Federal Work-Study
Federal Work-Study (FWS) was established by Congress as part of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964. Its purpose is the promotion of part-time employment for students with financial need in order to achieve three main goals:
- To assist students in earning money to meet their educational costs
- To provide work experience related to the student’s chosen academic major or career field; and
- To improve relations between the college and the community.
Students may be employed by College of Alameda, government agencies, or private, non-profit organizations working for the public good. Because of its federal funding, the Federal Work-Study (FWS) Program must adhere to strict regulations enacted by Congress and enforced by the U.S. Department of Education.
Student Eligibility Requirements
Participation in the Federal Work-Study (FWS) Program allows students to earn $17.46 per hour. Eligibility is based on financial need (Cost of attendance minus Student Aid Index and other financial assistance) and is awarded as part of the their financial aid package.
To be considered for the Federal Work-Study Program, students must meet the following requirements:
- Demonstrate financial need based on the information you provided on the FAFSA.
- Be enrolled in a minimum 6 units at Peralta Community College District.
- Be working towards a degree, certificate, or transfer program.
- Be making Satisfactory Academic Progress towards a declared program.
- Not in default on any Direct Loan, or Federal Family Educational Loans (FFEL), includes Subsidized or Unsubsidized Stafford Loans.
- Not owe grant repayment.
- Be a US citizen or eligible non-citizen.
- Be at least 18 years of age.
Students may contact College of Alameda Financial Aid Office to apply for the FWS program.
Earning Limits
Students eligible for Federal Work-Study (FWS) for a semester are assigned a maximum award amount they can earn. It is the shared responsibility of the FWS Program, the students, and the supervisors to monitor earnings. Students must stop working once they reach their earnings limit or when the Financial Aid Office notifies them that they are no longer eligible.
Students and their supervisors should coordinate work schedules to avoid reaching their award limit too quickly. Students who are approaching their earnings limit may request an increase their FWS award limit by contacting the Financial Aid Specialist, Jiayu He.
Students should be aware that their Federal Work-Study (FWS) award may be reduced during the semester/academic year if they receive additional financial assistance (e.g., scholarships, etc.) that affect their financial aid package. Both students and their supervisors will be notified if the FWS award is adjusted.
How-To
The Federal Work-Study (FWS) award table will help to determine how many hours a student will be able to work per week during the semester based on the FWS award amount. The basic formula behind these figures is:
(FWS Award Amount ÷ Weeks per Semester) ÷ Hourly Wage = Hours per Week
When creating a student’s work schedule, the supervisor is encouraged to be flexible. FWS student may not work:
- more than 20 hours per week during normal academic periods.
- more than 20 hours per week during the academic breaks (e.g., spring break or winter break) without the Financial Aid Office’s approval.
- more than 8 hours per day.
FWS student may not work during scheduled class times. Exceptions are allowed if a class is canceled, but all exceptions must be documented.
FWS student are entitled to a paid 15 minutes break after working 4 consecutive hours. They must take a meal break of not less than 30 minutes within a daily work period of 5 hours or more. However, if the work period is not more than 6 hours, the meal break may be waived by the mutual consent of the supervisor and the student. Meal breaks are not paid time.
Forms
First-time FWS student is required to complete the following with the Financial Aid Specialist, Jiayu He:
-
- New Hire packet for Student Employment
- Direct Deposit– Optional
- Student Employment Pool – Online Application must be completed. The confirmation page must be included with your other forms.
FWS student needs to report hours worked and sick leave by the end of every month by logging into Human Capital Management (HCM). Per City of Oakland Paid Sick Leave Ordinance: Employees shall accrue 1 hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked.
This resource is optional but available for supervisors to help track the hours a student has worked.
To use the sign-in sheet, the student should begin by writing their name at the top and the current month. Everyday, when the student reports to work, they will write the date and their time in and get a staff/supervisor to sign them in (student workers should not sign other student workers in/out). Subsequently, when the student shift is done, a staff/supervisor would sign them out before they leave.
Other Programs and Resources
College of Alameda is a diverse, supportive, and empowering learning community for seekers of knowledge. We believe through an exchange of experience, ideas, culture, and identity the lives of all CoA students are enriched. As such, all CoA programs are open access for all students to benefit from the richness of our diverse community. We encourage all students to participate in CoA’s cultural programs, events, and celebrations. We welcome you to join us and personifying our inclusive spirit!