Federal Work-Study (FWS)

What is Federal Work-Study?

Federal Work-Study (FWS) is a need-based program from the U.S. Department of Education that provides students with employment opportunities on-campus or in the surrounding community. Students must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to be eligible for FWS. 

Unlike other forms of financial aid that are directly applied to a student's bill, FWS is paid directly to students in the form of wages. Students may work up to 20 hours a week and should schedule shifts around their classes. Students who accept FWS eligibility receive priority registration for any on-campus and/or participating community jobs in the fall. Students must apply, interview, and be offered

Benefits of federal work study 

Besides the monetary value students may receive from their participation in this program, FWS can come with other valuable benefits. Research and popular opinion show that employers value job experience to an extreme degree, equaling or surpassing the value of an education sometimes. With FWS, you get the best of both worlds, furthering your educational goals while building up relevant experience for your future career. Taking advantage of FWS at Baylor also means building connections and receiving mentorship from our world-class faculty and staff. You’ll find their knowledge and insights invaluable to your professional growth and development. FWS can also be a great way to explore different industries or avenues you may have never considered.

How to Participate in FWS

1. Make sure to accept your FWS offer in BearWeb! 
2. Explore the job board on the Student Employment site to find openings. You can learn more about student employment and see the positions available to currently enrolled students at the Student Employment Page or @baylorstudentjobs on Instagram
3. Familiarize yourself with the required documents and responsibilities associated with FWS jobs. Prospective student workers are encouraged to review the list of required documents for the hiring process, qualifications for employment, and student responsibilities to achieve and maintain eligibility to work on campus. Please visit the Student Employment page for more information.

Eligibility for FWS

Undergraduate and graduate students are offered FWS if they complete a FAFSA and demonstrate financial need beyond the amount of scholarships, grants, and need-based loans they receive. Law students are not offered Federal Work-Study as part of their financial aid offer but will be reviewed for FWS eligibility upon request. (Law students are strongly discouraged by the Law School from working while enrolled.)

Federal Work-Study earnings do not count towards a student's Student Aid Index (SAI) value in future FAFSAs. Though earnings are reported to the IRS for tax purposes and listed as income in future FAFSAs, income earned through an FWS position is not considered when determining a student's eligibility for federal or state need-based aid.

Selection and Awarding of Students

Recipients must have submitted a valid FAFSA, have unmet need, and meet all minimum eligibility requirements for recipients of Federal aid programs.

• Undergraduate Students: FWS is automatically offered if the current FAFSA indicates interest in (or are unsure of) the program or if the student earned $200 or more via FWS in the preceding year. 
• If a student does not meet the criteria for an automatic FWS offer, eligibility will be reviewed upon request.
• FWS offered awards may range from $100 - $3,200 for the academic year based on the student’s remaining need after scholarships, grants, and Subsidized Direct Loan eligibility. Students will not receive an FWS offer exceeding their demonstrated financial need.
• Larger award amounts will be considered for an individual position, depending on the student’s remaining need, pay rate, and number of hours worked.
• If larger amounts cannot be extended due to lack of need, the student can proceed to work, but will no longer be doing so under the FWS program. Students that expire their maximum FWS award will automatically be moved to the Baylor University Work Study Program.
• Students can accept or decline their FWS offer in BearWeb. The FWS offer must be accepted before a student can receive an employment offer and begin work.
• Students may choose not to accept their Federal Work-Study (FWS) award and instead reject the offer in BearWeb. This action means the student will be ineligible to work on campus - Rejecting FWS indicates a student does not plan to participate in student employment of any kind for the school year in question. Students can still receive FWS eligibility in future school years pending FAFSA results. 
• If a student contacts the Student Financial Aid office to reduce their Federal Work Study (FWS) award below the originally offered amount, the student will only be allowed to work up to the adjusted value. Once the amount is hit, the student will need to terminate employment and will not be allowed to continue working until the original amount is reinstated (if possible).
• In general, if the student makes any requests or changes to their FWS award, the student is accepting the newly adjusted amount as the amount they will use. However, if a student sees changes to their FWS award caused by the addition of outside scholarships or departmental awards there will be no impact to the student's employment eligibility.
• To protect student academic pursuits and maintain compliance, it is important that students:
  • DO NOT work during any scheduled class period.
  • DO NOT Work more than 20 hours a week, unless receiving approval. Please review the Additional Student Work Hours Request Form.
• Students must display Satisfactory Academic Progress to maintain FWS eligibility. 
• Please see Student Responsibilities for more information.

You can learn more about student employment and see the positions available to currently enrolled students at:

Student Employment

Baylor also participates in the Texas College Work Study program. Learn more here.