Federal Work Study

What is Federal Work-Study?

The Federal College Work-Study Program is a form of federal financial aid that has unique characteristics. Unlike Grants, which do not have to be paid back, and Loans, which do have to be paid back, Federal Work-Study is a self-help program. It is a way of assisting students who need part-time employment income to help them meet their educational expenses. In other words, the money is there to assist you, but you need to earn it.

When a student receives a Federal Work-Study award as part of his or her financial aid package, the federal government is providing money to pay the student’s wages when that student works on campus in a Federal Work-Study funded position.

Not all on-campus jobs, that are available to students, are Federal Work-Study funded. Many jobs are university-funded, which means that the money to pay student wages come from monies within the university departmental budgets. A student does not need to have a Federal Work-Study award in order to apply for these institutional student employee positions.  However, when a job listing includes in its required qualifications: “Federal Work-Study Award,” then only those students who have been awarded Federal Work-Study, as part of their financial aid package, can apply.

Federal Work-Study awards are need-based, and they are funded by a set budgeted amount of money. Once all of the year’s budgeted funds are awarded, a student, who is interested in and qualified to receive Federal Work-Study, may apply for positions on the Student Employment Center website.

Work-study is a very popular way for students to earn money while in college, mainly because employers will work around the student’s class schedule. Georgia Southern offers two types of employment: institutional, which is funded by the University, and Federal Work-Study, which is a financial aid award.

Students who are interested in working on campus should visit the Student Employment Center website or contact them at (912) 478-7159.

Last updated: 2/16/2022