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Federal Work Study
FWS is a type of Federal financial aid awarded to undergraduate and graduate students. It allows students to earn the award through employment in a part time job. Income generated through FWS employment will not be assessed as income on future financial aid application requests. Students are encouraged to participate in FWS employment to earn income and gain valuable work experience.
FWS students may earn their award in a student employment position with the University of Hawaii and non-profit community service agencies. Opportunities also exist through the FWS America Reads Program, a literacy tutoring initiative administered by the Center for Career Development and Student Employment (CDSE).
Frequently Asked Questions:
- What is Federal Work Study (FWS)?
- What requirements must I meet to participate in the FWS program?
- How do I get an FWS award?
- How do I use my FWS award?
- What off-campus programs are available?
- How do I view available FWS positions?
- How is FWS employment different from other jobs?
- How do I earn my award?
- Does work-study guarantee that I will get a job?
- Do I have to pay the money back?
- Do I have to earn the full amount of the award?
- Are taxes taken out of my work-study earnings?
- Where do I go to get additional information?
Federal Work Study (FWS) is awarded by Financial Aid Services as part of your financial aid package. It allows you to earn money to help you pay for educational and personal expenses of attending college. It does not automatically cover the cost of tuition. To determine if you have an award, review your Award on your MyUHPortal.
What requirements must I meet to participate in the work-study program?
- You must have been offered and officially accepted a work-study award for the current academic year
- You must have attended the FWS orientation offered by CDSE
- You must be a UH Manoa student enrolled at least half-time
- You must demonstrate satisfactory academic progress in a program leading to a degree, according to federal standards
- Additional criteria may be required by CDSE and Financial Aid Services.
Your FWS award is determined by the information provided from your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid, fafsa.ed.gov). You must apply for federal student aid based on your taxes from the previous year. Once the university receives and views your application, a FWS award may be granted based on financial need.
How do I use my work-study award?
You will need to secure part-time employment in an approved UHM Student Employment position or with an approved off-campus non-profit organization. Through FWS employment, you will earn your award and receive this income in the form of paychecks. If you are currently employed in a UHM student employment position, notify your supervisor of your award so that you can be placed on the appropriate payroll code to earn your FWS funds.
What types of off-campus opportunities are available through FWS?
Pre-approved off-campus employment opportunities change throughout the year depending on the job market. However, CDSE actively recruits Reading Tutors and Math Tutors, and partner with non-profit agencies such as Read Aloud America and Kids Hurt Too. Other employment opportunities can be found at http://www.hawaii.edu/sece under the FWS Job Program.
How do I view available work study positions?
Log on to the SECE job search website, http://www.hawaii.edu/sece, using your UH username and password. For detailed instructions, click on the “Obtaining referrals – Visual Guide” link at the bottom of the page under the Information/Help section. After you process your job referral(s) it is up to you to contact the employer(s) to request a job interview.
How is FWS employment different from other jobs?
The main difference is that the money you earn through FWS will not be counted as income when you apply for federal financial aid in the next year. This allows you to earn money without jeopardizing your eligibility for financial aid. For some positions, a FWS award is required by the employer in order to qualify for the job.
Once you start working, you will record those hours on your timesheet and submit them to your employer for approval. After it has been approved and processed, you will receive a paycheck for the net wages earned. You may earn up to the dollar amount of your work-study award within the start and end dates of the academic semester.
Does work-study guarantee that I will get a job?
No; you must apply for positions and go through an interview. However, having a FWS award may give you an advantage over non-FWS students when applying for jobs.
Do I have to pay the money back?
No; work-study is not a loan. It is an award that is made available for you to earn. The income is to be used at your discretion.
Do I have to earn the full amount of the award?
No; there is no penalty if you do not earn the entire award.
Are taxes taken out of my work-study earnings?
Yes, taxes are taken if you earn enough according to IRS tax rules. You may be assessed Federal and State income taxes.
Where do I go to get additional information?
You may visit the Center for Career Development and Student Employment (CDSE) in the Queen Liliuokalani Center for Student Services, room 212. Our service counter hours are Monday- Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding holidays.
If you have specific questions about your financial aid awards, you may visit Financial Aid Services in the Queen Liliuokalani Center for Student Services, room 112.
Still have questions?
Send an email to okikawa@hawaii.edu if you have any questions regarding the Federal Work Study program.
Browse the CDSE website with these quick links:
View the latest CDSE News and Updates and learn more about CDSE Job Programs and our various online offerings by clicking through the links below. To suggest a new quick link, send an email to cdse@hawaii.edu
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Dates for the 2008 SEOTY Craft Fair and Silent Auction have been posted on the Craft Fair and Silent Auction page. Keep checking back for the updated silent auction listing.
posted on Aug 5, 2008
Use the Employer Recruitment Schedule to find out about employer information tables and meetings and interviews for experiential and full-time employment (or opportunities) and CDSE career-related events. All UHM students and alumni are encouraged to attend.
posted on Jul 29, 2008
Thinking about law or graduate school? Start your exploration and planning by stopping by tables staffed by representatives from law schools and graduate programs. Learn about their programs, admissions and financial aid. All students are welcome.
posted on Jul 28, 2008
Full-time Job opportunities are always coming into the CDSE office. We created this page to allow you to browse for full-time employment while we work on integrating full-time jobs into the sece job database.
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Working at the University. There are nearly 4,000 students working on the UHM campus. CDSE can help you find the University job you've been looking for.
Non-University Employment
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Cooperative Education (Co-op) / Internships
Working in your Major. The Cooperative Education and Internship programs allow you to gain practical real world experience in your major while still in school.
Federal Work Study
Working in the community and university. Federal Work Study is a financial-aid based program that subsidizes a portion of college expenses by offering employ ment in career or community service positions.
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