Program Description
Federal Work-Study (FWS) is a federally funded, need-based employment program. Eligible students may earn FWS funds by working part-time with approved FWS employers. Students are awarded FWS based on financial need, availability of FWS funds, and job availability. Employing departments, and the state and federal governments share in the payment of student wages. The Federal Work-Study Program provides valuable experience to students both inside and outside of their field of study. Students are encouraged to work part-time while in school to not only gain work experience but to help contribute to the cost of their education and reduce their loan indebtedness.

Eligibility Requirements
All undergraduate and graduate students who are enrolled with at least half-time enrollment (six hours per semester for undergraduate students and three hours per semester for graduate students) and accepted into a degree program are eligible to apply for FWS. Students in the Lifelong Education Program are not eligible. Students must demonstrate financial need as calculated by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and must be citizens of the United States or eligible non-citizens. Additionally, students must be making satisfactory academic progress.

How Students Apply For Work-Study
To apply for participation in the Federal Work-Study Program, all students must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) indicating they are interested in a work-study job and list NC State University as a school they plan to attend. Continuing work-study students who wish to return to their job in the following year need to tell their supervisor in the spring term and complete the FAFSA. New graduate students should complete the FAFSA and contact the Work-Study Coordinator at 919-513-2574 for special instructions.
Once the FAFSA information is received and processed, there is demonstrated financial need, and there are funds available, the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (OSFA) will send an Award Notification Letter to the student offering a FWS award for the academic period. Because work-study funds are limited, students should submit the FAFSA and any other requested documentation early in the year. Federal work-study jobs are posted on the Internet in early August at the following address: http://www7.acs.ncsu.edu/workstudy_jobs/workstudy.asp. Students should select several jobs they are interested in and contact the individual employers to set up interviews for hiring consideration. Students must take the most recent copy of their award letter to the interview to establish their eligibility to be hired as a work-study student. If needed, students can pick up another copy of their award letter from the OSFA or print off a copy of their award by clicking on Financial Aid Inquiry on the OSFA web page. Students should also take a copy of their class schedule.
 

How Employers Request a Work-Study Position
Employers who want to hire a work-study student need to complete a Request for a Work-Study Position Form. A new request form must be completed for each different job and pay rate. Please send request forms by email.

Federal Work-Study Pay Wage Guidelines
In accordance with Federal Work-Study (FWS) Program regulations, all employers must establish a job description and pay rate for each FWS position offered. While employers may determine the specific job title and duties for each position offered, all FWS positions must be classified in accordance with the Pay Wage Guidelines. These guidelines are intended to ensure pay equity among all and should be used to establish hourly wages comparable to all other FWS and non-FWS students employed by the hiring department. While the OSFA requires compliance with these guidelines, federal regulations require only that students be paid at least the federal minimum wage of $6.55 per hour.

Below is a guide for supervisors in setting wage rates for students and a list of job descriptions for the appropriate wage rate. All positions are not listed. Pay is limited to $10.00 per hour.

Sample Student Job Classifications

Community Service
The Federal Work-Study program requires that universities spend at least 7 percent of FWS dollars on community service jobs. These are off-campus job sites approved by our office. Students must provide their own transportation to these sites. For these reasons, students are paid higher than the average wage. About 10 percent of all work-study students earn their work-study award through community service.

The Hiring Process
Jobs are listed on the work-study website, www7.acs.ncsu.edu/workstudy_jobs/workstudy.asp, about one week before fall term begins. Employers are sent a Voucher to Hire a Work-study Student Form for each position requested. Vouchers are sent through campus mail about two days before the first day of class in the fall term. Students make initial contact with employers and employers schedule interviews in which they discuss duties and expectations of the position, including days and hours needed to work. Employers make hiring decisions. Employers and students should create a mutually agreeable work schedule that accommodates academic requirements. Students may never work during their scheduled course times. Employers should also discuss procedures for dealing with tardiness, poor performance, inclement weather, on-the-job injuries, etc. Employers should explain payroll procedures and the pay schedule. Students must present a copy of their award letter, confirming their work-study award amount. The employer and student must complete and return the Voucher to Hire form to the OSFA as soon as possible. Employers and/or payroll officers should keep a copy of the voucher for their records. Vouchers received in the fall are for the fall and spring academic terms as long as the student holds the same position. Please return vouchers promptly because students' awards may have been canceled or reduced just before the beginning of the term. (See Changes in the FWS Award Amount below for reasons why a student's award may change.)

Earning the FWS Award
Students may not begin work before the first day of a term or continue after the last day of exams for a term. Students are allowed to work during school breaks within a term. Students are NOT allowed to work between terms. See Records and Registration for current academic calendar dates at this address: http://www.ncsu.edu/registrar/calendars. Federal work-study participants earn money from their FWS award through NC State's payroll issued every two weeks according to the payroll schedule as set by Human Resources: http://www.ncsu.edu/hr. Students are paid by a paper check or direct deposit, according to their preference.

Most students are awarded $1500 per year, ($750 per semester). If they begin work in August, students can work 6-8 hours per week, depending on their pay rate. To estimate the number of hours a student can work, divide the student's award for the semester by their pay per hour. Divide the resulting number by 15, or the number of weeks remaining in the semester to determine the number of hours per week a student can work. Students may continue working until the end of their authorized period of employment, provided they have not reached their FWS award limit. Students cannot work over their award amount for a semester or the year. If a student does not earn his or her fall amount, it can be carried over to spring term. The total award amount is a yearly limit, as long as the student remains eligible. Students may not, under any circumstances, continue to work through FWS after their authorized period of employment has ended or after depletion of their FWS award. It is the responsibility of the student and the employer to monitor earnings to be certain this does not happen. Overpayments will be reallocated to the department's account in compliance with federal regulations. Employers may use an Earnings Worksheet to keep track of hours and earnings or obtain access to the PS Labor application. Students cannot work more than 39 hours per week. Generally, students should work no more than 20 hours per week. Employers and students should keep in mind that the student's primary obligation is to their studies.

