Can you qualify for federal work-study with high SAI but no subsidized loan eligibility?
My daughter's SAI came back at $16,875 which apparently means we don't qualify for subsidized loans (according to her financial aid office). But she REALLY needs to work during school to help cover expenses, and I've heard work-study jobs are more flexible with class schedules. Can she still qualify for work-study even if we're above the subsidized loan cutoff? The financial aid offer doesn't mention work-study at all. Should we contact the school to specifically request it or is it automatically determined through FAFSA? If it helps, our family income is about $104K but we're in a super high cost area and have two other kids in college.
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AstroAdventurer
Work-study eligibility isn't automatically tied to subsidized loan eligibility. They have different formulas and thresholds. While both are need-based, many students who don't qualify for subsidized loans can still get work-study. Your best bet is to contact the financial aid office directly and ask specifically about work-study availability. Many schools also have a limited pool of work-study funds they can distribute at their discretion. Having multiple kids in college definitely helps your case.
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Carmen Lopez
•Thanks! I'll definitely contact them. Do you know if there's a specific form we need to fill out to request work-study consideration? Or just email the general financial aid office?
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Andre Dupont
my son got work study last year with no sub loans. they have different cutoffs. just email finaid and ASK for it. sometimes they have extra $ at the beginning of the semester and will just give it to you if you ask!!
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Carmen Lopez
•That's really encouraging! We'll definitely reach out. Did your son find the work-study job helpful with his class schedule?
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Zoe Papanikolaou
This FAFSA system is so frustrating with all these different eligibility thresholds! My daughter had the exact same situation - no subsidized loans but got work study. But then when she went to find an actual job, most of the positions were already filled by the time they processed her request. Make sure your daughter looks for positions IMMEDIATELY if they approve her - they go FAST.
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Jamal Wilson
•This is such a good point. My nephew had work-study approved but waited until two weeks into the semester to look for jobs and all the good ones were gone. He ended up in the library stacking books when he wanted something in his major.
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Mei Lin
Financial aid counselor here. Work-study and subsidized loans have completely different eligibility formulas. The school has significant discretion over work-study funds allocation, while subsidized loan eligibility is more strictly formula-based. With your SAI of $16,875 and multiple children in college, you have a good case for work-study. I recommend: 1) Email the financial aid office requesting work-study consideration 2) Mention specifically that you have multiple children in college (this affects need calculation) 3) Ask about institutional work programs if federal work-study isn't available 4) Request a professional judgment review if your financial situation has special circumstances Many schools have both federal work-study and their own institutional employment programs. Even if federal work-study isn't available, ask about other campus employment options.
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Liam Fitzgerald
•wait i thought if ur SAI was above a certain amount u cant get ANY need based aid including work study??? is that wrong?? then why did they deny my subsidized loans?
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Mei Lin
•That's a common misunderstanding. Your SAI affects different aid types differently. For subsidized loans, there is a hard cutoff. But for work-study, schools have more flexibility in how they allocate those funds. Your SAI is one factor, but not the only one. Schools can consider other factors like multiple family members in college, local cost of living, or special circumstances. That's why you can be denied for subsidized loans but still qualify for work-study.
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GalacticGuru
I went through this exact situation last year! My SAI was around $18K, no subsidized loans, but I still got work-study after I specifically requested it. Here's what I learned: - Email your financial aid office with "Work-Study Request" in the subject line - Include your student ID and briefly explain why you need it - Emphasize multiple siblings in college (this helped me) - Attach documentation if possible - FOLLOW UP by phone if no response in 3-5 days The phone follow-up was key for me. I kept getting caught in email limbo until I finally called. But then I'd be on hold FOREVER trying to reach someone who could actually help with my case.
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AstroAdventurer
•This is great advice, especially about following up by phone. I've had so many FAFSA and financial aid emails get lost in the shuffle. If you're having trouble reaching someone by phone (which is common), I discovered a service called Claimyr that helped me get through to a financial aid agent without the long wait. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. Basically helps you skip the phone wait times when you need to speak to someone directly.
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GalacticGuru
•Oh wow, I wish I'd known about that service when I was calling every day for a week straight! Definitely bookmarking this for next time I need to reach financial aid.
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Jamal Wilson
My daughter just had her financial aid package revised mid-year to include work-study after initially being denied. What worked for us was scheduling an in-person meeting (not just calling or emailing) and bringing documentation about our actual expenses vs income. The financial aid counselor was able to override the system once we explained our situation face-to-face.
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Carmen Lopez
•That's really helpful! We live about 3 hours from campus, but maybe we could schedule something for when we take her to school. Did you have to bring specific documentation or just general expense information?
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Jamal Wilson
•We brought utility bills, mortgage statement, car payments, insurance costs, and medical expenses. Basically trying to show that our "on paper" income didn't reflect what was actually available for college. The counselor really appreciated having actual numbers instead of estimates. If you can't go in person, maybe see if they'll do a video call instead of just email?
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Liam Fitzgerald
same thing happned to me and i couldnt get workstudy OR sub loans. they said my parents made 2 much $ even tho they dont help me at ALL with college!!! the system is rigged against students who dont get help from parents but FAFSA thinks they should. im drowning in unsubsidized lonas now :
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Mei Lin
•I'm sorry you're in this situation. If your parents truly provide no support, you might want to look into a dependency override for next year's FAFSA. It's difficult to qualify, but not impossible. You'll need to document that you have zero contact with parents or that there's an abusive situation. Alternatively, once you turn 24, get married, have a child, join the military, or are in graduate school, you'll be considered independent automatically.
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Andre Dupont
dont 4get to ask about non-workstudy campus jobs too!! my daughter couldnt get workstudy but got a job at the campus starbucks that paid BETTER than workstudy and still worked around her classes!!
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Carmen Lopez
•That's a great suggestion! I hadn't thought about regular campus jobs. Those might actually pay better too from what I'm hearing.
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Oliver Cheng
Just wanted to add another perspective - I work in financial aid at a mid-sized state university. Your SAI of $16,875 with multiple kids in college actually puts you in a good position for work-study consideration. We often have leftover work-study funds after the initial allocation, especially in spring semester when some students drop out or reduce their course load. A few tips from the inside: - Call rather than email if possible - we get hundreds of emails daily but phone calls get more immediate attention - Ask specifically about "spring work-study availability" - many schools hold back funds for mid-year requests - Mention your high cost of living area - we can consider regional differences in our professional judgment reviews - If they say no to federal work-study, ask about state work-study programs (many states have their own versions) Also, timing matters! If you contact them in the next few weeks, you're more likely to get funding than if you wait until fall semester starts. Good luck!
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