{"id":346,"date":"2022-05-25T15:46:10","date_gmt":"2022-05-25T15:46:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/student-employment\/?page_id=346"},"modified":"2025-08-01T15:33:38","modified_gmt":"2025-08-01T15:33:38","slug":"federal-work-study","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/student-employment\/federal-work-study\/","title":{"rendered":"Federal Work Study"},"content":{"rendered":"

How does it work?<\/h2>\n

The Federal Work Study Program (FWS) is a federally funded financial aid program available to US citizens and permanent residents. The program assists students with the cost of their college education by providing a subsidy to employers for part-time student employment. Through FWS, the federal government pays anywhere from 45 to 100 percent of a student\u2019s wages and is split between the government and the employer.<\/p>\n

Keep in mind FWS is split between all positions. If a student has more than one job, the FWS funds will deplete much quicker. Students should notify employers if they have more than one job.<\/p>\n

Please be advised a student\u2019s FWS award can change at any time during the academic year. Outside scholarships, loans, family contributions, enrollment status, etc. can impact the initial awarded amount.<\/p>\n

Who is eligible?<\/h2>\n

Students must qualify based on their financial aid by applying for financial aid through the FAFSA. FWS comes with rules and regulations for student and employer eligibility. To comply with the law, the University has established guidelines and processes which must be followed by both students and employers. The University awards FWS for the academic year only. Departments are responsible for 100 percent of student wages during the summer months.<\/p>\n

Subsidy rates<\/h2>\n

For 2025-2026, Federal Work Study subsidy rates* are as follows:<\/p>\n