Federal Work Study FAQs

FWS On-Campus Employers

How do I recruit students with FWS awards?

Employers on campus : post their open positions on the internal CSUF HRDI Careers website using CHRS Recruiting. Positions are approved by the FWS Coordinator once an updated position description is on file. Students who have already been awarded FWS funding are directed here to identify positions they are interested in applying for. The guides for hiring Student Assistants (SA) and/or academic student hires (ISA or GA) can be found here https://hr.fullerton.edu/chrs/recruiting/user-guides.php

Employers off campus : post their open positions on the Career Center's website https://www.fullerton.edu/career/recruiters/post-positions.php

How do I know if a student has a FWS award?

Employers should ask candidates for a copy of the student’s Titan Online award summary showing a federal work study award before an interview is considered. If there is a question about the award or eligibility you can contact the FWS Coordinator.

Note: If the student does NOT have FWS, you cannot hire the student as

How is the rate of pay for the student’s position determined?

The pay rate is established by the hiring department, in conjunction with Federal and State Minimum Wages and the student’s experience and position description.

Note: The position title and rate of pay on the hiring information need to match with the job description on

Why do I need to submit a Position Description to the Office of Financial Aid?

The Federal Department of Education requires the position descriptions for all FWS positions be maintained by the office of financial aid and updated yearly. Job descriptions must include the following: Position Title, Pay Rate, Department, Supervisor, Position Summary, and Experience Required.

How do I hire a student?

Financial Aid follows the guidance provided by HRDI and Payroll for appointing students. CHRS Recruiting, CSU Student Processes, and Temporary Academic Employment Systems are currently used to appoint students. Please contact HRDI or Payroll with any questions.

When can my student employee begin working?

Students can begin working when the Office of Financial Aid and Payroll receives and processes the hiring paper work.

How much may an FWS student earn and when?

The FWS award amount is the maximum dollars a student may earn. Half of the remaining award may be earned in fall and half in spring. It is the employer’s responsibility to work with the FWS student and track the earnings to ensure they do not earn more than their award amount. Any earnings over the award would need to be reimbursed by the hiring department.

What are the requirements for my FWS student to remain eligible to work?

The student must be enrolled in six units (half time enrollment). The student must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress; this is a Federal requirement to ensure students are making significant steps towards degree completion.

Note: If your FWS student does NOT meet one of these requirements, FWS will be discontinued and your student will not be allowed to continue in the FWS program.

Can an FWS Student work during winter break or summer?

Yes, as student with available funding can work during periods of non-enrollment, as long as they are planning on enrolling in the next semester. Employers should be mindful of their student’s funding to ensure they do not earn more than their award.

How Does A Student Apply For Federal Work-Study?

The first step is completing the FAFSA (https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa ) by March 2nd.

At CSUF we award FWS annually during early summer for the upcoming academic year. Funding is limited and not all eligible students are awarded funds.

My returning FWS student was not awarded. What should I do?

Please email the FWS Coordinator to find out the circumstances affecting your students FWS award. Due to the high volume of eligible applicants each year, additional institutional requirements are set yearly. We are prioritizing providing funding to continuing FWS students, however these requirements may affect continuing student eligibility.

Your student should first log on their student portal and check their “to do list.” If documents are requested by the financial aid office, they must submit documents immediately. Once a student submits required documents, please allow the office 6-8 weeks for review. If your student has been waiting for more than 8 weeks (after submitting required documents), please send them to the Office of Financial Aid for assistance.

Why can’t my student accept their FWS award?

The Office of Financial Aid will accept the FWS award on the student’s behalf during the hiring process. There is no need for the student to accept the FWS award. If the student does not find a job by a date established during the academic year, their award will be cancelled. Notifications will be sent out to all FWS awarded students to notify them of the deadline. Note: The yearly FWS Hiring Deadline is typically in late September.