Understanding Federal Work Study

Get a job on campus

Overview

Federal Work-Study is a Federal Student Aid program that gives students with financial need an opportunity to work part-time on a COTC campus. Federal Work Study allows students to earn money to help pay education expenses while in college. 

If you are eligible for Federal Work Study, you should see the amount you qualify for on your Financial Aid letter. Federal Work Study eligibility is based upon the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) students must complete each academic year they are enrolled in college. 

If you need assistance determining whether you are eligible for Federal Work Study, contact Student Financial Services

Student Employment

Students who are interested in working on a COTC campus can view open positions and apply.

When students apply, jobs on campus will have categorization: 

  • FWS positions are Federal Work Study and only students who are eligible for Federal Work Study can apply for these positions.
  • Wage positions are open for any student to apply (students do not have to be eligible for Federal Work Study to apply to Wage positions).
  • Some jobs on campus have the same application and hiring process, while other jobs have a different application and hiring process. The jobs will be categorized: Area 1 or Area 2.

In most cases, students who apply for a job on campus will be asked to interview with staff/faculty from the department hiring.

Students who interview are not guaranteed employment. 

Student employment can be dependent upon various things: 

  • How many student employees a department wants or needs to hire. 
  • How many students apply for a position.
  • Whether a student meets the requirements for the position. 
  • Student conduct during the interview.