Community Work Study Frequently Asked Questions       

•  Can my organization hire a FWS student from UC even if our telephones are not equipped with Caller ID?
  Yes, UC will provide you with paper time sheets for your work-study student(s) to track their time.  Once completed, these time sheets will be sent to Michelle Renee’ Norflee in the Student Financial Aid Office and she will manually enter the time in UC’s system. 
  
  
• Is there a probationary period mandated by UC that a company is expected to uphold for a FWS student?
  UC does not mandate a probationary employment period for any FWS students.  Your company can implement one if you wish to do so, however UC does not require it. 
  
  
• How quickly can a company start utilizing the FWS program with UC?
  Once you determine your need for work-study student assistance, email the required information (listed in the FWS Employer’s Manual) to Michelle Renee Norflee.  Upon receipt if the information, a contract will be drawn and signed.  Once the contract is signed, organizations will have their job descriptions posted on the https://www.jobsatuc.com site, will begin receiving applications as students apply, and can begin the hiring process.  
  
  
• Are all applicable taxes taken out of the student’s wages?
  Yes, since the student’s are actually receiving their checks from UC, the University will take care of all payroll matters, including deducting all applicable taxes.  
  
  
• Are students able to combine their practicum, internship, or teaching assistantship requirements with FWS to get paid for the work that they are doing with my organization?
  A student may earn academic credit (for internships, practica, assistantships, etc.) as well as compensation for FWS jobs, providing that student is eligible for FWS funds (per their Financial Aid Award Letter).  However, a student employed in an FWS job and receiving academic credit for that job may not be:
  
  • paid less than he or she would be if no academic credit were given;
  • paid for time while receiving instruction in a classroom, laboratory, or other academic setting; and
  • paid unless the employer would normally pay a non-FWS person for the same job.   Please Note:  If you are currently employing a UC student that is completing their required volunteer hours with your organization, they are not allowed to get paid for those volunteer hours worked.  
  
  
• How will I know if a student is getting close to their maximum earning potential for the academic year?   Students will receive monthly updates from the Student Financial Aid Office via email notifying them of how much they have earned in the FWS program for the academic year.  In addition, the Student Financial Aid Office will make every effort to assist supervisors and students in monitoring earnings by alerting them via email when a student approaches their maximum award allotment.  
  
  
• What is the maximum amount of money that a student can earn under the Federal Work Study program?   The students are typically awarded $3000 during the academic year (September through June) and $2500 during the summer term.  Occasionally, a reduced amount may be offered, depending on the student’s situation.  
  
  
• Are there minimum/maximum limits for the number of hours a student can work in a week as well as the hourly wage that they can earn?   There is no minimum number of hours that a FWS must work, however students are not permitted to work more than 30 hours per week.  Students cannot be paid below the federal minimum wage ($7/hour), however they may be paid any rate above minimum wage.  You, as the employer, set the wage, however keep in mind that once a student has earned their annual award amount, they must stop working under the federal work-study program.  
  
  
• Does a company get to hire their own work-study students or are students placed with a company by the university?   Once your organization has signed a contract and submitted a job description, that job will be posted on the https://jobsatuc.com website.  As students apply for the position, you will receive a copy of their application.  It is up to each company to review the applications, arrange interviews with candidates that they find suitable for the position, and to hire the students they wish to employ.   
  
  
• Is a company able to employ more than one FWS student?
  Yes, a company can hire as many work-study students as they need.  However, keep in mind that your company is responsible for reimbursing the university for 25% of the student’s wages, as required by federal regulation, and will be billed quarterly for your share of earnings.  
  
  
• If my company currently employs a UC student as a regular employee, how do I find out if that student is eligible for the FWS program?   Ask the student if they were awarded Federal Work Study on their Financial Aid Award Letter.  Most students should be able to tell you if they are eligible, however, the student can contact the Student Financial Aid Office at (513) 5563510 if they need to confirm their eligibility.  
  
  
• If a work-study student is injured on the job, is my company responsible for covering the workers compensation for that student?   No, if a student is injured while working as part of the federal work-study program, UC is responsible for providing all workers compensation benefits to that student.  
  
  
• Does the University do background checks on work-study students?   UC does not do background checks on any work-study students.  If your company wishes to do a background check on a student prior to hiring them, it would be the company’s responsibility to do that.   
  
  
• Once a student reaches their earnings limit under the FWS program, can a company hire that student as their own employee?   Once a student has earned their award amount, a company is more than welcome to continue employing that student as their own employee.  However, keep in mind that from that point forward the company is required to pay 100% of the student’s wages.  The company would therefore be responsible for adding that student to their payroll, as the student would no longer be working under federal work-study guidelines.