The Federal Work Study (FWS) Program is a federally funded financial aid program in which eligible students work part-time on-campus or off-campus in community service while enrolled at Middlesex County College to help pay for college costs. At MCC, the Office of Financial Aid handles the financial aid approval part of FWS, and Career Services posts FWS jobs and works with eligible students to get a FWS job. Click here to read more about the financial aid requirements on the Financial Aid Office webpages.
The FWS Application for Fall 2017 is now closed and all available FWS funds have been allocated. If positions open towards the end of the Fall semester or start of the Spring 2018 semester, we’ll re-open the application at that time.
Students participating in the Federal Work Study Program must:
Career Services provides several FWS Briefing sessions each semester. These Briefing sessions are designed to acquaint you with how find and keep a FWS position. At the Briefing session, you will learn how to access the College Central Network (CCN) Job Search Resources to find a job, and how you will be paid. Attendance at a FWS Briefing session is mandatory.
Career Services does not provide job placement. As an approved FWS student, you chose which FWS position to interview for after you review the posted open FWS positions online in CCN. Once you have selected a position, the Federal Work Study Coordinator completes a Referral for Interview form for the job selected to schedule an interview. You initiate the interview process by contacting the FWS supervisor to schedule an interview. Each department makes their own hiring decision after the interviews are completed. If you are not hired, you can return to Career Services to request a Referral for Interview for a different position.
When a FWS supervisor offers you a position, there are several things you must do:
When you are hired, both you and your supervisor are responsible for ensuring that your FWS timesheet is completed on the 15th and 30th of each month with an accurate recording of the hours that you worked in that pay period. If you do not submit your timesheet by the due date, you will not receive a check until the following pay period. We recommend that you complete your timesheet daily.
FWS students start earning at the current minimum wage hourly rate. Please note that a work hour is a clock hour of 60 minutes, not a class hour of 50 minutes.
FWS student workers cannot work more than 20 hours per week. Students typically work approximately 10-15 hours per week.
Payment through Federal Work Study earnings are based on an hourly rate for actual hours worked. Students who are absent due to illness, holidays, or other reasons, are NOT paid or given credit for the time missed. Student’s hours are NOT paid for time taken for meals. Students are required to take a 30 minute break after working five consecutive hours.
If you are eligible for Federal Work Study and hired by a department, the FWS award will be listed and posted on your financial aid award in Campus Cruiser/Web Advisors/Financial Aid/”View or Print Your Award.” The FWS Award will only appear after you have been hired. You and your supervisor are expected to monitor your gross earnings to ensure that the dollars actually earned do not exceed the FWS award amount.
In addition to any documents required by the Office of Financial Aid, students agree to provide any additional documentation requested by Career Services. For example, all FWS students must have a copy of their current schedule of classes on file with Career Services. If you do not submit requested documents by the dates requested, you may be asked to stop working.
If sufficient funding is available and the department operates over the summer, students employed during the regular school year will be given an opportunity to continue working and receive a Summer Federal Work Study award. Supervisors are notified in April of the spring term with regard to planning for additional students during the summer. Students are hired on a first-come, first-served basis and funding may be limited.
If you apply but are not hired into a FWS position by June 30th, you must file a new FWS application after July 1 to determine eligibility for the next academic year.
Performance
Students are responsible to their supervisors for punctual, regular, and efficient performance of job duties. Supervisors must be notified in advance of any absence.
Duration of your FWS Position
Students are expected to remain in their chosen job for the entire academic year, September to May/June unless you are notified by Career Services about an issue or problem. If you quit your job mid year (that is, after June), you cannot begin placement process for a new position until the start of the next semester and only if positions are open at that time.
As discussed in the FWS Briefing, eligibility to work in FWS is contingent on remaining in compliance with the federal regulations, including enrollment in at least 6 credits in the Fall and Spring semester, and maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress (read what this means here). If you lose your eligibility, you will be notified to stop working immediately.
What happens next year? If you are working in an FWS position and decide you would like to interview for a different position for next Fall or if you plan to leave MCC, you must notify your supervisor and Federal Work Study Coordinator in writing by the end of April or at least two weeks prior to your last day of working, whichever comes first. If you will be continuing at MCC and wish to remain in your current position, you will need to send your Fall schedule of classes to Career Services in June and you will be renewed, provided your supervisor still has need for the position.
One Job Limit
You cannot hold more than one Federal Work Study job at a time. Also, no student can hold a Federal Work Study job and a non-Federal Work Study job within the College at the same time.
Withdrawal from Program
If you intend to withdraw from the Federal Work Study Program, either temporarily or permanently, you must advise your supervisor and the Federal Work Study Coordinator in writing. You should give two weeks’ notice to your supervisor.
Maximum Hours
FWS students work a maximum of 20 hours/week. Students are not paid for lunch hours, holidays, or time off. In addition, you can never work when you are scheduled to be in class, even if your professor canceled class for that day.
Loss of Earnings
If you leave a FWS job, you should not expect to have earnings replaced by any other type of financial aid or federal and state agencies.
Student Eligibility
You must be enrolled in a minimum of 6 credits or more (full-time) to be eligible to participate in the FWS during the fall/spring term. Both Career Services and your FWS supervisor must have a copy of each term registration of classes.
Students who were employed during the regular school year and are not enrolled during the summer term may be able to participate in the summer Federal Work Study Program only if they are returning to MCC for the Fall semester and have given a copy of the fall registration statement to Career Services.
Community Service
Community services are defined as services that are identified by an institution of higher education through formal or informal consultation with local nonprofit, government and community based organizations as designed to improve the quality of life for community residents, particularly low income individuals, or to solve particular problems related to their needs.
Off-Campus Federal Work Study Program (FWS)
Middlesex County College’s award-winning Democracy House Center for Civic Engagement addresses community needs and integrates real life experiences into learning. Each Fall semester, eligible Federal Work Study students are hired by Democracy House for off campus involvement that lasts for the academic year in a variety of service projects that help our community. Some examples of community service supported by Democracy House include partnerships with local non-profits focusing on after school programs, soup kitchens, mentoring high school students with college readiness, working with young children or planting a community garden.
Benefits of Participating in FWS with Democracy House
The off-campus assignments have proven to be beneficial for students to serve the community and develop their critical thinking, and establish organizational skills as well as helping them obtain valuable training and career experience.
