Federal Work-Study
About
Congress established the Federal Work-Study (FWS) Program to help students find employment to meet educational costs while providing work experience related to academic majors and interests. Approximately 2,000 undergraduates participate in the program annually at Northwestern University.
Most students work between six and ten hours per week. The Federal Work Study program is not a loan. Student wages are subsidized by the Federal government and paid directly to students for hours worked. Wages are paid directly to students via a paycheck and are intended to be used for books and other personal expenses. Work-Study funds are not credited toward the students' account invoice.
Students are not required to participate. If you do not participate by earning FWS wages, you are not penalized, and effectively nothing happens except that these financial aid funds are left unused. Students can choose to reject their work-study and convert it to a Direct Subsidized Loan if it is not included in their financial aid notice, or if their parent(s) plan to borrow the maximum parent loans. Students interested in pursuing this option should contact the Financial Aid Office.
Additional program information is available on Northwestern's Federal Work Study Program website.
Awards & Eligibility
Student eligibility for participation in the Federal Work-Study program is awarded on the basis of need. Students must file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as part of the application process for consideration for this assistance.
Awards range from $2,900 to $3,750 for the academic year. It is not a guaranteed salary, but an earnings limit. Under specific circumstances, some students may be considered for additional FWS funding. Students should devise a schedule with their employer(s) based on their FWS amount and their hourly wage for the academic year.
FWS awards are put into an automatic acceptance to facilitate hiring and payroll functions for students who choose to work. We recommend leaving the status as-is unless you plan to convert it to a loan as described above.
Employment Options
Students are responsible for finding their own work-study employment. Jobs are available both on and off-campus within the Evanston community. A work-study job fair is held at the beginning of each school year.
Students may access FWS job opportunities on the Northwestern Student Job Board from the Northwestern Student Employment website. Students may filter job openings that specifically require FWS eligibility. Jobs for the upcoming academic year will be added to the job board starting August 15.
Non-Work-Study Options
Students who are not eligible to participate in the Federal Work-Study program, but are interested in employment opportunities, may find opportunities marked as "All students can apply" on the Northwestern Student Job Board. Additional opportunities may be available on the University Library and Student Affairs websites or department newsletters.