Federal Work Study

Award Range: up to $2,300/semester
Appears on Award Letter As: FWS

Federal Work Study (FWS) is part-time employment on-campus. The Office of Financial Aid determines how many dollars a student may earn through this program each semester. Once eligibility has been determined and a student’s financial aid award has been packaged, the student can search for a job and apply for open positions through Career Services, which is in Room A-113, located in the Learning Success Center (Building A on the main campus).

No guarantee of employment is made, even when funds are offered through this program. If FWS is offered, it is up to the student to apply for available positions. However, if FWS is offered as part of a student's Financial Aid Package, he or she is not obligated to accept this form of assistance. The student may already have a job or find that he or she prefers to use his or her non-classroom time for studying or other responsibilities/commitments. Generally, students earn minimum wage for the hours they work.

Students are usually limited to working no more than 20 hours per week during the regular school year and no more than 39 hours per week during approved vacation periods, provided that both funding and work are available. Students receiving funding from the Family Independence Agency (FIA) may request permission to work 30 hours per week. The hours available will vary, depending on the individual departmental needs and HFC's budgetary restrictions.

Students must take at least 6 credit hours in the semester in which they wish to work. Students are not eligible to work if they drop below these minimum required enrollment levels.

Students are expected to work during those agreed-upon hours with the employer. Failure to abide by work policies set by the employer and HFC may result in the loss of their FWS study job.

The HFC Payroll Office prepares and distributes paychecks on a bi-weekly basis to students employed on campus through the College Work Study programs. Direct deposit of FWS earnings is available through the HFC Payroll Office, if desired. The student and their supervisor are responsible for keeping track of the student’s total FWS earnings in order to make sure that earnings do not exceed the amount awarded.