With the rising cost of tuition, many families turn to multiple funding sources — such as need- and merit-based aid — to help finance a college education.
While work-study was used by only 19% of families to help pay for college in the 2024-2025 academic year, according to Sallie Mae/Ipsos’ How America Pays for College survey, it’s still a good option for federal need-based funding that doesn’t have to be repaid. The program provides part-time employment, typically on campus, to eligible undergraduate and graduate students.
“It’s really a financially beneficial program for students who are looking to make college affordable, and it’s an option for working that can be in addition to or instead of taking out loans,” says Luisa Bieri, dean of cooperative, international and community-based learning at Antioch College in Ohio.
Here’s what families should know about work-study.
What Is the Federal Work-Study Program?
Unlike grants or loans, work-study funds go directly to the student instead of the school.
“You get a paycheck in a very similar way as any other student worker on campus,” says Katie Condon Martin, vice president for enrollment management at Eastern Michigan University.
[Read: 8 Financial Aid Tips for College Students]
Students make at least minimum wage, but award amounts depend on financial need, when they applied and schools’ available funding, according to the Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid Office.
For the 2025-2026 academic year, students received an average of $2,122 through work-study, per the annual Sallie Mae survey. Money earned can be used to cover college-related expenses, such as housing, textbooks and transportation.
“You’re granted a certain amount of funds, which then dictates the amount of hours that you can work and the hourly wage that you get for those,” Condon Martin says. “You’ll work with your supervisor to determine that and how to utilize your work-study in the most efficient way possible. It’s not necessarily a position that you’re going to have 25 hours a week at the set rate all semester long because those funds are limited.”
Jobs vary per college, but students may work in community development or be a tour guide, peer tutor or admissions ambassador, for example. Work-study jobs may also be available off campus in partnership with approved government organizations or nonprofits.
“You’re never tied to one specific job with federal work-study and we would actively encourage, as you want to develop new skill sets, that you look for positions that are going to give you a leg up once you graduate and go into that job market,” Condon Martin says.
Colleges have their own process to “connect students with those campus jobs, and they usually start that a little bit before the students arrive on campus,” Bieri says. “But then students would have some onboarding during their new student orientation once they arrive.”
How to Qualify for Work-Study
Eligibility is based on financial need, so students must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. Funds are limited, however, so experts recommend submitting the form shortly after it opens — typically October.
[Read: FAFSA Deadlines to Know]
Work-study isn’t guaranteed every academic year, and not every college participates. Students must file the FAFSA each year they want to be considered for the program or any other types of financial aid.
“?Circumstances change, programs change, eligibility changes, so I would certainly encourage students to pursue this every single year of their undergraduate career,” Condon Martin says. “You may not be eligible one year, but you may be the next year.”
How Work-Study Benefits Students
Beyond the financial benefits, work-study helps students add to their resume and develop workforce skills.
“Oftentimes students in their first year of college with a federal work-study job may start in one area of the campus where there’s a lot of need,” Bieri says. “And by their third or fourth year — if they continue on in the program, which I encourage students to do — they’ve gained a lot of skills and they’re able to take on those more challenging jobs that can really be a boon on their resume for when they graduate. And help demonstrate their professional skill set, from their communication skills, both written and oral, to really being able to set out to accomplish some goals in the workplace and make those come to fruition.”
Work-study jobs also provide more flexibility compared to part-time, off-campus employment options, Condon Martin says.
“We are employing student workers, so the emphasis is that you are a student first,” she says. “That means when it’s busy, maybe finals week, you are working with people who understand that it’s finals week and can offer you that flexibility in terms of adjusting your schedule to accommodate you being a student first.”
[Read: The Cost of Private vs. Public Colleges.]
Consider Work-Study When Comparing Financial Aid Awards
If you’re accepted by several schools, take the time to compare financial aid award letters, and use the financial aid offices as a resource to better understand what’s being offered, Bieri says.
There’s often an assumption that public schools are cheaper than private ones, she says. “But many private colleges are interested in bringing on those bright, hardworking students just as much as the publics and provide really generous financial aid packages. So don’t just look at the sticker price.”
Work-study, among scholarships, grants and loans, may be included in a student’s financial aid package.
Take time to research what work-study opportunities are available on that particular campus, Condon Martin says.
“These are not guaranteed, and so that is something else that you have to consider,” she says. “Just because you have federal work-study in your financial aid package, you’re still not guaranteed a job on campus. There still is a process to make sure that you’re a good fit and that you have the talent and strengths in order to pursue that particular position.”
Trying to fund your education? Get tips and more in the U.S. News Paying for College center.
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Federal Work-Study: What to Know originally appeared on usnews.com
