Federal Work-Study
Federal Work-Study (FWS) is an opportunity program that funds jobs for undergraduate and graduate students with financial need, which can help pay for college expenses. The program is subsidized by the U.S. Department of Education. Students must be authorized in an approved Federal Work-Study job in order to earn FWS funds. Earnings are paid semi-monthly in the form of a paycheck through direct deposit, not deducted from your bill. FWS allows students to earn a determined award amount per academic year in on-campus or off-campus positions.
The program is designed to provide students with opportunities for personal and professional growth and development as they begin to learn the skills that will prepare them to enter the workforce upon graduation.
Students in FWS positions will demonstrate their capacity to:
- Link disciplinary content to the real world.
- Apply disciplinary content and knowledge gained from experience, including lived experience, within work settings.
- Develop a sense of connection to an office, project/work team and/or professional setting.
- Explore professional development and career preparation issues that are personally meaningful.
Contact Federal-Work Study at VCU
Give us a call at (804) 828-6181 or email workstudy@vcu.edu. Our office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For students
To be considered for FWS, students must submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and be degree-seeking, enrolled at least half-time, meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements, and have remaining need available. “Need” can only be determined by the FAFSA and is defined as the difference between the students COA (Cost of Attendance) and the students SAI (Student Aid Index). The SAI is a direct output of the FAFSA and can only be obtained via the FAFSA. Priority will be given to students who submit their FAFSA by the priority deadline.
To verify you received a Federal Work-Study award and make a decision on your award, log in to eServices. Click the “Financial Aid” tab, followed by the “Financial Aid Dashboard”, then click on the “Offer” tab to see the amount award and to accept or decline the award by clicking your choice next to the award. Manually accepting your award will allow you to explore Work-Study jobs and internships. After clicking "accept" and waiting 1-2 business days for the system to update, a new filter called "Work-Study" will show up in Handshake. Review "Searching for FWS jobs" below to learn more.
Any change to enrollment status must be reported to the Federal Work-Study office. Failure to do so may result in cancellation of the FWS award without notice.
Please review the Federal Work-Study Student Guide for a brief overview of the program. For more in-depth information, please review the Federal Work-Study Student Handbook. Please contact the Federal Work-Study office for additional questions.
On-campus job opportunities include clerical support, student services, research and laboratory support, computing, accounting, tutoring, security, lifeguarding and other specialized positions.
Students can also apply for a job with one of our nonprofit community service partners. Typical off-campus opportunities include tutoring, disability support services, social services, public safety, gerontology and accounting.
Positions pay competitive hourly wages and offer flexible hours to accommodate academic schedules. Some locations require students to provide their own transportation; however, many off-campus sites are within walking distance of VCU, and several employers are located near the free GRTC bus routes.
All FWS jobs are available through Handshake at VCU. Users should click the blue "VCU Sign On" button and log in using their VCU eID and password.
To search, go to the “Jobs” menu and select "Filters." Under the options for various job filters, check the box for "Work Study" to narrow your search to only Federal Work-Study positions. To further narrow down your search, you can filter by “On campus student employment” for on-campus roles, “Job” for off-campus roles, and “Internship” for an experience that is part of the Transforming FWS Internship Program.
Jobs are updated daily, so check back often for new openings.
Before applying for a position, students should complete their profile and upload their resume. Each posting will specify whether additional documents such as references, cover letters and writing samples are required. Many FWS applications will request a screenshot of your semester's schedule and/or a screenshot of your FWS award amount. Having screenshots ready to attach is helpful. If only one attachment is allowed but both are requested, add both screenshot images to a document, then attach the document.
The job search process is competitive, and many positions are filled early in the academic year. Students awarded FWS are not guaranteed to find a job. Unused FWS awards will not be replaced with another form of financial assistance.
VCU Career Services can help students set themselves apart from other applicants.
Students may apply for as many FWS jobs as they’d like, but are only allowed to accept one position. Workload is limited to 20 hours per week while classes are in session.
For employers
The FWS program provides support staff to VCU departments and community organizations in Richmond at little or no cost to the employer.
Federal funds cover 100% of FWS student wages. Employers are not subject to contribute toward student wages. However, employers may be required to pay any student earnings over the student's FWS allotment. This labor distribution and cost coverage is effective for the 2024-2025 academic year only and will be reevaluated yearly. Read the Federal Work-Study Employer Handbook for details.
August 10, 2024 is the earliest possible date authorized students can begin working for the AY 2024-2025. The last day of the FWS program for AY 2024-2024 is May 9, 2025.
On-campus employers
Departments interested in hiring a FWS student should:
- Submit a FWS job posting on Handshake.
- Interview candidates.
- Once a candidate accepts the job offer, notify your department's HR contact to initiate the hiring process.
- Department HR contacts will work with the student to complete the hiring process and notify the student and supervisor when they are authorized to begin working.
- Once the position has been filled, close the position on Handshake.
Off-campus employers
To participate in the VCU Off-Campus Work-Study program, nonprofit organizations and government agencies should:
- Contact the Federal Work-Study office at workstudy@vcu.edu
- All jobs must be posted on Handshake — no exceptions.
- Interview candidates.
- Once a candidate accepts the job offer, submit the Hire Request Form.
- The Federal Work-Study office will work with the student to complete the hiring process and notify the student and supervisor when they are authorized to begin working.
- Once the position is filled, close the position on Handshake.
- If there is any additional hiring paperwork required for an organization, it is up to the employer to decide when the student should complete it.
For current employers
- Job Changes: Off-campus supervisors must submit a Job Change Request to make changes related to active off-campus work-study positions such as supervisor updates, title changes, rate changes, or financial aid award change requests.
- Terminations: Off-campus work-study positions that do not need to continue must be terminated as soon as possible. Off-campus supervisors must submit a Termination Form to notify the Federal Work-Study office as soon as they are aware of the need to terminate a position.