Federal Work Study

A student must meet the following criteria to be eligible for Federal Work-Study:

• Complete a FAFSA (Be sure to indicate interest in Federal-Work Study.)
• Meet financial need as determined by FAFSA
• Be enrolled in a minimum of 6 units, half-time, per semester. 
• Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress
• Be a US citizen or eligible non-citizen;
• Have a valid social security number;
• Complete the application process for financial aid at Cuesta College. Click here to access step by step instructions on how to apply and check your financial aid status at Cuesta College. 

• Confirm your eligibility for FWS
• Contact the Financial Aid Office at (805) 546-3143. Be sure have the FERPA Form on file so we can speak to you about your financial aid information. 
• Find a FWS position through the Career Connections Federal Workstudy webpage and follow the instructions for students.
  • If you have a question or need clarification about a position, please contact careerconnections@cuesta.edu

• Receiving a FWS award does not guarantee you a position. It is your responsibility to find an open FWS position. Your award may be removed or awarded to another student after days of inactivity, so please be proactive!
• To search for work study jobs, register for the Cuesta online job database. Once you find an employer that is willing to hire you for a FWS position, make sure the employer submits the following to the Financial Aid Office (all forms can be found in the green box to the left of this page):
  • Completed FWS Referral Form; AND
  • Job Description; AND
  • Student Employment Confirmation; AND
  • Completed Short-Term/Temporary Employment Application 

• Complete the Short-Term/Temporary Employment Application
• Wait to receive an email from "donotreply@forms" and follow the directions.
• The Financial Aid Office will receive all completed information and proceed with completing the process.
• If all information is complete and accurate, the Financial Aid Office awards the student up to $4,000, which is intended to cover the academic year (fall, spring and summer).
• Once the student is awarded FWS, student must complete the FWS Orientation steps.

In addition to finding a job, you will need to follow-up directly with the Cuesta College Human Resources Department to complete the following student onboarding process:

• Check your myCuesta student email often as HR will contact you for the various requirements:
  • Tuberculosis Testing; AND
  • Fingerprinting: AND
  • New Hire Paperwork.

Note that finger printing results may take up to thirty (30) days to arrive; therefore, plan accordingly as you cannot start working until HR clears you and all of your paperwork must be processed before you can officially start working.

• Once all steps for Financial Aid have been completed, the student, supervisor and HR will receive an email from the Financial Aid FWS Specialist informing everyone the student is eligible to start working.
• If all steps for Financial Aid have not been completed, the student and the supervisor will receive an email from the Financial Aid FWS Specialist outlining the outstanding items to be completed. 

• If you qualify for FWS aid, your salary will start at the California minimum wage or it may be higher, depending on the type of work and required skills. The total award amount depends on the application date, the level of your need, and how much FWS money is available to award, usually $4,000 for the full academic year.
• Undergraduate students are paid by the hour. Unlike a loan program, money is not paid before you earn it. No FWS student may be paid by commission or fee. Students must be paid by Cuesta College directly at least once a month.
• The amount you earn cannot exceed your total FWS award. Any overage or overtime must be paid by the employers, out of their own funds.
• When assigning work hours, the employer or financial aid administrator takes your class schedule and academic progress into consideration. When classes are in session, students cannot work more than 20 hours in a given week or 8 hours a day.

• If you drop below 6 (CPOS) units, your award will be cancelled and redistributed to eligible FWS students.
• If your “unmet need” decreases, then part or all of your award may be cancelled.
• If your Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) changes to “Financial Aid Suspension," “Disqualified” or '"Review” then your FWS award may be placed on hold or cancelled.

• FWS Job Description Form
• FWS Referral Form
• SLOCCD Short/Term-Temporary Employment Application
• Timesheet (due the 20th of each month)
• FWS Student Handbook

To begin please make an appointment with the Financial Aid FWS Specialist to complete the mandatory Supervisor Training in advance:

Contact: cuestafws@cuesta.edu

For Hiring Supervisors:

• Set up an employer account at the Cuesta Jobs Link to post a "Federal Work-Study" position.
• Student must complete and submit the Short-Term/Temporary Employment Application directly to you
• Department/Supervisors complete and submit the Student Employment Confirmation Form along with the attached documentation:
  • Completed Short-Term/Temporary Employment Application; AND 
  • Completed FWS Referral Form; AND
  • Job Description 
• Once the forms are completed all parties will receive a final copy for their records (department hiring manager, supervisor, student, and Financial Aid FWS Specialist)
• HR will contact the student for the new hire process or returning hire process 
• The student, HR and the supervisor will receive an email when the student is cleared to start working.
• If you need an Off-Campus placement? Contact Career Connections. 

• FWS Handbook for Supervisors
• Not every student is eligible for FWS!
• Students must be in 6 + CPOS units and meet Title IV eligibility requirements; award amounts vary and start at $4,000 for the academic year.
• Need to check eligibility? Contact the Financial FWS Specialist cuestafws@cuesta.edu
• Timesheets are due the 20th of each month (to the FWS Specialist). 
• Timesheet received late will be processed the following month. We are currently setting up Adobe Sign timecards and will communicate to students and supervisors when the process is complete.
• FWS will only pay for hours the student works as of the date they are cleared to work by HR. FWS students can work no more than 8 hours a day or 20 hours a week.
• Do Not Allow a Student to Work Until They Have Been Cleared to Work by HR and the Financial Aid Office!
• Students who start working before they are cleared by both departments will be paid out of your Department's Funds!