Pay Raises
A student should hold the same position for at least a semester prior to being eligible for a merit or longevity raise. Rate increases are based on merit or longevity only. If students report that they are not working enough hours to earn their full award amount due to either their employer's or the student's schedule, there are several options to consider:

1. If the employer does not have enough hours or the student's schedule does not match your needs, the student might want to consider resigning (with one week's notice) and seeking another work-study job.
2. Remind the student that if the fall award is not earned, it can be carried over to spring (assuming schedules allow more hours to be worked).
3. Suggest that the student contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid to review options to make up the amount that will not be earned.

An option that is NOT available is for the employer to increase the hourly rate. Rate increases are not based on the need to earn more of the award amount by working fewer hours.

Changes in the FWS Award Amount
A student's FWS award may need to be reduced or canceled during the year. Some of the reasons for the change include the following:

• The student receives an additional grant

• The student has dropped below half-time enrollment status

• The student did not achieve Satisfactory Academic Progress in the prior term, making the student ineligible for financial aid, including FWS funds

• The student was unable to present valid identification to complete the federal forms required for employment. It is against Federal INS laws to employ any person who does not present documentation proving their eligibility to work in the United States.

If students want an increase in their award, they may contact the OSFA to see whether they have any remaining eligibility for need-based aid and whether any additional work-study funds are available.

Payroll Procedures
Supervisors hire students as bi-weekly temporary employees. For questions about entering student data in PeopleSoft, employers should contact Human Resources.

Campus departments pay 10 percent or 25 percent of wages depending on which departmental FAS account number they use. Departments using FAS account numbers 2, 4, 30-349999 pay 10 percent of wages. Departments using auxiliary accounts (35-39,9999; 5; 6; 7 or 9) pay 25 percent of wages. The financial aid FAS account number to be charged is listed on each voucher. The award amount listed on the student's award letter reflects gross wages; it includes both the department's portion and financial aid's portion. If an award is $1500 and the department's share is 25 percent or $375, the student may earn a total of $1500, not $1875. Compensation is based on an hourly wage. Time worked is recorded on a Time Sheet at the place of employment for every pay period. The employer keeps the time sheet and makes sure the student signs in and out each workday. (The student does not keep the time sheet.) Each pay period is two weeks in length. The normal workweek begins on Saturday and ends on Friday. Time is calculated to the nearest quarter of the hour for any time less than the whole hour. For example, 1 hour 10 minutes is 1 and 1/4 hour. Students are not to be paid for lunch breaks or other time not actually worked. Each time sheet must be complete with the dates and times worked. The supervisor and the student must initial any corrections. The immediate supervisor whose signature is on the Voucher to Hire form should be the one to sign the student's time sheet.

Performance Appraisals
Employers are encouraged to evaluate FWS students at the end of each semester or as needed, using a Performance Appraisal Form. FWS jobs should be treated as any other job, and employers and students are encouraged to discuss any problems or misunderstandings that may occur. Students should be aware that their FWS job is an opportunity to enhance their resume.

Resignation/Termination Procedures
Students are expected to remain in their FWS job for an academic year. However, a student may discontinue employment at any time. The student is encouraged to give a minimum of one week's notice when resigning from a position. Students should submit their resignation in writing directly to their supervisor and include a specified final date of employment. While on-campus student employment is a learning experience for many, it is still a job and carries with it all the responsibilities of any job found off-campus. The student needs to maintain the proper attitude and behavior on the job and perform the required tasks in an acceptable manner. Students who do not carry out these responsibilities after sufficient warning by the supervisor can be terminated from their job. It is a good idea for employers to maintain a personnel file on each student and document each occurrence.

Some of the major reasons for termination include:

• failure to report to work;

• repeated tardiness;

• poor attitude;

• insubordination;

• failure or inability to perform the tasks required;

• falsification of time sheets;

• theft or embezzlement;

• destruction of University property;

• threats or use of physical force;

• any illegal activities conducted on University property including alcohol or drug use.

Terminations will be handled in accordance with the policies and procedures established by North Carolina State University. Employers should contact the Work-study Coordinator (513-2574 or Nell_Summerlin@ncsu.edu) to report the termination of a student.

Grievance Procedures
For discussion and resolution of problems that exist in the work place, students should always go to their immediate supervisor. If the problem is not resolved to the student's satisfaction after working with the immediate supervisor, he or she should contact the Work-Study Coordinator in the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid and the Office of Legal Affairs. Students can access the grievance procedures at http://www.ncsu.edu/policies/student_services/student_griev/REG450.00.1.htm .

Mid-Year Job Changes
Students who are dissatisfied with their job should first meet with their supervisor to discuss the problem. If both the student and the supervisor are not satisfied, and a solution cannot be reached, the student may resign. Frequent mid-year changes are discouraged because they could reflect negatively on a student's work record. If the student wants to attempt to find a new position, he or she follows the same job placement procedures as before: consult the work-study website and contact employers. The new employer needs to complete a new voucher with the student.

Contact Information
For questions or concerns about the Federal Work-Study program, contact Nell Summerlin, FWS Coordinator, at 513-2574 or Nell_Summerlin@ncsu.edu. For questions about work-study earnings, contact Shawn Smith, Financial Aid Accountant, at 513-3515 or Shawn_Smith@ncsu.edu.