I am a student who checks ‘yes’ on my FAFSA when it asks if you would like to be considered for work study. My EFC is 0 and I receive the maximum Pell, yet I am never awarded work study. What do I do?
Your school may have limited work study jobs or funds. Some schools award work study, but can’t guarantee lots of hours.
How soon after FAFSA opens, do you file? I think work study is given out as first come first served.
Do you have a gap after all aid is awarded to you, or are all costs covered?
For example do you have a scholarship, grants, and subsidized loan? Do you also have an unsubsidized loan in your aid package?
You could ask if you could get work study to replace the unsub loan.
Are there any work study jobs available, that haven’t been filled? See if there is room in your aid budget to qualify for a work study award.
don’t lose any sleep over this. It’s not really ‘aid’ like everything else. WS is just like any job. Just find a job and work 5-15 hrs a week. there are small benefits, but not significant.
You should look at the jobs available during the summer and apply early for jobs next fall. If you don’t get any other job there are usually food service jobs available. Work study pays out just like a regular job; the more hours you work the more you earn. One of the big benefits is that you are not taxed for Work Study earnings. I think they do with hold Social Security tax but I’m not sure and that’s minimal. Be aware that if you don’t get a job by October or so it is cancelled for the whole rest of the year so use it or lose it.
They don’t withhold Soc sec tax or Medicare tax, but Federal Work Study earnings are subject to federal income tax.
The main advantage is that the work study income is exempted from student income on the FAFSA.
When student income is listed on FAFSA, there is a line to list the amount of income earned from “need based employment”, in question 44c.