Quick Guide to Work-Study

• Federal Work-study (FWS) is a need-based financial aid program funded by the federal government and WMU.​
• FWS is awarded to students based on need and availability of funds.  ​
• FWS offers are counted as part of the student’s financial aid award package. ​
• Not all students will qualify/receive FWS. Eligibility is based on FAFSA submission and corresponding award. ​
• International students are not eligible to apply for FWS.
• Students must be, and remain, enrolled during the period of employment.
• These funds are awarded to the student, not to the job or employing department. 
• Departments may request to hire students with a work-study award. Once the work-study award is spent, any additional payment is the responsibility of the hiring department.
• Students with a work-study award may use that at any campus job. Students with work-study may also work off-campus in approved community service work-study non-profit sites.
• Students with a work-study award are subject to the same employment definitions and expectations as other student employees.

• New Freshman students: January​

• Transfer students for Fall: April​

• Continuing/Graduate students: June​

• Spring admits: November

• To hire for fall: June/July​

• To hire for spring: November/December​

• To hire for summer: March/April​

• How to hire after a revoke date: email @email to determine if funds can be reinstated.

1. Develop a job description* 

2. Post job to Handshake for at least 3 business days ​

3. Promote it to students who received a FWS award​

-Career Services promotes jobs accepting applications via Handshake​

-Use Cognos Report “30.30.30 Work Study Recruitment and Award Confirmation” to find awarded students​

4. Identify which applicants received federal work study awards​

-Report available in Cognos for departmental: “30.30.30 Work Study Recruitment and Award Confirmation”

5. Conduct interviews, confirm funds awarded for final candidate​

6. Make an offer following best practices on Campus Supervisors page ​

7. Submit workflow to Human Resources

-Form defaults to “Yes-Pay from Work Study (when available).” 

• Starting with approved rate of pay, employers can calculate maximum hours per week before FWS are exhausted.
• Identify the hourly rate of pay before posting the position, then take the Award total for semester divided by the Approved Hourly Pay Rate divided by the Number of Weeks​ you expect the student to work.
• If student will be employed in multiple jobs, coordinate with other department(s) so available funds are not exceeded. ​

• Cognos report “30.30.10 Work Study Departmental Auditing”​

• At minimum, department should review after first payroll in which a student begins earning.​

• Semester/session is in the same financial aid year.​

• Semester/session receiving the carry forward also includes a Federal Work-study award.

• For example: A student is awarded $1,000 for the fall semester, but they only earn $750 during the semester. Although their spring award shows $1,000, they actually have $1,250 available to earn during the spring semester.

• Job Description (wmich.edu/career/job description)​

• Time Sheets (signed and verified)​

• If time is not submitted using a paper time sheet, a copy of the Kronos time card and department approval can be used.​

• Class schedule vs. work schedule​

• Departments must verify that class schedule and work schedule do not conflict

Some issues found in previous audits...​

• Unsigned time sheets​

• Incorrect payment made to student (time reported and  payment did not agree)​

• Information on time sheet was not completed correctly (incorrect dates/incomplete information)​

• Issues with multiple jobs (students paid from wrong job record because Kronos transfers were not completed correctly):​

• Wrong pay rate used​

• Federal Work-study used/not used in error ​

• Departments may be charged for earnings when errors related to audit requirements are made.