College Work Study..Please Help!?
I know I’d be getting a job on campus that fits my class schedule, but I’m still sure of how it works.
Will I have to give the school $4,000 dollars of whatever I make to cover that??
Will they just take it out of my pay check??
What exactly happens?
I know I have a lot of questions but I would really appreciate your help!!
Favorite Answer
A CWS award is nothing you have to pay back – you will not be getting the money first and then having to pay your tuition with it or the like. You earn up to your award as you go. You said that you would be getting $2000 per semester – so you will be able to work at your job until you reach the $2000 mark for that semester; after that you would have to see if you would need to stop work or have your award adjusted to continue to work. Conversely, if you do not reach the $2000 mark, you may be able to have the remainder from Fall Semester transferred to Spring Semester.
Each time you get paid, the financial aid office will be notified so they can make sure you are not making over what you have been awarded for the semester.
One great benefit of having a CWS award is that the money you earn for 0708 does not get counted as income when you complete the FAFSA for the 0809 school year (you will still have to report it as income, but then there is a section asking if any of the income you reported is Work Study income, so that will be taken out of the equation when calculating your EFC for that next year).
You will get paid per hour for your duties to the college up to your maximum award. This is above and beyond your other aid. You do not owe the college for anything, it’s just like a job. And since it’s a grant, it does not count as actual income (for public aid, etc.). You still pay taxes and file taxes at the end of the year.
Best of luck
The money you earn for work study belongs to you (minus taxes and all that). Work study is another part of your financial aid package.
Grants are scholarships are free money, given to you based on need or on merit (like good grades, etc).
Loans are money you need to pay back.
Work study is like a grant in that it’s free money. You just work to earn it.
$4,000 is a great work study award. Congrats and use the money well!
