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Work-study Information

Pertains to employment opportunities that are available through the College Work-study Program.

What is work-study?

Work-study is a need-based financial aid award. Work-study employment operates the same way as a normal job, with the following differences:

  • Income earned from work-study employment does not count as income for the purposes of calculating a student's financial aid package. The reason for this is that work-study awards are given to help pay for a student's education in the year in which the award is received, and consequently the government does not expect the student to save any of those funds to pay for subsequent years of education.
  • Because funds are limited, the amount a student can earn as work-study is finite. The work-study award represents the gross earnings a student earn in a work-study job.
  • Work-study employers only pay a portion of their employee's earnings, and financial aid funds pay the other portion. Consequently, work-study students are desirable to employers because the employer must only pay a portion of a student's wage.

    • The name of the work-study program sometimes confuses students and employers. Work-study does NOT imply that you are allowed to study on the job. You will only be paid for hours that you work. Because of the nature of some types of jobs, you may be required to work when there is "down time". Any personal activity during this time must be requested and approved by your supervisor.

    How do I get paid for work-study earnings?

    Unlike other forms of financial aid, work-study money is not disbursed in a lump sum at the beginning of the semester. Students who earn work-study receive a paycheck every two weeks, and the amount of that paycheck is determined by the number of hours the student has worked during the applicable pay period multiplied by the student's payrate. Note work-study funds are not automatically applied to a student's bill, but rather are paid directly to the student.

    Who is eligible to receive work-study?

    Because work-study is a need-based financial aid award, recipients must apply for financial aid and be determined to have financial need. To apply for financial aid, fill out the Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, which is available at the Financial Aid Office, the Student Employment Office, and most high schools. When you mail this form to the federal processor, they will determine how much money you and your family can contribute to the cost of your education according to a federal formula. This amount is called the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). Once we receive this information, we will determine whether you qualify for work-study as well as other financial aid including loans, grants and scholarships. Freshmen and transfer students who apply on time and have very high need will be awarded work-study automatically.

    I have financial aid, but I didn't receive work-study. Can I still receive it?

    Possibly. Some students who have unmet need can receive work-study even if they weren't awarded initially. Your name can be placed on the work-study waitlist, which is reviewed periodically by the Student Employment Office. If additional work-study funds become available, students will be awarded from this waitlist based on order of financial need of a student, not "first come, first serve". Stop by or call the Student Employment Office to discuss work-study options and to be placed on the work-study waitlist.

    How do I get on the work-study waitlist, how soon will I be awarded work-study from this list and how can I tell what number I am on the waitlist?

    The work-study waitlist is for students who have $1000 or more of financial need which has not been met with other forms of financial aid such as loans, scholarships, or grants. To be placed on the waitlist, simply stop by or call our office at 303-492-5091, #4 and request that your name be added to the waitlist. Waitlist awarding is done when funds become available, so there is no definite answer to how soon a waitlisted student will be awarded. The list is reviewed periodically throughout the year and awards are made when funding is available. Students who receive work-study awards will be mailed a revised financial aid award letter. By the same token, the waitlist doesn't operate on the principle of "first come, first serve," so you can't tell what number you are on the list. Waitlisted students are awarded based on level of financial need, with the student that has the most need awarded first.

    Should I apply for loans if I'm on the work-study waitlist?

    Since there is no way to determine when or IF you will be awarded work-study, it is recommended that you evaluate your financial situation to ensure that you will have the necessary funds to pay your university bill. Applying for loans will reduce the amount of "unmet need" and thus decrease the amount of work-study that you would be eligible to receive. However, there is no way to guarantee you a work-study award. You must also remember that if you are awarded work-study, it is earned on a bi-weekly basis and is NOT applied to your university bill.

    You may accept the loans and let the Student Employment Office know how much you are willing to return in loans (this will create a bill that must be paid back to the Bursar's Office) to be considered for work-study. There is no guarantee that you will be granted an increase, even if you return the loan, you can always take the loan back out if not granted an award.

    I have work-study but I need more money than what has been awarded to me. How can I have my award increased?

    You can apply for a work-study increase if you have any unmet need or offered need-based loans. To request a work-study increase the form is available in the Student Employment Office and the Office of Financial Aid. When you give us this form, we will calculate how much work-study you need by multiplying the number of hours you work per week, your payrate, and the number of weeks you will work for the whole academic year. We will then award you as much of this amount as we can, based on your financial aid eligibility and the availability of work-study funds.

    If you have accepted all your loans you can call and let the Student Employment Office know how much you are willing to return in loans (this will create a bill that must be paid back to the Bursar's Office) to be considered for work-study increase. There is no guarantee that you will be granted an increase, even if you return the loan, you can always take the loan back out if not granted an increase.

    How do I determine how much work-study I have earned?

    We strongly recommend that you keep track of your earnings against your work-study award. Your award letter will indicate the amount of your work-study award, and if that amount is revised, a revised award letter will be sent to you. Your earnings will be documented on your advice of deposit that you will receive in the mail. Remember that your work-study award represents the gross amount you can earn as a work-study student. Keeping track of your earnings is the best way to make sure that you are not jeopardizing your employer's government subsidy for your wages. If you want to check your figures, you can look up your earnings to date on the CU PLUS page. After Logging on, Select 'Financial Aid' and then select 'Award Status.' These figures are usually a little bit behind because of the payroll cycle, but they can give you an estimate of how much work-study you have earned to date.

    Is it possible to get work-study for the summer?

    Yes, work-study is available for the summer term. Here is some important information about summer work-study:

  • To obtain work-study for summer, you don't need to be enrolled in summer classes, as long as you were enrolled for the previous spring and are enrolled for the following fall. Of course, if you are enrolled in summer, you don't need to be enrolled in the spring or the fall in order to receive summer financial aid.
  • You must apply for financial aid for the prior academic year (by filling out the FAFSA) in order to be considered for aid during the summer.
  • Applying for summer aid is done via CUConnect (application is available around Feb. 1), and usually takes no more than five to ten minutes. Summer Financial Aid information can be found on the Financial Aid website at http://www.colorado.edu/finaid/summer.html.

    • Do I have to pay taxes on the money I earn through work-study?

    Yes, work-study income is taxable. You will receive a W-2 from the University at the beginning of each year, and this form will indicate how much you made from all employment at the university, including work-study employment in the prior year. Note that although you must pay taxes on work-study earnings, those earnings are not counted as income on your financial aid application.

    Be sure to update your address with your Payroll Liaison in your department by Dec. 1 in order to receive your W-2 in a timely matter. Updating your address in CUConnect or PLUS does not update your address in the payroll system.

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