Work-Study and Student Employment
Federal Work-Study (FWS) provides part-time employment opportunities to undergraduate and graduate students who demonstrate financial need. Students who are eligible for the FWS program have their wages paid by the federal government. Students are paid an hourly rate of $10 per hour. Students are notified of their eligibility for Federal Work-Study as part of their financial aid package.
Many students are eligible for federal work-study and student employment. If you don’t have a work-study award already, you can contact the Financial Aid office or review your awards to see if you qualify.
- Review your awards by logging into your BannerWeb account, select Financial Aid > My Award Information > Award Year. You will then see a series of tabs. You must first select the Terms and Conditions tab before the Accept Award Offer tab can instantly become activated. Once the Accept Award Offer tab becomes activated you may select it to review your awards.
Eligible students are responsible for applying for and securing their own work-study jobs, but job search assistance and guidance is provided by CBU’s Career Services.
Get Started
All students must also complete a Student Employee Approval Form before they can begin working.
Download Student Employee Approval Form (PDF)F-1 Visa Students, Please Note: Federal Work-Study Jobs are available only to US citizens, permanent residents, temporary legal residents, asylees, and refugees; therefore, you are not eligible to apply for any on-campus job listed as a federal work-study job. For information on job opportunities for International students visit the Student Employment page.
To apply for a work-study or campus intern position:
To apply for a work-study:
- Complete the Federal Work Study application with Financial Aid Office.
- Log in to your CBU Handshake account
- Click on the “Jobs” tab and select “On-Campus”
- All available positions will then display with the first few points of the job description. Click the title of each position to view the entire listing.
- Follow the directions with each position regarding how to apply (some may ask that you submit a resume, others may have an application, or ask that you call or come by the office)
- Take form to HR to complete I-9 and W-4 forms.
- Bring completed form back to Financial Aid.
If you need any assistance crafting, editing, or improving your resume, be sure to contact Career Services.
Note: Federal Work Study (FWS) positions pay rate cannot exceed $9 per hour. Students cannot have more than one FWS position per term.
To apply for campus intern position:
Please contact Career Services for more information.
Frequently Asked Questions About Work-Study
Federal work-study awards are not disbursed to you in a lump sum. You will receive semi-monthly paychecks based on the hours you have worked. You must earn the awarded money to receive it.
Federal Work study has a maximum of 20 hours per week that a student can work.
No, federal work-study students can only have one job assignment.
You will be notified of your hourly rate of pay and work-schedule by the hiring department.
Work study hours are recorded in the BannerWeb time entry system, with wages for hours worked the 1st-15th paid on the last day of the month, and wages for the 16th-31st paid on the 15th of the following month. Workers are encouraged to sign up for direct deposit, as paper checks are mailed.
Federal Work-Student earnings are paid directly to the student and are not applied to the student’s account in the Business Office. Federal Work-Study cannot be used to meet registration fees. Students are paid for the # of hours they work based on timesheets submitted.
All earnings are taxable, though full time students are exempt from Social Security and Medicare taxes. You may not make enough to file. If you do file, you must include your work-study wages.
You are NOT eligible for fringe benefits such as insurance or paid lunch, holidays, sick leave, vacation, or time off for inclement weather.