Federal Work-Study

The Federal College Work-Study Program stimulates and promotes part-time employment for currently registered students who are eligible for Financial Aid and are awarded Work-Study. This program gives the student the opportunity to earn a portion of their financial aid, and to explore career possibilities while gaining valuable and practical work experience.

Students are encouraged to look for a position that relates to their academic interest or career goal. Work-Study can only be used during the academic year mid September through mid June, and during quarters in which the student is enrolled in at least 6 units (undergraduate students). Any unused portion cannot be carried over to the summer or to the following year.

The Work-Study program has been designed to benefit both students and on-campus employers. 75% of student’s wages are paid by Federal Work-Study funds, or other funding sources. The remaining balance (25% salary + 10% administrative fee) is paid by your organization. Your organization will benefit by hiring employees at a minimal cost.

All on-campus units can recruit students for Work-Study. 

Work-Study jobs must be posted on Handshake. Follow our posting on-campus work-study roles guide or video to learn more about how to post an on-campus, federal work-study role on Handshake.

Career Success may need to edit your company permissions in order for you to post your work-study specific jobs. Please reach out to ucscel@ucsc.edu for permission updates – they will promptly make the change.

Work-study jobs may be posted between early September through June 1st each year. The earliest jobs may be posted for the 25-26 academic year is September 2, 2025. Students can view and apply to your job postings by logging into Handshake. When a student applies to a job posting, you have the option of receiving notifications via email. All students may view and apply to work-study postings. You may view which student applicants are work-study eligible by navigating to the applicant tab of your job posting in Handshake.

Students can begin working in a Work-Study job when Fall quarter begins (for Fall 25 this is September 20). Student’s wages are subsidized by their Work-Study award until their award is exhausted or until the last day of Spring quarter (whichever comes first; June 11th is the last day of Spring for 25/26 AY). Student wages cannot be subsidized by their work-study award for summer work

As soon as the job posting has been approved by Career Success, you may login to Handshake to view your job listings and applications. You must contact students that you would like to interview directly. See Handshake’s Job Applicant Help Guide.

Once you have selected a candidate to hire, submit a “create hire” form in the HIRES platform. See our help guide for more information about how to utilize the HIRES platform.

To re-hire a student who worked for you before, for the current year, please follow the steps below.

Note: before hiring the student, you must confirm with them that they want to use their remaining Work-Study award.

• Work-Study students returning to the same job they had last year must be rehired each year. They are not required to re-apply online, but Work-Study award usage must be clarified before you submit the google form for the current year. 
• For on-campus work-study, please submit a “create hire” form in the HIRES platform. See our help guide for more information about how to utilize the HIRES platform.

For on-going jobs, work-study authorization is provided by having the student complete the 2025/2026 Work-Study Authorization Form (form will be available in mid-September).

• If work-study authorization is received before work-study has begun, work-study will be applied to the job effective 9/20/25.
• For authorization received on or after 9/20/25, work-study will be effective the date the authorization is received and cannot be made retroactive.
• Work-study is not applicable to Resident Assistants or any BYA job.
• This process is not applicable to Academic Reader or Tutor jobs; please contact your Academic Division business office.

If students have any questions or concerns, please have them contact their PAT Timekeeper.

You will receive a direct email from Career Success confirming the first day that the student may work at your organization. Contact Career Success at ucscel@ucsc.edu if you have any questions.

All employment paperwork will be processed electronically through Career Success. If not active in the payroll system, the student will complete the onboarding process electronically with documentation showing identity and eligibility to work in the US. Please see the onboarding page for more information.

You must contact Career Success at ucscel@ucsc.edu to let them know there has been a change.

The maximum number of hours a student may work per week is fifteen hours during the academic year. The maximum hours a student may work per week during a quarter break is 40 hours.

Each eligible student receives a Work-Study award amount that represents the maximum amount the student may earn under the Work-Study program. This generally does not exceed $4,000 for an academic year. If a student employee’s earnings exceed their Work-Study award as authorized by the UCSC Financial Aid and Scholarship Office, your organization will be charged for 100% of the wages that exceed the award amount. You may wish to hire the student directly on your payroll if their Work-Study funds run out. Off-campus employers will need to either terminate the student or hire and pay them directly once the funds run out.

Yes. The employer and the student share the responsibility for monitoring the amount of Work-Study money earned. You may monitor the student’s remaining work-study balance by looking at the work-study balance tab of HIRES. You or your organization are responsible to pay 100% of wages earned above the student’s earning limit. Time sheets will not be accepted and students cannot be paid through the University payroll system after the work-study allocation is exhausted.

In addition, it is your responsibility to ensure that student hours are distributed equally throughout the academic year. In most cases, students will be enrolled for three quarters, so we encourage you to plan their hours in advance.

To ensure the student receives the maximum benefit of the Work-Study award, it would be helpful for the employer and the student to estimate the maximum number of hours the student can work each week during the academic year (usually 10 weeks for each quarter) based on the award amount and the student’s pay rate.

As an employer, it is your responsibility to submit time sheets before the established deadline. If the time sheet is received after the deadline it will result in a one-month delay in your Work-Study student's pay check.

To change an employee's pay rate, please submit an email to Career Success at ucscel@ucsc.edu AND your PAT Timekeeper, AS WELL AS the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office. Please include the following information:

• Employee's name
• New rate of pay
• Effective date of the change
• Reason for the raise

The change will take approximately one month to complete.

The Financial Aid and Scholarship Office is responsible for determining the financial need and eligibility for each student who applies for financial aid. Nationally established guidelines determined by federal and university policies are used to calculate eligibility. Students who are eligible may be awarded aid through a variety of programs including grants, loans, scholarships, and Work-Study.

A student must complete an application for financial aid in order to be considered for a Work-Study award. A Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) must be submitted to Federal Student Aid Programs, www.fafsa.ed.gov by the published deadline in early May. As funding permits, late applicants are processed on a first-come, first-served basis after all applications completed on-time have been awarded.

No, work-study funds will be used on a first come, first served basis when there are multiple jobs. Employers will be notified via email when a student is hired into an additional work-study job. A student has the option of working with their supervisor to convert any job from work-study to non work-study.

Yes. Student employees must meet specific requirements to remain eligible for a Work-Study position.

Students are not eligible to work if they:

• are registered less than half-time at UCSC.
• lose eligibility for financial aid/Work-Study.
• have withdrawn, are on a leave of absence or have been barred from enrollment.
• have earned wages that exceed the total Work-Study award.

As UCSC casual-restricted employees, students are eligible to accrue sick leave and holiday pay when they work over 50% of the hours of the month. However, if a student works more than 19 hours per week for one month or longer and qualifies for these benefits, your organization must pay 100% of those benefits. The Work-Study Program will not pay for any time other than hours actually worked, (although a 15 minute rest period may be granted for each work period of three continuous hours or more, not to exceed two rest periods per day).
For further information please contact Career Success at ucscel@ucsc.edu.