Federal Work-Study
Federal Work-Study provides part-time jobs for undergraduate students with financial need, allowing them to earn money to help pay educational expenses. Federal Work-Study is a limited-fund financial aid program where students are paid for the hours worked at their work-study job. Payment for the hours worked is deposited in the student's bank account, it is not credited to the student's U-Bill.
To be awarded Federal Work-Study, a student must:
- Be an undergraduate student
- Have financial need by filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year
- Request to be awarded work-study when completing the FAFSA
Once awarded, a student must:
- Accept the Federal Work-Study award on your financial aid award found within your MyUNIverse
- Look for work-study positions posted on the job board at Career Services
- If more help is needed in finding a work-study job, contact the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships
Please note that students who have not started working by the fourth week of the semester may lose their work-study eligibility. More information about Work-Study is available here.
Community Service Learning
Community Service Learning (CSL) is a partnership between UNI and community non-profit organizations. Qualified students work at off-campus positions while earning Federal Work-Study funds. Student employees receive pay through UNI. Students who do not originally have work-study on their award, may still qualify for CSL. For more information about Community Service Learning visit our webpage or email workstudy-jobs@uni.edu.
America Reads
America Reads is a Federal Work-Study program that provides after school tutoring for schools in the community. During the 2018-19 school year, America Reads is partnered with Lincoln Elementary School in Cedar Falls to offer an after school program focusing on literacy. For more information about America Reads, please visit the Literacy Education webpage in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, College of Education.
Receiving Federal Work-Study Payments
Federal Work-Study is paid differently from other types of financial aid, such as grants and loans which credit to the U-Bill. You will receive work-study dollars in the form of a bi-weekly paycheck. To receive pay for work-study, you will record the hours worked and submit timecards in the Oracle E-Business site. A link is available through MyUNIverse. Your payment will be directly deposited to your personal bank account.
Students can track their work-study earnings at any time in the Oracle E-Business Suite where you complete and submit timecards. The link is under "UNI Student Employee Self-Service > Student Work-Study Monitoring Sheet."
Instructions for Completing a Timecard
Student Work-Study Monitoring Report
Supervisor Work-Study Monitoring Report
Frequently Asked Questions
If I wasn't awarded work-study at first, can I be awarded it later?
- With the award of a Pell Grant, a student could request to be placed on the work-study waiting list. There is a possibility that more work-study will be awarded later in the fall semester, near the end of October. The rate of work-study earnings is assessed. If the rate of earnings needs to be higher, more work-study will be awarded.
I work at two on-campus jobs. Can I earn work-study at both of these positions?
- No. Students may only have ONE work-study job at a time. However, students may have both a work-study and a departmental job as long as they do not exceed the maximum hours allowed in the Student Employment Policy.
What happens if I earn all of my fall work-study before the end of the fall semester? Can I start using my spring amount of work-study?
- If you are enrolled at least half-time for the spring semester, yes, you can start earning the spring amount. Typically, awards are made in equal amounts for both fall and spring semesters. If a student earns over their awarded amount for fall, funds can be used from the spring award, provided the student will also be enrolled in spring courses. Once the total work-study award is earned, the student must be paid by departmental funds or end employment.
When is the last day I can earn work-study?
- The last day to earn work-study is the last day of the semester, the Saturday of final's week. For the 2016-17 school year, the last day is May 6, 2017 for a spring-only or full year student. Students enrolled at least half-time both fall and spring semester, can earn work-study during the winter break. For students graduating in fall, the last day to work is the Friday of final's week. For Fall 2016 it is December 17, 2016.
What happens to any work-study money I do not earn by the end of the semester? Can it carry over to the next academic year?
- Work-study can be earned only during the academic year for which it is awarded. Work-study awarded in one year cannot carry over to the next academic year. Be sure to file your FAFSA each October to help determine your work-study eligibility for the upcoming year.
If your work-study question was not answered, feel free to submit your question to us directly and we will be in contact in 1-2 business days.