Federal Work Study (FWS) provides part-time employment to students who have submitted a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and have financial need. Jobs are usually available both on and off campus. The program allows students to gain work experience and pay for a portion of their educational expenses.

Important Details

You must maintain enrollment in a minimum of six (6) units during the fall and spring terms to be eligible for FWS, and three (3) units during the summer (see summer details below) and winter terms.
The last possible working date for the financial aid award year for FWS is June 30.
Students are required to stop working under FWS when they drop below the required units, run out of funds, or reach June 30, whichever comes first.
Students must notify their supervisor, the financial aid department, and student employment in human resources if they drop below the required units.
Please note, that students may switch to regular student employment if they use their entire FWS award as long as the hiring supervisor approves the change. Students who work under regular student employment must be enrolled in at least 12 units.
Students wishing to work under FWS continuously through the next award year must renew their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the upcoming academic/award year.
Students working with children or cash will be required to be fingerprinted at no charge to the student.

Step-by-Step Checklist for Hiring a FWS Student

STEP 1

Student - Confirm Your FWS Eligibility

You must have a completed financial aid file. If you have any missing requirements or have not submitted a FAFSA, stop and complete those items before moving forward. Visit your Financial Aid Dashboard to confirm. Once you have a completed financial aid file, submit a Financial Aid Request Form and make sure you select "Federal Work Study" as the Type of Request and "What amount of Federal Work Study Funds am I eligible to receive?" in the What can we help you with section. Once received, the Federal Work-Study Coordinator will confirm your FWS eligibility by email.

STEP 2

Student - Contact the listed supervisor to apply

After having your eligibility confirmed, search for a job you are interested in on the Current Job Openings for Students page.

To apply, contact the supervisor listed on the job opening to arrange an interview.

STEP 3

Your Supervisor - Submit Required Paperwork to HR

If you are selected for the open position, your supervisor must contact the FWS Coordinator to determine the amount of the FWS award. Once awarded, the FWS Coordinator will provide you and your supervisor with a FWS Employment Referral Form*. Once complete, the FWS Coordinator will submit this form to student employment in human resources.

*To complete the FWS Employment Referral Form, you will first receive an email asking you to join Formstack with your Citrus College student email. Once you have done so, you will need to inform the FWS Coordinator that you have completed this step. You will then receive another email asking for your signature, which will then be sent to your supervisor requesting their signature, and this will complete your FWS Employment Referral Form.

STEP 4

Student Employment - Complete Paperwork and determine a start date

Once student employment receives the referral form, the office will notify you, your supervisor, and the Financial Aid Department of your official start date. You may not begin work prior to the start date.

Timecards and Maximum Hours

Award Amount and Maximum Hours

You and your supervisor are responsible for establishing a work schedule that ensures that hours worked do not exceed the balance of the dollar amount awarded after each pay period (the 26th of the month through the 25th of the following month). You may work up to 20 hours per week, eight hours per day when classes are in session. You are not eligible for overtime, vacation accumulation, sick leave, or unemployment insurance.

Timecards

Timecards must be signed by both you and your supervisor and must be submitted to the payroll department by the 25th of each month.

Payroll

Pay dates are the 10th of the following month for on-campus jobs; the 5th of the month for off-campus jobs.

Termination from FWS Employment

You will be terminated from FWS employment if you:

At any time during the term drop below six (6) units in the fall or spring term and three (3) units in the winter and/or summer term.
Disqualified from financial aid for failing to meet the satisfactory academic progress (SAP) standards. SAP is checked after grades are posted each semester (fall, spring, and summer). You may continue to work fall and spring hours unless otherwise notified by the financial aid department. The Financial Aid Department will email a list of ineligible FWS students to the appropriate supervisors and notify the student after SAP from the previous semester has been verified. View this article for more details: SAP Standards.
Exhaust your eligible award amount for the semester.

Federal Work Study Employment Work Period

At Citrus College, students awarded Federal Work Study (FWS) are subject to the following work period guidelines:

Fall and Spring Terms
- Award Coverage: FWS awards apply to the fall and spring semesters only.
- Work Start Date: Students may begin working one week prior to the start of their first class in the term.
- Work End Date: Students may continue working until one week after the end of their last class in the term.
Winter Term:
- Students enrolled in the winter term may use their spring award for winter earnings.
Summer Employment Before Fall Term
- Eligibility: Students enrolled in summer classes prior to the fall term may utilize their fall FWS award for summer earnings.
- Start Date: Students may begin earning wages starting July 1 of the aid year.
Summer Employment After Spring Term
- Eligibility: Students enrolled in summer classes after the spring semester may continue earning wages under their spring FWS award.
- End Date: Work may continue through June 30 of the aid year.

Please note that students must maintain FWS eligibility and meet enrollment requirements throughout their employment period. All hours worked must comply with the total award amount allocated for the academic year.

For additional information or clarification, please contact the Financial Aid Department using the Financial Aid Request Form.