<p>So it is like any other on-campus job right? Do you get paid normally and then (like you're suggested/supposed to) turn around and put that money toward tuition/room and board, or do they already deduct that money from your wages beforehand?</p>
<p>For example. Say they have allotted me $2,000 of work study. Will they limit my hours so that in wages I will get the 2,000 then stop me from working for the semester?</p>
<p>You’ll get paid for the hours you work. It’s typical for students to use that money for personal expenses, sometimes textbooks. Nothing will be deducted from your wages by the college for tuition or room & board, although you are certainly free to direct it towards those costs if you choose.</p>
<p>You can only earn work-study wages up the amount you’re alloted. Some schools have institutional funds that will continue to pay students in certain jobs if they exceed their work-study allotment, but that isn’t very common. Typically they will limit your hours so your work study earnings are spread out over the year. If you max out on your earnings you would likely have to leave your work-study job at that point and just look for another regular part-time job on or near campus.</p>
<p>the above is right…</p>
<p>W-S money is typically used for day to day expenses. Often it’s not enough or paid out in time to go for tuition, room and board.</p>
<p>Do they get a W2/1099 at the end of the year?</p>
<p>From what I understand, they pay taxes on it like any normal income, however, it does not hurt their financial aid for the following year. (not sure whether it comes as W-2 or 1099, but taxes must be paid regardless.)</p>
<p>So if they work summers and then do work study during the year, they can earn more in a year than the amount that they would normally be allowed to without it affecting how much grant/loan money they get from the school and govt.</p>
<p>It also can help in finding work, as most schools have a work-study office that posts jobs only available to those kids. Otherwise, the kid would have to do a random job search out in the town. For a freshman who might not have done a job hunt before it might seem less daunting the first week of school to get something on campus through that office. And since the kids who get offered WS often have the most need, it is important that they know they’ll be likely to find something because otherwise the expenses of being a college student may not be affordable.</p>
<p>My daughter always got a W2. WS earnings are subject to federal and, depending on the state, state taxes, but not to FICA. When you file FAFSA next year any WS earnings are deducted from your AGI before your EFC is calculated.</p>
<p>In the colleges I am familiar with, the student needs to apply for the jobs. The colleges list the available ones on their website, and the good ones fill up fast. </p>
<p>Many students prefer to limit their work study hours during their first semester, because they are adjusting to college level work. They then take the maximum hours in later years. </p>
<p>I’ve read a story about one student who turned down work study their freshman year, and then couldn’t get it sophomore year. That was a policy of that particular college.</p>
<p>Many colleges do have paying jobs available for students outside of work study. Work study mainly means that some of the money is from the Federal government.</p>
<p>Also, note that work-study jobs aren’t guaranteed. There are schools that award a lot of work-study but don’t have the jobs on campus.</p>
<p>This is how work study system works (pun intended).</p>
<p>The federal government gives the college some money for work study. This money is divvied out to say many students, one of whom gets $2000 for the year.</p>
<p>This student goes to the McDonalds on campus (or the book store or a campus department or…) and asks for the work study job.</p>
<p>The Book store agrees to pay that person $10 per hour but gives him or her 200 hours over the year (say 5 hours a week for 40 weeks). The bookstore pays $10 per hour, but then book store (or McDonalds or whatever) goes back to the FA office and gets reimbursed $7.50 per from from the work study funds. In other words, if you work at the campus bookstore on work study, the federal government pays 75% of your wages. Yes your are working for it but the money is not coming totally from the employer. The employer pays on 25% and that is why there is a limitation on how much work study a student is allowed.</p>
<p>Let us say you work at McDonalds (or the bookstore etc) and the manager likes you very much and wants you to work 400 hours instead of 200 hours. He can do that, but beyond 200 hours the work study grant will not pay for it. He has to pay the entire $10 per hour for each hour beyond 200 hours out his pocket. Now the manager can either do that, or hire two work study students each getting 200 hours. This is actually cheaper for the manager if he can find enough work study students. If he cannot, he may prefer to make you work more and pay you himself. </p>
<p>Because funds are limited schools may limit on how many hours you can work on work study per week. Also, this is a regular job, so you get a W2 and you are subject to the rules of employer. If you schedules you have to be on time or the employer can fire you. Work study is not guaranteed and often the available jobs are taken be seniors and leaving freshman with out jobs.</p>
<p>Also, nothing prevents from having a work study job and non work study job. You can work 5 hours at the book store and another 10 hours at the McDonalds outside the campus.</p>
<p>At the schools where there aren’t enough work study jobs (or hours) available for everyone who is awarded work-study, there is intense competition for the jobs–it’s not like they are handed out randomly. My D’s friend hasn’t been able to secure a work study job in two years because there aren’t enough jobs and she often doesn’t have the skills/experience required to be a top candidate for the ones that are posted. So if the work study money is crucial to attendance, it’s wise to check out the situation at the college and whether there are opportunities to work off-campus if work study jobs are unavailable or hours are insufficient.</p>