Federal Work Study

Federal Work Study Information for Students

Obtaining a Federal Work Study Position

Step 1: Determine Federal Work Study Eligibility

To determine eligibility for the Federal Work Study Program, students must email the Federal Work Study Division at FWS@BerkeleyCollege.edu with their name and Student ID Number. Inaccurate or missing Student ID Numbers will not be checked for eligibility.

If a student is deemed eligible, the student will receive an eligibility notice through email. Ineligible students will receive a letter of ineligibility and will not be able to participate in the Federal Work Study Program for the terms they have been deemed ineligible.

For more information, see FWS Policies and Eligibility.

Step 2: Apply to Federal Work Study Positions

A list of available Federal Work Study positions can be found by logging into your Engage Student portal.
Then click on the "Students Jobs" icon. 

Students are highly encouraged to consult with a Career Counselor in the Career Services Department prior to applying so that they can get help with their résumé and interviewing skills. In addition, the Career Services Department will be able to help students identify the positions that would complement their existing skill sets and future career goals.

Step 3: Get Hired

Hiring managers will review the student applications. Should they find that a particular student is a good fit for the position, they will call and schedule an interview with the student. Then, the student must await the employer’s hiring decision.

Step 4: Complete New Hire Paperwork

Once hired, a student may not begin working immediately. The student must complete the online paperwork that will be sent to the email initially provided in the application, which will be sent within one to two days of hire.

Step 5: Complete Post-Hire Requirements

Once the new hire paperwork is complete, the Federal Work Study Department will send the student an Acknowledgment Letter that will disclose their start date, hours per week, and other pertinent information. The student may only work on or after the date listed on the Acknowledgment Letter.

On the first day of work, students must complete an I-9 form. This is a two-step process. First, students should log on to https://hrx.talx.com/ec/#/login/14022/Template/70a91fc1-b728-43a7-9851-9175f6fe4d55 and select location Berkeley Educational Services of NJ and NY, then complete section 1 of their I-9. Then, the student will have to see an I-9 verifier and provide identification documents to complete the process (the I-9 verifier is listed on the welcome e-mail the student receives on the first day of work).

If you will be working for the College and not at an off-site employer, you will also need to complete the following trainings:

• Data Security
• FERPA
• Ethics
• Sexual Harassment

The Data Security, FERPA, and Ethics trainings can be found on UltiPro. Although Federal Work Study positions are designed to be flexible, FWS positions also come with responsibilities. All Federal Work Study students are expected to follow the guidelines below. Continued failure to fulfill these responsibilities may result in the Federal Work Study student’s termination. 

Federal Work Study Student Responsibilities 

Work Responsibilities 

• Be on time for all scheduled shifts.
• Act in a professional manner and maintain confidentiality of documents.
• Learn duties, complete all assignments on time, and perform all tasks to the best of the student's ability.
• Never comingle work and study time. A student cannot work when they have class and the student should not study while they are at work.
• Students should never forget to notify supervisors in advance if they will be absent from or late to work.  

Timesheet Responsibilities 

• Enter and submit timesheets in UltiPro on a weekly basis (see Entering Time in UltiPro).
• Work within the hours you are allotted per week (see Award Management).
• Students should always reflect a 30-minute break on the timesheets when they work for more than six consecutive hours (see Required Breaks).
• Hours in UltiPro should never conflict with classes in a student's schedule (see Class Conflicts).  

Other Responsibilities 

• A student must keep track of their Federal Work Study Award. A student must not earn more than what they were awarded for the semester (see Award Management).
• A student must keep their supervisor informed regarding their financial aid, registration, and Resident Assistant status as it relates to the FWS program (see FWS Policy and Resident Assistants).
• Do not just stop working. As a common and professional courtesy, a student should provide their supervisor with at least two weeks' notice before leaving their position.

Federal Work Study Information for Supervisors

Obtaining a Federal Work Study Student

Step 1: Seek COO Approval for the Position

Departments at each location are given a specific number of Federal Work Study placements at the beginning of each aid year (July). These positions have already been pre-approved and therefore do not need to be approved by the COO.

When a student leaves a position, the department retains its approved position and is able to hire a replacement student without seeking approval.

Any positions that do not fall under the previously mentioned circumstances will require COO approval.

Step 2: Inform the Federal Work Study Department of the Job Opening

Supervisors with approved positions must send a completed job description form to the Federal Work Study Department at FWS@BerkeleyCollege.edu in order for their positions to be posted on the job board.

Step 3: Review Applicants

Applications are received and evaluated for FWS eligibility by the Federal Work Study Department on a daily basis. Federal Work Study eligible applications are sent to supervisors for review. Supervisors should check their UltiPro Recruitment pages on a regular basis to screen applications. The supervisor will be responsible for arranging interviews with the candidates.

