<p>Oxford College of Emory University offered me $2,000 for Federal Work Study. What is this exactly? And how often do I have to work? Everyday? How many hours per day?</p>
<p>You have to apply for and get a WS job. WS jobs are hourly paid. How many hours you will have to work will depend on the hourly pay for the job you get. At my daughter’s school the pay for WS jobs ranges from minimum wage to a high of around $10 per hour.</p>
<p>The advantages of a WS job compared to non WS jobs is that they are generally on campus (but some may be offered off campus with non profit organizations), your boss is likely to be more willing to work with you as far as school hours are concerned, and WS income will not affect your EFC. WS income is taxable income for federal taxes (and state) but does not incur FICA (social security and medicare).</p>
<p>So, do I have to work until I get the $2,000 they offered me in Financial Aid? Or can I work more for more money?</p>
<p>You can only earn up to the amount offered as WS. Sometimes your employer may be willing to keep you on as a non WS employee. But this is often not the case. WS pay is subsidized by the govt (something like 66% or 75%) so WS employees are very cheap for their employers and they often do not have the funds to pay them as non WS employees.</p>
<p>You can work up to the amount they awarded you, but you don’t have to earn all of it if you choose not to. My son has not earned his full amount of work study in each of his years of college because he chooses to work less and spend less. </p>
<p>My daughter will reach her alloted amount for this year in the next month or so. At her school they do have some additional funds for work-study students they pay out of their own resources when the federal limit has been met, so she’ll be able to keep her job until the end of the academic year even after she’s earned the full amount of her federal work study allotment. Different schools have different practices, so you’d have to ask the FA office at your college about that.</p>
<p>Some kids choose to work 2 jobs…their W/S job and their non-work study job to get more money.</p>