Student Employment On Campus

There are two funding sources through which students may be employed at USF St. Petersburg: the Federal Work Study Program (FWSP) and Other Personnel Services (OPS).

To apply for FWSP, students must:

• Complete the FAFSA by the priority deadline of March 1st and be sure to indicate an interest in work study on the FAFSA.
• Be degree-seeking and enrolled at least half-time.
• Be a U.S. Citizen, or eligible non-citizen according to the FAFSA.
• Only the neediest of students will be awarded FWSP.
• If awarded, students should visit the Office of Financial Aid to pick up an eligibility letter, which must be presented to the employer to be hired.
• FWSP students can work up to 20 hours per week in an on-campus position.
• Eligible students can browse the FWSP job listings in Career Counseling (BAY 119). Students can then contact these employers to arrange interview sessions.
• Students must accept their work study award and be hired into a position before the 4th week of classes, to avoid losing the award.
• Please see the Financial Aid Office for specific details.

Other Personnel Services (OPS) is USF’s temporary employment program, and is not based on the Financial Aid process. Students are paid hourly wages that vary with positions and may work up to 40 hours per week.

Positions for both student OPS employment and Federal Work Study opportunities are posted in Career Center (TER 200).  Or, you can check through the online job database, Recruit-A-Bull.

Commonly asked questions about Federal Work Study:

Are you wondering why the USF Financial Aid Office gave you a Federal Work Study (FWS) award?

When you filled out the FAFSA prior to March 1st, you said you were interested.   FWS awards are based on “financial need” and that you applied before the USF St. Petersburg priority processing deadline mentioned above. 

What is “work-study”?

USF has a pool of money that comes from a federal grant (Department of Education), and USF contributes matching funds that are used to create jobs and pay wages to students who receive Federal Work Study (FWS) awards and want to work part-time while going to college. 

How does the money part work? When I work in an FWS job, do I get paid or does the university keep my pay and apply a credit toward my tuition, books, or housing?

You get paid, and your earnings are yours to do with as you please. This is the primary purpose of this program – to provide you a part-time job where you can earn money to help defray your educational expenses.  This also helps to reduce your loan debt because a “paycheck” replaces some or all of your loan money.  You can be paid from $6.75 - $10.25 per hour depending on skill level and experience in the particular job.

If I want to do work-study and take advantage of my FWS award, how do I find a job?

Most of the FWS jobs are on-campus, working for various departments throughout USF St. Petersburgthat have been granted authorization to hire students with FWS awards. These departments post their vacancy listings on Recruit-A-Bull (the Career Center's on-line job listing service), which you can access via the Internet: http://www.stpt.usf.edu/saffairs/CCC/index.htm or by visiting the Career Center in person in Terrace 200.

• Accept your award in OASIS.
• Stop by the Office of Financial Aid in BAY 105 to get a “Purple Sheet” from a financial aid counselor.  This sheet provides your hiring department with important information including the amount of your award, and the semester(s) covered.
• Find a position on campus through Recruit-A-Bull.
• Make sure that you are appointed in your new job before Friday, September 21st, otherwise your award may be cancelled.

I wasn’t awarded Federal Work Study, but am interested in this job opportunity.  Can I still apply?

While you may have missed the priority deadline of March 1st, but are eligible for Pell Grant, you still may be eligible to receive Work Study.  The Federal Work Study Request is available in the Office of Financial Aid, BAY 105.  We may need to reduce the loans offered to you in order to give you a Federal Work Study award. 

I am not interested in Work Study.  Can I receive more loans instead?

If you wish to replace your Federal Work Study with Federal Student Loans, there are two options for you:

1. If you WERE NOT offered loans initially, then you would need to:
1. Decline your “offered” work study in OASIS, and
2. Write a statement to the Office of Financial Aid stating “I wish to replace my federal work study with federal Stafford loans”. 
2. If you WERE offered loans initially, but had them reduced or cancelled in order to give you the Federal Work Study offer:
1. Simply “Decline” your offered Work Study in OASIS, then
2. Complete a Loan Adjustment Form indicating that you wish to “Increase” or “Reinstate” your Federal Loans.  You may simply write in “Max” if you wish to receive the maximum loan amount for your grade level.

Questions?

….about Federal Work Study Eligibility:  email the Office of Financial Aid.

….about finding a job on campus:  email Terry Dowling.

For employers of Federal Work Study students: Performance Evaluation for Federal Work Study Positions