Summer financial aid (including work-study) is separate from your academic year financial aid. Students interested in summer work-study will automatically be offered after completing the summer financial aid application available in Buff Portal in late February. 

  • Students who are planning to earn work-study after May 12, 2024 should apply for summer financial aid as soon as possible after the application becomes available in late February. Our funding is limited and always goes fast!
  • You don't have to be enrolled in summer to receive work-study. However, if you are not taking summer classes, you must be currently enrolled in Spring 2024 and enrolled for next Fall 2024 by the first day of summer work-study on May 12, 2024.
  • By May 12, 2024 the Office of Financial Aid needs to have your 2024-25 FAFSA  on file AND you must demonstrate financial need in the 2024-25 academic year to qualify for summer work-study. Please plan ahead - it may take up to two weeks for your FAFSA to process and be sent to our office.
  • Students and employers will be notified if a student cannot begin working before summer work-study begins on May 12, 2024. If students are not pre-registered for Fall 2024 courses by May 12, 2024, they won't be allowed to work. If a student doesn't meet summer requirements, their award will automatically be cancelled at the start of the summer term. Our office will verify students' eligibility on a daily basis.
  • Undergraduates enrolled less than 6 credit hours and graduate students enrolled less than 3 credit hours will be required to contribute to a Student Retirement account. Graduate students enrolled in only 1 credit hour to complete a thesis or dissertation may be exempt. In addition, student employees whose normal work schedules are 40 or more hours per week (across all jobs at the university) will also be enrolled in Student Retirement, regardless of the number of credits they're taking.
  • In some cases we can give students more work-study in summer than they're technically eligible for using something called Expected Summer Savings. In these cases, we pull from next year's eligibility and allow you to earn it during summer instead. The "Expected Summer Savings" shows up as aid already paid to you on next year's financial aid offer. If you have questions about Expected Summer Savings, contact us for more info.

Change of plans? Decline your work-study offer in Buff Portal:

  1. Log in to Buff Portal
  2. Navigate to the Financial Aid card
  3. Select 2024-25 from the year drop-down at the top of the card
  4. Click View Financial Aid. At the bottom of the card, click Accept or Decline Aid
  5. Check the box next to summer work-study to Decline and click Submit

What will the screens look like?