Federal Work-Study (FWS) is a federally funded program where the federal government pays a percentage of the student’s earnings (on and off campus at 75%; off campus only at 90% or 100%). This helps departments and community service agencies with savings in payroll spending.
What is Federal Work-Study?
Federal Work-Study eligibility
To be eligible for Federal Work-Study during the academic year, students must:
- Have submitted their FAFSA
- Have need (or room) for Federal Work-Study
- Be enrolled as a student
If the student is eligible for Federal Work-Study as a freshman, they should be eligible all terms enrolled thereafter.
Summer Federal Work-Study is a separate award from the academic year. To be eligible for summer FWS, students must:
- Have need (or room) for Federal Work-Study
- Be enrolled as a student
Yes. All Federal Work-Study funded students know if they have FWS. Students can access their financial aid information, including Federal Work-Study amount information, through their One.IU. If a student has trouble finding this information, please advise them to contact Student Central. We suggest that employers ask all students if they have FWS.
FWS can be reinstated for any student that declined or did not accept it. The student must email Student Central at scu@iu.edu and ask for FWS to be reinstated. Reinstatement requests must be received no later than mid-September. Students are eligible for an employer appeal after the reinstatement cut-off date.
An employer appeal is for a student that does not currently have FWS—this includes any student that you hire into a regular position. Employers can email our office at iubosfa@iu.edu requesting FWS on behalf of the student. We will begin reviewing employer appeals as early as possible, usually in mid-August.
2024–2025 term dates
|
Undergraduate |
Graduate |
Academic year |
August 4, 2024 to May 10, 2025 |
August 1, 2024 to May 12, 2025 |
Fall semester |
August 4, 2024 to December 20, 2024 |
August 1, 2024 to December 20, 2024 |
Spring semester |
January 13, 2025 to May 10, 2025 |
January 13, 2025 to May 10, 2025 |
Hiring FWS students
Job descriptions
Employers are required to submit job descriptions annually to hire a FWS student. For IU positions, the job description number must be entered in the comments section when submitting HR eDocs.
To submit a job description for a NEW job, use one of the following buttons and select the 2024-2025 aid year.
Submit an on-campus job description Submit an off-campus job description
To UPDATE an existing job description, select one of the following:
Submit an on-campus job description Submit an off-campus job description
Timesheets and working hours
Federal Work-Study is considered part-time and the work schedule should be set as such—most FWS students work 10 to 15 hours per week.
Students are not permitted to work during a scheduled class. If clock in and out issues occur, the student will need to add a detailed note to their timesheet. The Office of Student Financial Assistance will monitor class and work schedules for FWS students and email the student and employer if no note is added to the timesheet. Students can work during any time classes are not in session. While classes are in session, a canceled class is not a valid reason for a student to work.
All employers are expected to approve students’ timesheets every pay period.
How are students paid?
Students earn Federal Work-Study funds by working and are paid on a bi-weekly basis. Students do not need to earn the full amount of funds for which they are approved. The Office of Financial Assistance will monitor student earnings throughout the academic year to make adjustments as needed. Employers should also manage the student’s time to keep them within the FWS earnings limit.
Kuali Time and managing student work-study funds and hours
In order to clock in and out and be paid through the IU system, students use Kuali Time. Off-campus employers have designated employees with IU usernames who are granted affiliate access to Kuali so they can approve timesheets.
You can view a student’s work-study limit in Kuali Time:
- Click on the “Person Info” tab
- Expand the “Your Jobs” section
- In “Your Jobs” you will see the student’s active work-study job record number, their begin and end dates, their work-study limit, and their current work-study balance.
Increases in FWS
If increases are offered, it is usually done prior to the start of the spring term. Increases are not a guarantee and will always be determined by the FWS budget and the student’s need. However, if you see that a student’s work-study balance is low prior to the spring term you can email iubosfa@iu.edu and ask for an increase.
How to find great FWS student employees
The Career Development Center hosts the Fall Part-Time Jobs Fair and the Summer Jobs & Internships Fair. These career fairs are a great way to connect with IU students.
Learn more about hiring students for FWS positions
Graduate student work-study (GWS)
Graduate departments have an allocation for work-study positions, and they decide how much of the allocation will be awarded to each student. Awarding will depend on the student’s need.
A job description is required annually to hire and employ a graduate work-study student. Please email iubosfa@iu.edu for more information on a GWS Program.
Contact us
Employer contact information
Jennifer Abrams, Federal Work Study Coordinator
- Phone: 812-856-5131
- Email: iubosfa@iu.edu
Kevin Jacobs, Associate Director
- Email: kwjacobs@iu.edu
Amy Jo Hull, Senior Associate Director
- Email: amyhull@iu.edu
Bloomington Financial Services
- Email: blfinsvc@indiana.edu
- Address: 107 S. Indiana Avenue
Bryan Hall 007
Bloomington, IN 47405
Mary Clare Bauman, Associate Director for Student Employment and Employer Relations
- Email: iucareer@indiana.edu or baumanmc@iu.edu
- Phone: 812-855-5234
- Student Employment website for Employers
Nancy Y. Vazquez Soto, Application Administrator
Student contact information
If students have questions regarding Federal Work-Study, they should contact Student Central by phone at 812-855-6500, email at scu@iu.edu, or in-person at 408 N. Union Street. For more information about Student Central’s hours or to use the secure contact form, visit the Student Central website.