Step 4: Make a Hiring Decision

Upon hiring a student, the supervisor must inform the Federal Work Study Department at FWS@BerkeleyCollege.edu that a candidate has been selected for their position. The student will receive an email from the Human Resources Department, which will begin the hiring process. Once the Human Resources Department confirms the completion of the paperwork, the FWS department then sends both the student and the supervisor an Acknowledgment Letter. The student may only begin work on or after the start date on the Acknowledgment Letter.

Step 5: Complete Post-Hire Requirements

On the first day of work, students must complete an I-9 form. This is a two-step process. First, students should log on to https://hrx.talx.com/ec/#/login/14022/Template/70a91fc1-b728-43a7-9851-9175f6fe4d55 and select location Berkeley Educational Services of NJ and NY, then complete section 1 of their I-9. Then, the student will have to see an I-9 verifier and provide identification documents to complete the process (see list of I-9 verifiers).

If the student will be working for the College and not at an off-site employer, he/she will also need to complete the following trainings:

• Data Security
• FERPA
• Ethics
• Sexual Harassment 

The Data Security, FERPA, and Ethics trainings can be found on UltiPro. 

Responsibilities as a Federal Work Study Supervisor

The role of the supervisor is vital to the success of any work-learning program and, in order to be effective, the supervisor must perform a wide range of activities. All supervisors are responsible for the development of the work environment, including training, motivating, communicating with, guiding, evaluating, and relating to the students they employ. A supervisor’s primary responsibility is to provide student employees with adequate guidance, training, and support.

The supervisor should be the person who has the most direct, daily contact with the student employee. Supervisors should only assign tasks that relate to operating academic programs, maintaining facilities, or supporting the institution in general. All student employee supervisors have the following specific duties:

Responsibilities to the Student

• Work with student employees to establish regular work schedules. Having regular work schedules will make it easier to follow certain FWS timesheet regulations.
• Ensure that scheduled shifts do not conflict with the student’s class schedule.
• Provide student employees with clear instructions regarding departmental and institutional policies.
• Give students’ academic progress priority by allowing flexibility in scheduling during exam times. 
• Provide adequate training and oversight of each student employee.  

Timesheet Responsibilities 

• Verify the accuracy of each student employee's hours before approving them on a weekly basis.
• Ensure that a 30-minute break is taken and is reflected on the timesheet when the student works for more than six consecutive hours (see Required Breaks). 
• Verify that hours entered in UltiPro do not conflict with the student’s class schedule (see Class Conflicts).

Other Responsibilities 

• Ensure that the student does not earn more than his/her FWS Award for the semester (see Award Management).
• Be aware of each student’s financial aid, registration, and Resident Assistant status as it relates to the FWS program (see FWS Policy and Resident Assistants). Any changes should be communicated to the FWS division.
• Follow proper termination procedures. 

Federal Work Study Information for Off-Site Employers

Berkeley College offers nonprofit institutions the opportunity to hire Berkeley students through the Federal Work Study program free of charge. In general, FWS students will be able to work between up to 20 hours per week. In turn, the nonprofit institution must designate a supervisor who will manage the student and follow Berkeley College’s institutional FWS policies and procedures such as entering timesheets in UltiPro and maintaining integrity of timesheets.  

Obtaining a Federal Work Study Student 

Step 1: Complete Federal Work Study Application Forms

Organizations interested in hiring Federal Work Study students must apply to participate in the program. A total of four documents will need to be submitted:

• Request for FWS Services
• Off-Site Agreement
• Job Description Form
• Proof of the organization’s nonprofit status  

These documents must be forwarded to the Federal Work Study Department at: FWS@BerkeleyCollege.edu 

Step 2: Review Applications Once a nonprofit institution's application has been approved, the Career Services Department will send student applications to the institution for review. The nonprofit institution must inform the Career Services representative of the students it wishes to interview. 

Step 3: Interview Students

Step 4: Make Hiring Decision The nonprofit institution must immediately inform a Career Services representative upon selecting a candidate for hiring.

Step 5: Complete Post-Hire Requirements On the first day of work, students must complete an I-9 form. This is a two-step process. First, students should log on to https://hrx.talx.com/ec/#/login/14022/Template/70a91fc1-b728-43a7-9851-9175f6fe4d55 and select location Berkeley Educational Services of NJ and NY, then complete section 1 of their I-9. Then, the student will have to see an I-9 verifier and provide identification documents to complete the process (see list of I-9 verifiers).

Once a student has been successfully placed, the assigned supervisor at the off-site organization will need to abide to FWS Policies. For more information, please see Federal Work Study Information for Supervisors.

Federal Work Study Policies

Students must send an email to FWS@BerkeleyCollege.edu with their name and Student ID Number in order to determine their eligibility. A member of the Federal Work Study Department will respond within two days.

