Federal Work-Study

The Federal Work-Study program provides an excellent opportunity for you to earn money through part-time employment, which is paid by both the government and your campus employer. Eligible students are allowed to work for on-campus departments or local off-campus employers. Federal Work-Study funds are awarded based on financial need.

Program features:

  • Funds are earned and paid during the course of the academic year
  • Maximum amount of funds are found on the award letter
  • You must maintain at least half-time enrollment, except during the Summer quarter
  • Students are permitted to work a maximum of 20 hours per week during regular terms and 37.5 hours per week during break periods (i.e. Winter break). For more information on University of Chicago policy, please refer to the Student Manual
  • Jobs held during the Autumn, Winter and Spring quarters terminate at the end of the Spring quarter or the last date of enrollment, whichever comes first
  • Jobs held in the summer terminate at the end of the Summer quarter
  • Apply for job opportunities here

Once you have accepted your Federal Work-Study award online, you will have access to your Employment Authorization form. You must bring a copy of your Employment Authorization form to each interview as it is required to be hired into any Federal Work-Study position.  Your form should be completed by both you and your employer and submitted to your supervisor for processing.

To access your form:

  • Log in to my.UChicago.edu
  • Click Finances> Financial Aid
  • Select "FWS Employment Authorization" from the dropdown (make sure pop-ups blockers are disabled on the page)

*if experiencing trouble make sure to clear your cache, or use a different browser*

The Student Employment Office will notify you when your earnings are within $500 of their total allotment. Once you’ve reached your earnings limit as indicated on your award letter, you can no longer participate in the program for that work period. However, you may continue your position if your employer is willing to pay the full salary.

Summer Federal Work-Study

There are Federal Work-Study funds that you can use during the Summer quarter. Eligible students are either enrolled for the Summer quarter or will be a continuing student (one who has enrolled during the previous school year and will enroll during the subsequent Autumn quarter).

Note: Due to limited funds during the summer quarter, first year graduate students who are not enrolled at least halftime during the Summer will not be awarded Federal Work-Study.

If you have additional questions about your Federal Work-Study award or student employment, please contact us at studentemployment@uchicago.edu.

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