Student Frequently Asked Questions

Work-study is a need-based federal financial aid program. Your eligibility is determined annually by your financial aid office and is based on the results of your annual FAFSA submission. Changes to your or your family's financial circumstances as reflected on the FAFSA, changes to enrollment (e.g., less than half-time, study abroad, etc.), changes to living arrangements (e.g., RA, living at home, etc.), and other factors can impact your FWS eligibility from year to year. If you have questions, please contact your financial aid office for additional information.

Only students who have Federal Work-Study (FWS) in their financial aid may apply to FWS jobs and earn FWS wages. 

There are plenty of job opportunities available on the Student Job Board that do not require FWS! Click on the column titled Federal Work Study and it should sort jobs in which “all students can apply” versus those that require FWS.  

Additionally, you can find part-time, non-work study job opportunities throughout Evanston and surrounding communities or on QuadJobs.com.

Email us at NUworkstudy@northwestern.edu to inquire. Generally, we can reinstate the award if it is the same academic year in which you declined the amount. 

Your FWS may be decreased or canceled due to non-enrollment, less than half-time enrollment, co-op programs, study abroad or other off-campus programs, receipt of outside scholarships, or other financial aid adjustments due to financial aid appeals. 

Likewise, if you are actively earning FWS wages and other circumstances permit, including remaining University FWS Funding levels and based on your financial aid package structure, we will update your FWS earnings limit throughout the year. 

Aside from opportunities listed on the Student Job Board, you can find other non-FWS, part-time employment (e.g., retail, coffee shops, tutoring, etc) throughout Evanston and maybe even on-campus through third-party vendors such as campus dining.  You can also check QuadJobs, a third-party job board where community members or employers post job openings for college students. 

You may also be eligible to convert the FWS offered in your financial aid to a Subsidized Direct Loan.

No. We do not place or assign students to positions.

If you plan to work, you should accept the program in CAESAR. The amount listed in CAESAR is not a guarantee of employment or earnings but generally indicates an FWS earnings limit. You can then look for employment opportunities on the Student Job Board featured on the Student Employment website.

No. You are not required or obligated to work or be paid FWS wages.

Keep in mind, that many employers generally prefer FWS-eligible students to fill their roles, especially if they have limited department funding. There are also many benefits to earning FWS wages over non-FWS, regular student temp wages. 

If you do not wish to find a job and haven't already been offered a subsidized loan, you may be eligible to convert your FWS to a Subsidized Direct Loan.

Federal employment regulations state that a student cannot be paid unless the employer would normally pay a person to perform the same job duties and responsibilities.  Additional guidance is shared on the Student Employment and Human Resources websites. Additionally, paid positions should be posted to the Student Job Board to allow equal opportunity for all interested and qualified candidates to apply.  

For students enrolled in an independent study and looking to turn the research component of their independent study into a paid position via their FWS eligibility, Federal regulations state that “…a student employed in an FWS job and receiving academic credit for that job may not be… paid unless the employer would normally pay a person for the same job.” Note, that federal program regulations prohibit students from working during scheduled class or lab times. Because of the blurred nature of independent study "class time" many departments prohibit this option altogether. 

Domestic (U.S.-based) Off-Campus Academic Programs: It depends.

If you will be enrolled at least half-time while away from campus and you have a work-study allotment during the quarter(s) of your off-campus program, you may be permitted to continue your work-study employment remotely. Your supervisor must continue to oversee your work and provide feedback and guidance as they would when you are on campus. If you will be outside of the state of Illinois, you may also need to report your temporary address to HR for tax purposes.

Study Abroad Programs: No.

You are not permitted to earn wages under the Federal Work-Study program while you are abroad; your work-study allotment for your study abroad quarter(s) will be canceled. If needed, you may be eligible to borrow a subsidized loan to make up for missed work-study earnings; contact the financial aid office if you have questions.

Being eligible for FWS is a great opportunity and there are many advantages over not receiving FWS wages. 

Additionally, FWS wages are subsidized with federal funding the university receives, allowing departments to provide more job opportunities to students than would otherwise be financially possible for their area. Therefore, it is a win-win situation as students gain work experience while earning money for school or personal expenses and departments benefit both from your essential support and financially. 

Students earn an hourly wage and receive a biweekly paycheck for hours worked in the preceding two-week pay period. Wages are not credited toward students' tuition and fee invoices in CAESAR. If you did not enroll in paycheck direct deposit in myHR, check your mailbox listed on your employment record noted in myHR. This address should be the same address you listed on your Personal Data Form provided to your employer.  Additional questions may be directed to askHR@northwestern.edu.

Log into CAESAR. Click on the Financial Aid tile then select Work Study by Academic year. Enter 2025 for the academic year 2024-25, enter 2026 for the academic year 2025-26, etc. These totals are updated within 24 hours of NU Payroll's pay dates. It is best to check this page at least once weekly. 

Note, sick time wages are paid from a separate university account and are not tracked as part of your FWS wage earnings. Additionally, if your supervisor neglects to approve your timecard for a pay period, your wages for that pay period are transferred to their department budget and not tracked on the CAESAR screen. 

Our office will email you once you are within $700 of your maximum FWS earnings limit. See the following question for additional information. 

It may be possible to increase your FWS earnings limit if we see you are actively earning FWS wages, if University FWS funding levels permit the increase, and if your financial aid package indicates there is any remaining financial need not already covered by other aid programs. Please review the information outlined on the Earning Limit Appeals webpage for additional information. 

If we cannot increase the amount of FWS offered, we will email you and your employer when you have reached your earnings limit and will transfer your wages to regular student temp wages. This type of earnings means your wages are provided 100% of your employer's budget. While you will not notice any difference in your paycheck, your employer will let you know if their departmental budget allows for your continued employment.

Human Resources sends Wage and Tax Statements (W-2 Forms) to the last known home address as listed on your employment record in myHR.  If you provided consent, your W-2 may also be available for electronic download from myHR. For additional assistance, please contact askHR@northwestern.edu.

FWS earnings are excluded from FAFSA need analysis. Therefore, FWS wages won't impact your financial aid offered in future years, unlike normal wages.

Starting with the 2024-25 FAFSA, NU will report your gross FWS earnings for the prior calendar year to the US Department of Education. This information will subsequently and automatically be transferred to your FAFSA. For example, if you worked and earn FWS wages in calendar year 2023, it will be reported on the 2024-25 FAFSA.