How to pay for college · Updated September 29, 2026
Federal Work-Study (FWS) is need-based financial aid that gives undergraduate, graduate and professional students part-time jobs, on or off campus, to help pay for school. You apply by filing the FAFSA, and your school decides your award based on your need, when you apply and how much FWS funding it has. You’re paid at least the minimum wage for the hours you actually work, up to your award amount.
Work-study is aid you earn through a job instead of receiving as a lump sum. It doesn’t have to be repaid, but you only get the money if you work the hours.
This guide explains how Federal Work-Study works, who qualifies, how to get a job, and how you’re paid.
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Who can get it | Undergraduate, graduate and professional students with financial need, full-time or part-time |
| How to apply | File the FAFSA (or ask your school if it participates); your aid offer shows any FWS award |
| Award size | Depends on when you apply, your financial need and your school’s funding |
| Pay rate | At least the minimum wage; in California that’s at least $16.90 an hour in 2026, or more where a city sets a higher rate |
| How you’re paid | Undergraduates by the hour; graduate students by the hour or salary; at least once a month |
| Job types | On campus for your school, or off campus for nonprofits or public agencies in work that serves the public interest |
| Limit | You can’t earn more than your total FWS award |
Sources: Federal Student Aid, Work-Study Jobs; California Labor Commissioner’s Office, Minimum Wage. Full list at the end of the article.
In This Article
What Is Federal Work-Study?
Federal Work-Study is a federal program, run through participating colleges, that provides part-time jobs for students with financial need. The Department of Education says the program encourages community service work and jobs related to your course of study.
Work-study is sometimes called self-help aid, because you earn it. Unlike a loan, it doesn’t have to be repaid. Unlike a grant, it isn’t paid up front: you receive wages as you work. Some colleges also run their own work-study programs with their own rules.
Who Is Eligible for Federal Work-Study?
FWS is available to undergraduate, graduate and professional students who show financial need on the FAFSA, whether they’re enrolled full-time or part-time. You also have to meet general federal aid requirements, such as attending a participating school in an eligible program.
Qualifying doesn’t guarantee an award. Each school gets a limited amount of FWS money, so students who apply early are more likely to receive it.
How Do You Apply for Federal Work-Study?
- File the FAFSA as early as you can each year. California students should file by March 2 to also be considered for Cal Grant and the Middle Class Scholarship.
- Check your aid offer for a Federal Work-Study award, and accept it if you want it.
- Look for eligible jobs through your school’s student employment or career office. An award is not a job; you still have to apply and be hired.
- If you weren’t offered work-study, ask the financial aid office whether funds are still available.
What Kinds of Work-Study Jobs Are Available?
On campus, you usually work for your school, for example in a library, lab, office, tutoring center or student services department. Off campus, your employer is usually a private nonprofit or a public agency, and the work must be in the public interest. Some schools also have agreements with private for-profit employers, but those jobs must relate to your course of study as much as possible.
When assigning hours, your employer or financial aid office considers your class schedule and academic progress.
“Treat a work-study award as a budget, not a paycheck. If you work fewer hours than planned, you earn less, and unearned work-study money doesn’t turn into another kind of aid.”
CalChannel Editorial Team
How Does Work-Study Pay Work?
You’re paid at least the federal minimum wage, and possibly more depending on the job and skills needed. In California, that means at least the state minimum wage of $16.90 an hour in 2026, and some cities and counties set higher local rates. Undergraduates are paid by the hour. Graduate and professional students are paid by the hour or by salary.
Your school must pay you at least once a month. It pays you directly unless you ask it to deposit the money in your bank account or apply it to school charges such as tuition, fees, food and housing. You can’t earn more than your total FWS award.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does work-study money go directly toward tuition?
Not automatically. Your school pays you directly, but you can ask it to apply your earnings to education charges such as tuition, fees, food and housing.
How much can I earn with Federal Work-Study?
You can earn up to your total FWS award, which depends on when you apply, your financial need and your school’s funding. You’re paid at least the minimum wage for each hour you work.
Can graduate students get work-study?
Yes. Federal Work-Study is available to undergraduate, graduate and professional students with financial need.
What happens if I don’t earn my full work-study award?
You only receive what you earn. Any unearned amount isn’t paid out and doesn’t convert into a grant or other aid.
Does work-study income count against my financial aid next year?
Need-based work-study earnings are generally treated differently from regular wages on the FAFSA. Ask your financial aid office how to report them for the year you’re applying.
The Bottom Line on Federal Work-Study
Federal Work-Study gives students with financial need a part-time job that pays at least the minimum wage, up to the amount of their award. File the FAFSA early, accept work-study in your aid offer and apply for eligible jobs as soon as the term starts.
See our guides to how to pay for college and making money as a college student for more ways to cover costs.
Sources
CalChannel Editorial Team California college guides
The CalChannel editorial team researches and writes guides to California colleges, admissions and financial aid. We build our college profiles and aid guides from colleges’ own published data, federal IPEDS data and the California Student Aid Commission. Read our editorial policy.