To be eligible for a Federal Work Study Award in a particular semester, a student must:

• Be enrolled in at least 3 credits as a matriculated student in an eligible program of study
• Demonstrate sufficient unmet need as calculated by federal need-analysis formulas
• Maintain satisfactory academic progress levels

Unmet Need

Unmet need is defined as the Cost of Attendance (COA), less the Expected Family Contribution (EFC), less all other resources, which generally consists of the total financial aid received by the student from all sources. COA is the total amount of average expenses that a student is expected to incur by attending the College. The EFC is the amount of money the student is expected to pay out of their own pocket based on the student’s FAFSA data and federal methodology. When the (COA) less (EFC) less (all other resources) is greater than zero, the student is deemed to have unmet need.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Levels

Students who are enrolled at Berkeley are considered to have fulfilled the satisfactory academic progress level requirement. However, students who are on probation may be deemed ineligible. This decision is under the sole discretion of the College.

FWS Awards and Pay Rates

Effective 10/2/2022 FWS students, regardless of grade level or location of assignment, will be paid $20 per hour. Effective 4/24/2023 all students working on campus will be paid $25 an hour. Students working off-site (community service) will be paid $30 per hour.

When a student has limited need, the award given may be less than in the above table. As a result, the student may have to work fewer hours per week. For example, a student who only has unmet need of $1,500 will not be awarded $2,000 of FWS but rather $1,500.

Any unused Federal Work Study awards may be carried forward and earned in subsequent semesters. However, future awards should not be earned in a current semester without exception approval from the Federal Work Study Coordinator.

Acknowledgement Letter

Upon successful completion and processing of the required paperwork for employment as a Federal Work Study student, the FWS Coordinator will send an Acknowledgment Letter. The letter will state the student’s start date, hourly pay rate, total award amount, and other pertinent information at the time of its writing.

Acknowledgment letters may be revised at any time during the semester should there be a change in the student’s FWS award, pay rate, or start date.

Award Management

Students and supervisors are responsible for managing the amount of Federal Work Study awarded per semester. The number of hours per week on the Acknowledgment Letter will serve as a guideline. Adhering to those hours will evenly spread out the time students can earn their award.

However, the hours per week may be manipulated in that a student may exceed the recommended number of hours one week but work less than the recommended hours the following week to compensate.

Time Policies

Maximum Hours Per Week

Students are recommended to only work the number of hours per week outlined on their Acknowledgment Letter. Students and supervisors are allowed some flexibility in their weekly hours.

For example, if a student misses two hours one week, they may work the hours missed the following week even if this would exceed their regular weekly hours per their Acknowledgment Letter. However, under no circumstances can a student work over 35 hours in any given week.

Required breaks

Students who work between four to six consecutive hours are eligible to take a 15-minute paid break. This break does not need to be reflected on their timesheet. Students who work more than six consecutive hours must take a 30-minute unpaid break. This must be clearly reflected on their timesheet by creating an additional time slice (e.g. 9:00-12:00 then 12:30-16:00).

Class Conflicts

The student’s hours must not conflict with the student’s class schedule. Students cannot work when they have classes scheduled. When a class is canceled, a student may work during the time the class would have taken place. The student or the supervisor should inform the FWS Department when this happens.

Break Weeks

Federal Work Study students are not typically budgeted for the break weeks. Both students and supervisors should always assume that students are ineligible to work during break weeks.

One week prior to the break week, the Federal Work Study Department checks the salaries already earned and projects the amount of award the student will have left from his/her package. Students with a projected remaining award will become eligible to work during the break week. An email will be sent both to the student and to the supervisor to advise them of the number of hours they are eligible to work.

Students who will be not be attending the next term will be ineligible to work on the break week (withdrawals, graduates, leave of absences, etc.).

Timesheet and Payment Policies

All Federal Work Study students are required to submit their hours in UltiPro on a weekly basis. Timesheets are due every Monday for the previous week. Supervisors must approve the timesheets submitted every Wednesday.

Failure to comply with the timesheet deadlines may delay the student’s pay. In addition, late timesheets may be charged to the department’s part-time budget. Continued disregard of deadlines is considered non-compliance and may result in sanctions depending on frequency and severity.

FWS students are paid on the 15th and at the end of the month through either Direct Deposit or the Money Network Service Card. The paycard is sent to the student by mail prior to their first paycheck.

Students can get access to their funds faster by enrolling in the Direct Deposit program. Once enrolled, funds are directly deposited to the student’s chosen bank account. Students may enroll for Direct Deposit through UltiPro.

Changes and Termination

Changes to the student’s position such as supervisor changes or transfer to another department must be communicated to the FWS Department.

If a student is unreliable or does not perform their assigned duties responsibly, it may be necessary to terminate the student’s employment. A student should be treated fairly and courteously, as would any other employee. When a student is terminated, the Federal Work Study Department must be informed as soon as possible. 

Federal Work Study Resources

FWS Job Description Form (pdf version)

FWS Supervisor Handbook

Federal Work Study Job Board