The Federal Work Study (FWS) Program is a federally funded financial-aid program administered by Cornell University, and is designed to assist students in meeting the cost of higher education by promoting access to meaningful work experiences. If you qualify as an eligible employer, Cornell may subsidize a percentage of the wages you pay your eligible student workers. During the academic year, this is limited to Cornell employers. If you are a local employer within the Ithaca/Tompkins County area, you may be eligible through the Community Work Study Program. Please contact the Cornell Einhorn Center for Community Engagement for more information.

Eligibility Requirements for Employers

To qualify as an eligible employer, the agency and positions offered must meet the following conditions established by the U.S. Department of Education:

• FWS employment must be governed by employment conditions, including pay, that are appropriate and reasonable according to the type of work performed, the geographic region, the employee’s proficiency, and any applicable federal, state, or local laws.
• FWS employment must not displace employees (including those on strike) or impair existing service contracts. Also, if the university has an employment agreement with an organization in the private sector, the organization’s employees must not be replaced with FWS students. Replacement is interpreted as displacement.
• FWS positions must not involve constructing, operating, or maintaining any part of a building used for religious worship or sectarian instruction. In determining whether any FWS employment will violate this restriction, a university should consider the purpose of the part of the facility in which the work will take place and the nature of the work to be performed. If the part of the facility in which the student will work is used for religious worship or sectarian instruction, the work cannot involve construction, operation, or maintenance responsibilities. If that part of the facility is not being used for religious worship or sectarian instruction, the school should make sure that any work the student will perform meets general employment conditions and that other limitations are not violated.
• FWS positions must not involve lobbying on the federal, state or local level. A student cannot work as a political aide for any elected official. Positions also cannot be involved in any partisan or nonpartisan political activity or associated with a faction in an election for public or private office.
• FWS cannot be used in positions that primarily benefit members of an organization that has membership limits, such as a credit union, a fraternal or religious order, or a cooperative.

Once you have confirmed your eligibility as an employer, please review the Federal Work Study Guidelines for more information.

If you, as an employer, have questions relating to your eligibility, please contact the Office of Financial Aid and Student Employment or Einhorn Center for Community Engagement.

Federal Work Study Guidelines

This page contains information on Federal Work Study (FWS) for employers. Below you will find resources for general guidelines, timesheet maintenance, job posting templates with examples, and how to check a student's FWS eligibility in Workday. Before hiring any Federal Work Study students, please be sure to confirm your eligibility as an employer.

General Guidelines

• All FWS employment must provide a reasonable and appropriate rate of pay based on specific criteria: the type of work performed, where the work is performed, the employee’s skills and experience, and any established minimum wage rates based on geographic location.
  • FWS employment must not displace employees (including those on strike) or impair existing service contracts.
  • Replacement is interpreted as displacement. Replacing a full-time employee whose position was eliminated (for any reason) with a student employee paid with FWS funds is prohibited.
  • FWS positions must not involve constructing, operating, or maintaining any part of a building used for religious worship or sectarian instruction.
• Off-campus FWS jobs with public agencies or private nonprofit organizations must be in the public interest. Off-campus FWS jobs with private, for-profit organizations must be academically relevant. A school must offer FWS jobs that will provide students with meaningful learning experiences that help meet educational or career goals.

Timesheets Maintained By Each Hiring Department

• Adequate timesheets or records of hours worked for FWS students must be maintained by the hiring department. These timesheets must show, separately for each day worked, the hours a student worked and the total hours worked during the job’s payment cycle (i.e., twice a month, every week, every two weeks, etc., but not less than once a month). These amounts and hours recorded must match the hours for which the student is paid. 

Source: Federal Student Aid Handbook, Volume 6 – The Campus-Based Programs, Chapter 2 – The Federal Work Study Program

Job Posting Template

• Name/Title of the Position:
• Classification of the Position:
• Employer Name:
• Employer Address:
• Employing Department/Office:
• Physical Work Location/Address:
• Name of Supervisor:
• Dates of Employment:
• Rate of Pay:*
• Purpose or Role of the Position Within the Organization: 
• Duties/Responsibilities of the Position:
• Required Qualifications/Skills/Experience: 

*Note: Rate of pay must be documented on the job posting in advance of interviewing/hiring.

Resources:

How to Check for Federal Work Study Eligibility in Workday

In the Workday search bar, if you type 'student: [first name last name]' it will pull up the student record. You can also click on "Student" from the choices under "Categories" after typing in the student's name. 

*Important: This information is only for those who appoint students 

Work Study Eligibility status in Workday can be found on the student record under Overview: 

Mangers can view a student’s FWS eligibility on the External Student tab in candidate grid for their posted student job requisition. Contact sesemp@cornell.edu for assistance with Federal Work Study.