Information for Students

The Career & Professional Development Office (CPD) can guide you as you explore opportunities to earn your work study funds. Their team can help you find the advertised positions in Handshake, their job platform. They can also help you explore potential unadvertised positions, like teaching/research assistantships or lab positions, and can help you design your own opportunity in a variety of campus offices. If you’re interested in identifying off-campus opportunities to use your work-study award, the CPD can assist there as well. Once you have found the right opportunity for you, the CPD will help you create strong application documents and prepare for successful interviews to increase your success in securing the position. The Career Development Office is your partner for all your career search needs.

The following information is provided in lieu of an Orientation video that will be made available later in the academic year. At this time, we ask that you review the following information to assist you in getting started with the Federal Work-Study program.

The Hiring Process: Completing Paperwork

Students who are offered an allocation or taken off the work-study waitlist will be given a set of hiring paperwork to complete if they are offered a position eligible to utilize their location. The paperwork distributed to students will include the following:

• Form 1: Policies and Hiring Information
• Form 2: Confidentiality Agreements
• Allocation Tracking Tools

Once hiring paperwork is complete, you may submit it to financialaid@cgu.edu for review and processing. Upon being processed by Financial Aid, students will be connected to Human Resources and/or Payroll for on-boarding. Please note that students who have been recently employed on campus may have an abbreviated on-boarding process.

The Hiring Process: On-boarding

As part of the formal hiring process, students are required to complete several onboarding items through Workday. These items include but are not limited to:

• Electronic entry of Federal I-9 information
• Affirmative Action Form: Disclosing of information on this form is not mandatory, but is useful for the institution’s reporting
• Personnel Information: Entry of emergency contact information

REMINDER: Students may not begin working until their hiring and on-boarding process is complete.

During Employment: Reporting Time

The way in which a student reports time for FWS will vary depending on whether they hold an on- or off-campus position.

On-CAMPUS POSITIONS: Students with on-campus CGU FWS positions must manually enter their time in Work Day. We encourage you to work with your supervisor to ensure they have sufficient time to review and approve your hours in Work Day before Payroll deadlines. You can find a payroll calendar here and can find guides on navigating Work Day time entry on our Human Resources webpage. Hours not entered and approved by Payroll deadlines will result in delay of payment.

OFF-CAMPUS POSITIONS: Students with off-campus positions report time by completing a PDF timesheet for each pay period. These timesheets must be submitted to financialaid@cgu.edu no later than the deadline for each respective pay period, detailed in the Payroll Calendar. When the Office of Financial Aid is open for in-person services, physical timesheets with wet signatures may also be turned in by each pay period’s respective deadline.

• Ensuring timecards are submitted in a timely manner may require you to work with your supervisor to project work hours.
• Each PDF timesheet will require digitally configured IDs from the student and the person authorized to sign off on the student’s timecard.
• You can access instructions on how to complete a PDF timesheet and create a digitally configured ID by visiting the Tools and Resources section of the FWS webpage.

REMINDER: Students are required to report time by deadlines on the Payroll Calendar. Late submission of FWS hours will not be accepted per CGU Payroll and TCCS policy.

During Employment: Tracking Your Work-Study Allocation

The Office of Financial Aid keeps internal records of students’ earnings and allocation. However, it is critical that students maintain their own records. This will give them a better understanding of how much allocation they have remaining to prevent the early exhaustion of funds.

To assist with the monitoring of allocation, we have created a new tool that students can use to track their cumulative hours worked. This tool, along with instructions, can be found on the Tools and Resources section of the Federal Work Study webpage.

If at any point you have less than 2 pay periods’ worth of allocation remaining, please notify your supervisor and reach out to financialaid@cgu.edu to explore your options.

Important Policies and Reminders

Labor and Work-Study Regulations:

• Students may not work more than 8.0 hours per day
• Students may not go more than 6.0 hours without taking a break
• Student can work up to 20 hours per week

If these regulations are broken, this may result in unapproved overtime or meal penalty accrual. These types of wages cannot be paid from federal funding and will be charged to the supervisor’s department in full.

It is imperative that students work with their supervisors to ensure all work-study and labor policies and regulations are followed. This supports the student’s maintenance of eligibility and the university’s federal compliance with the work-study program.

If labor or work-study policies are not met, the work-study allocation is subject to be retracted.

We hope this information is useful as you begin your participation in the 2021-2022 Federal Work-Study program. For further information and details, we encourage you to review the “During Employment” section of our webpage, FAQ, and Resources and Tools. Should you have any additional questions, please reach out to your Financial Aid Team at financialaid@cgu.edu.

