Work Study

Tip
To increase your chance of receiving this type of aid, file your FAFSA by April 1st each academic year.

Federal Work Study (FWS) is a Federal Student Aid program that provides funding for part-time employment to some eligible students. This give you the opportunity to earn money to help pay educational expenses. The Work Study award (not a grant or loan), represents an employment earnings allotment, for part-time work, up to 20 hours per week.

This resource is awarded to eligible students with financial need according to federal guidelines. Due to the limited availability of program funding, to increase your chance of receiving this type of aid, file your FAFSA by April 1st each academic year. To find more information about the Work Study Program, visit Federal Student Aid. 

Additional Work Study Information

If you receive this award, you can apply for on-campus jobs through the UCM job search (Student Position Type) or off-campus jobs through Handshake.

To be eligible for FWS, you must meet the following criteria:

• Must be enrolled at UCM,
• Have a FAFSA received date of April 1 or earlier,
• Have an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) between 0 and 7000,
• Indicated "Yes" or "Don't Know" on the FAFSA when asked about Work Study, and
• Must have Unmet Need after EFC and all other aid is considered.

If you meet all of the criteria above, the financial aid office automatically awards FWS to you.  Check the award letter you receive from Financial Aid to see if you are a recipient.  If awarded FWS, after you secure qualified employment and begin working, you will receive a paycheck just as you would for any job.  Since 75% of the funding for your paycheck comes from the Federal Government with the remaining 25% coming from the University of Central Missouri, many departments on-campus have an added incentive to provide employment opportunities.  You are free to use those funds for any living or educational expense you have while attending college.

Work Study earnings are used by students to pay miscellaneous and living expenses throughout the semester. Therefore, a student's allotment is not assistance that is credited to his/her UCM Student Account at the beginning of a term toward payment of tuition, fees, residence hall, or meal plan expenses.

What if I don't qualify for work study?

Students who may not qualify for Federal Work Study earnings allotment, but still wish to work part-time while attending UCM, are encouraged to explore University-funded part-time employment opportunities.