FAFSA Work Study says $1k but daughter would earn that in 5 weeks at $15.13/hr - confused about limits?

The $1,000 in your daughter's aid package is just the amount the federal government will subsidize, not the maximum she can earn. When a student has work-study, the federal government pays about 75% of their wages, and the employer (usually the school) pays the rest. She can continue working beyond the $1,000 threshold - the difference is that after reaching that amount, the school/employer would have to pay 100% of her wages instead of just 25%. Many schools continue to employ work-study students even after their federal allocation is used up because they've already trained them and value their work. Your daughter should talk to the financial aid office to understand exactly how her school handles this - policies vary.

i had wrk study last yr and yeh thats just the govt part. my school let me work all semester even after i hit the limit. they just paid me directly after that. the finaid office can tell u for sure tho

Work study is such a JOKE!! They dangle these tiny amounts but don't explain how it actually works! My son's package had $1,200 and when I called, they said most departments can only offer 8-10 hours per week max. And guess what? He applied to SIX campus jobs and didn't even get ONE INTERVIEW because all the returning students already had the positions!!!! Then if you don't use the work study they don't convert it to anything else useful. The whole system is BROKEN!!!

My daughter is in her junior year and has had work study all three years. The amount on the financial aid letter is just what the government subsidizes. At her school, students can work up to 20 hours a week while classes are in session and 40 during breaks. Her freshman year she got a library job that paid $16/hour and worked about 12-15 hours weekly. She hit her federal subsidy around midway through second semester, but the library kept her on through the end of the year. The real value of work study isn't just the money - it's that these positions usually work around class schedules, understand when exams are happening, and often allow for study time during slow periods. Much better than off-campus retail jobs!

When my son received his work study award, we were equally confused! It took forever to get through to the financial aid office. The hold times were absolutely ridiculous - I spent 3 hours on hold once and then got disconnected. Seriously considering using Claimyr (claimyr.com) next time - a friend used it recently to get through to FSA customer service about FAFSA issues in minutes instead of hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Anyway, once we finally connected with someone, they explained that the work study amount just means the school gets reimbursed for most of your daughter's wages up to that amount. Some schools do cut hours once students hit their award amount, but many don't. The financial aid office will know their specific policy.

OK so here's what many people don't realize about FWS (Federal Work Study): 1. The amount listed ($1000) is what the govt subsidizes of your daughter's wages (usually covering 75%) 2. After reaching that amount, your daughter CAN continue working if the employer agrees to pay 100% of her wages 3. This is entirely up to each department's budget - some will keep students, others won't 4. Work study jobs are often more flexible with academic schedules than off-campus jobs 5. The financial aid office doesn't always have direct control over which departments continue employing students after FWS funds are used up My advice: have your daughter talk directly with potential supervisors during job interviews about their policy on continued employment after FWS funds are depleted. Some will be upfront that it's only for the subsidized period, others will happily keep good workers on their payroll.

I remember when my oldest got her first work study award i was soooo confused too!! She only got like $1200 and I was like HOW is this helpful?? But then i learned its just what the govt pays of her wages. She ended up making almost $4000 that year from her campus job even tho her "award" was way less. Just make sure she applies EARLY for jobs because the good ones fill up fast!!

Thank you everyone for these incredibly helpful explanations! I'm going to have my daughter call the financial aid office tomorrow to check how her specific school handles things after the federal portion runs out. But I'm relieved to know that the $1000 is just the government's contribution and not a hard limit on what she can earn. And great point about applying early - she's going to start looking at job postings now even though she doesn't start until fall. Much appreciated!

Just wanted to add that work study positions often come with some unexpected perks! When I had work study in college, my campus library job let me study during quiet periods, and the IT help desk position actually helped me build skills for my major. Plus, supervisors are usually understanding about exam schedules and academic commitments in ways that off-campus employers might not be. So even though the $1000 federal subsidy seems small, the overall experience can be really valuable beyond just the paycheck!

As someone who just went through this process with my own kid, I can confirm what everyone else is saying - that $1000 is just the federal government's contribution, not a cap on earnings! My son had a $1200 work study award and ended up making about $3800 total working in the campus rec center. One thing I'd add is that work study jobs often have better job security than regular student employment. Even when budget cuts happen, departments are more likely to keep work study students because they're getting that federal subsidy. Also, having work study on your FAFSA can sometimes make you eligible for certain campus positions that are reserved specifically for work study recipients. Your daughter should definitely take advantage of this opportunity!