Maintaining Eligibility

You must stop working immediately if any of the following situations apply:

• You reach your Earnings Limit (in other words, exhaust your Federal Work-study Allocation)
• You have a Financial Aid hold
• You drop below half-time enrollment at any time during the semester
• You are no longer eligible for Federal Aid under standards for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
• If you are graduating, the last day you may work is your final day of classes
• If you are not graduating, you must stop working at the final day of the work-study cycle as indicated by the Office of Financial Aid unless you deplete your allocation sooner or are notified of a different date

Receiving Payment

• Paychecks will be available to students according to the Federal Work-Study Payroll Schedule
• Any problems with paycheck errors should be directed to the Payroll Office in the Human Resources Department
• Paychecks cannot be mailed directly from the Payroll department. You need to make arrangements with your department for this service.
• During time of remote instruction, students will be receiving payment via Direct Deposit

General Expectations and Responsibilities

• Students are responsible for keeping record of their hours work and payments in order to monitor their allocation. There is an allocation tracking tool that students may utilize to track their earnings. If you are near exhaustion of your allocation, you must notify your supervisor and reach out to the Office of Financial Aid regarding next steps.
• Students must comply with all Federal Work-Study and Labor Regulations as outlined in the Student Employee Orientation section. Students who do not comply with these policies are subject to the revoke of their work-study allocation.

• • What is FWS?

The Federal Work Study program (FWS) at Claremont Graduate University (CGU) provides part-time employment for eligible students. Federal Work Study is a need-based program that is designed to provide assistance to students in meeting their educational costs while enrolled at CGU by providing employment opportunities both on and off-campus. Hourly pay rates vary depending upon the individual employer and the type of work performed.

• • Who is eligible for FWS?

In order to be considered for FWS, you must complete your FAFSA. The filing date of the FAFSA and your calculated federal financial need will be used when awarding FWS. Eligible students must be enrolled in a minimum of 4 degree-seeking units or Doctoral Studies.

• • Do I have work-study? When will I find out if I’m awarded work-study?

Students with a work-study allocation will be able to view it within their Financial Aid Package via their Student Portal.

• • Do I need to accept my FWS award?

No, students do not have the ability to accept a work-study award via the Student Portal. Instead, the Office of Financial Aid will accept a student’s work-study award once the student has secured a position and submitted approved hiring paperwork.

• • Is there a deadline for applying for FWS?

There is not necessarily a deadline to apply for work-study; however, depending on when you apply, you may be put on the waitlist if all allocations have already been assigned. If you are interested in work-study, we recommend indicating so on your FAFSA for the upcoming year.

• • What is my position on the waitlist for FWS?

Several factors are taken into consideration when a student is placed on the work-study waitlist. This includes, but is not limited to, the date of placement on the waitlist and level of financial need as calculated per the FAFSA. If you are taken off the waitlist, you will receive an email notification from our office indicating the next steps.

• • Is FWS taxable income?

The money you earn from Federal Work-Study is generally subject to federal and state income tax.

• • Where can I find a job?

Students may utilize Handshake to explore current job opportunities.

• • What is the last day I can find a job?

There is not necessarily a last day a student must secure a position by. However, if a student does not accept or utilize their allocation by the add/drop deadline, it is subject to being withdrawn. Students whose allocation is withdrawn due to non-use have the option of joining the work-study waitlist. Students may also request an extension to utilize allocation by contacting the Office of Financial Aid.

• • Is my position eligible for FWS? Can I use FWS for TA/RA positions?

Many on-campus student worker positions are eligible for work-study, including but not limited to Teaching Assistantships and Research Assistantships.

• • Can I work during break?

With permission from their supervisor, a student is eligible to work during break.

• • How many hours per week may I work?

Students working on-campus may work up to 20-hours per week.

• • Can I have more than one FWS job?

Yes, students may have more than one work-study position. It is important that students with more than one position are mindful of their hours so they do not break any labor or work-study regulations. It is also important that students with more than one position keep track of each position’s respective earnings so they are aware of their remaining allocation. You may use this allocation tracking tool for students with two positions if this scenario applies to you.

• • Will I need to renew my position each year?

Yes, students are required to indicate interest in work-study in each year’s FAFSA. If they are selected to receive another allocation, they must complete a new set of hiring paperwork. Necessary paperwork will be distributed by the Office of Financial Aid.

• • How do I submit timesheets for off-campus positions?

PDF timesheets are to be submitted to financialaid@cgu.edu by Thursday at noon the week they are due. Please ensure that timesheets are filled out correctly and have the appropriate digitally configured IDs. You can access guides on filling out timesheets and completing a digitally configured ID in our Tools and Resources section. During times that the Office of Financial Aid is open in person, you may also drop off physical timesheets with wet signatures by the appropriate deadlines.

• • How much is remaining on my allocation?

To assist in the tracking of your allocation, we encourage you to utilize the allocation tracking tool. If you have questions regarding this tool or are having trouble calculating your remaining allocation, please contact us.

• • I submitted my FWS hours after the Payroll deadline. What happens now?

Students are required to submit their FWS hours by the deadlines specified on the Payroll Calendar. Late submission of  FWS hours is against CGU Payroll and TCCS policy and can result in delay of payment. Students who submit hours late will receive a reminder and if the issue persists, their FWS eligibility may be impacted.

• • What happens if I do not use my FWS? Can I carry it over semester to semester?

Your federal work-study allocation is meant to be utilized through the academic year it is assigned, so long as you maintain eligibility. However, to continue utilizing work-study in subsequent academic years, you must fill out a FAFSA so we can redetermine eligibility and verify whether another allocation will be assigned to you.

• • How do I receive my W-2 form?

You will be mailed a physical copy of your W-2 form early each year. You will eventually receive access to a digital copy of your W-2 via your Workday account.