Can you qualify for federal work-study with high SAI but no subsidized loan eligibility?

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.

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!!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 :

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!!

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!

I'm in a similar situation with my son - SAI around $15K, no subsidized loans, but we really need him to work during school. After reading all these responses, I'm definitely going to call the financial aid office this week rather than email. The advice about timing is so helpful - I had no idea they might have more funds available for spring requests! Also going to ask specifically about state work-study programs since I've never heard of those before. It's frustrating that the system seems so inconsistent between schools and students, but at least there are multiple options to explore. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!

As someone who went through this exact same situation two years ago, I can confirm that work-study and subsidized loan eligibility are definitely separate! My daughter had an SAI of $17,200 (no subsidized loans) but still qualified for work-study after we requested it. The process took about 2-3 weeks from initial contact to approval. One thing I'd add to all the great advice here - when you call, ask to speak with a "financial aid counselor" rather than just whoever answers the phone. The front desk staff often can't make decisions about work-study allocation, but the counselors can review your case on the spot. Also, if your daughter's school has a separate work-study coordinator, try to get transferred directly to them. The work-study job ended up being perfect for her schedule - she worked in the admissions office and could often do homework during slower periods. Much better than the off-campus retail job she had been considering!

This thread has been incredibly informative! As someone new to navigating the financial aid system, I had no idea that work-study and subsidized loan eligibility were calculated differently. It's really helpful to see so many real experiences from families who've been through this exact situation. I'm particularly grateful for the insider tips from the financial aid professionals in this thread - the advice about calling rather than emailing, asking for specific counselors, and the timing considerations are things I never would have thought of on my own. The point about spring semester having more available funds is especially valuable. For those who successfully appealed or requested work-study after being initially denied, did you find that certain documentation or arguments were more persuasive than others? I'm preparing to make our own request and want to present the strongest case possible. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - this community is such a valuable resource!

As a parent who just went through this process last month, I can add that it's also worth asking about work-study fund redistribution that happens throughout the year. At my son's school, they told us that students who initially got work-study sometimes don't use their full allocation (maybe they find other jobs or reduce their hours), so those funds get redistributed to students on the waiting list. We were initially told "no work-study available" but got a call in October saying funds had opened up. My advice would be to ask them to put your daughter on a work-study waiting list even if they say no initially. Also, when you do call, have your daughter's student ID number ready - it speeds up the process significantly when they can pull up her file immediately. The financial aid office at our school also mentioned that they track which students actually follow through and accept work-study when offered, so being responsive and enthusiastic about wanting it can work in your favor for future considerations.

This entire thread has been such an eye-opener! I'm a junior in high school and will be applying for financial aid next year, so I'm trying to learn everything I can now. I had no clue that work-study and subsidized loans had different eligibility requirements - I thought if you didn't qualify for one, you wouldn't qualify for any need-based aid. Reading about everyone's experiences with calling vs. emailing, asking for specific counselors, timing requests strategically, and even getting on waiting lists has given me a whole roadmap for when I'm in this situation. The insider tips from actual financial aid professionals have been incredibly valuable too. I'm bookmarking this thread to reference when I'm going through the FAFSA process myself! One question for those who've been through this - is there anything you wish you had known or done differently when first filing your FAFSA that might have helped with work-study eligibility from the start?

This thread is incredibly helpful! I'm also dealing with a similar situation where my son's SAI disqualified him from subsidized loans but I'm hoping work-study might still be possible. Reading everyone's experiences gives me so much hope - especially hearing from the financial aid professionals about how the eligibility formulas are actually different. I'm taking notes on all the actionable advice here: calling instead of emailing, asking specifically for a financial aid counselor, mentioning our multiple kids in college, and asking about both federal and state work-study programs. The tip about spring semester potentially having more available funds is something I never would have considered. One thing I'm curious about - for those who successfully got work-study, did you find that the hourly pay and number of hours allowed made a meaningful difference in covering college expenses? I want to set realistic expectations for my son about how much this might actually help with his costs.

This is exactly the situation we found ourselves in last year! My son had an SAI of $17,500 - no subsidized loans but we desperately needed him to work on campus for the schedule flexibility. After reading through everyone's advice here, I wanted to add that persistence really does pay off. We were initially told "no funds available" but I called back three different times over two months, each time speaking with a different counselor. The third person we spoke with found discretionary funds that had just become available from students who had dropped out. Also want to echo what others said about having documentation ready - we brought proof of our mortgage payment, medical expenses for our younger child with special needs, and documentation showing we had another kid starting college the following year. The counselor said having concrete numbers rather than just saying "we're struggling" made all the difference in their ability to justify the allocation. One more tip - ask about graduate student positions too! My son ended up getting a research assistant position through the work-study program that not only paid well but gave him valuable experience in his field. Sometimes the best work-study jobs aren't the obvious ones like dining hall or library work.