to provide documentation of identity and eligibility for employment. All FWS wages are subject to federal and state income tax. University Personnel Services will mail you a W-2 form for income tax purposes after the end of the calendar year in which you were employed. All student employees are exempt from FICA taxes provided they are enrolled full time (12 hours undergraduate, and 9 hours graduate) and work less than 30 hours per week. You should keep track of how much FWS award you have earned. You must stop working once you have earned the entire amount unless your employer agrees to totally fund your employment.
Can FWS employees be terminated?
Most FWS students work both the fall and spring semesters in the same job. However, it is possible for you to quit or be terminated by your employer. In either situation, you run the risk of losing your FWS award if no other FWS jobs prove satisfactory to you. You can be terminated for a number of reasons: excessive tardiness, absenteeism, and poor work performance are some of them. If your supervisor is dissatisfied with your work performance, he or she should discuss it with you and give you a period of time to resolve the problems. If you are unable to resolve the problems, you may be terminated. If you take a job that becomes unsatisfactory to you, you should first discuss the situation with your supervisor to see if it can be resolved. If it cannot, you should notify your supervisor of your decision to resign and give notice before leaving. This will enable them to hire someone else for your position.
