Financial Aid

Work Study Information for Employers

Federal Work-Study Forms and Information

• Federal Work-Study Off-Campus Agreement (pdf)
• Federal Work-Study Business Profile (doc)
• Community Service Information (doc)
• Off-Campus Job Description (doc)

State Work-Study Forms and Information

• (State Work-Study) Employer Contract and Profile (pdf)
• (State Work-Study) Employer Information Change Request (pdf)
• (State Work-Study) Student Job Description (pdf)
• (State Work-Study) Student Time Sheet (pdf)
• Off-Campus Job Description (doc)

Other Forms 

• Work-Study Personnel Action Form (WSPAF) (pdf)
• Invoice Voucher (pdf)
• Student Time Sheet (pdf)

• "Template to Re-hire Work-Study Students" (xlsx)

Minimum SWS Wages

Initiative 1433, passed in November 2016, directed higher state minimum wages for all
Washington employees incrementing as below:

• $14.49 per hour as of January 1, 2022
• $15.74 per hour as of January 1, 2023
• Minimum wage increases are calculated annually by the Washington Department of Labor and Industries using a formula tied to the rate of inflation.

Please note: Employers in localities with minimum wages above the state minimum must comply with local minimum wage.  Thank you for ensuring your SWS student employees’ hourly pay rates comply with all applicable minimum wage requirements.

For the 2022-2023 academic year, eligible undergrads will be awarded $4,000; more may be awarded upon written request.

2022–23 Reimbursement Information

The 2022–23 state fiscal year ends on June 30, 2023. Please return 2022–23 time sheets (for the period July 1, 2022–June 9, 2023) by June 19, 2023. Late reimbursement requests will not be paid.

No hours worked past June 9, 2023 will be reimbursed.

Paid Family and Medical Leave

The 2017 Legislature authorized the Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) insurance program, administered by the Employment Security Department (ESD). There are no exemptions for student employees (State Work Study, Federal Work Study, or institutionally funded employment), despite the low likelihood of student employees qualifying for future PFML benefits.

Employers with less than 50 employees do not pay the employer share of PFML premiums but still must collect and remit the required employee portion. All SWS employers must report employee wages, hours worked, and additional information to ESD quarterly on all PFML-eligible employees.

More information on PFML can be found here.

Federal Work-Study Program Description

The FWS Program provides funds for part-time employment to help students finance the costs of postsecondary education. Hourly wages must not be less than the federal minimum wage.

Students may be employed by the institution itself; a federal, state, or local public agency; a private nonprofit organization; or a private for-profit organization. Institutions must use a portion of their Federal Work Study allocation to support students working in community service jobs. This can include reading tutors for preschool age or elementary school children; mathematics tutors for students enrolled in elementary school through ninth grade; literacy tutors in a family literacy project performing family literacy activities; or emergency preparedness and response.

If you are interested in becoming a Federal Work-Study employer please contact us by email.

State Work-Study Program Description

Washington’s State Work Study (SWS) program provides financial aid for low- and middle-income students. Qualifying students find an approved job, on- or off-campus, to support their education. Work study builds students’ skills and reduces reliance on student loans. Work study contributes to economic growth by creating jobs and adding experienced, high-skilled college graduates to the state’s workforce. Many employers hire work study employees permanently after graduation.

Benefits of Hiring State Work-study Students

• Preview talent: Hire college students with the cutting-edge skills your organization needs now, while potentially finding ideal post-graduation employees.
• Shape the workforce: Train and mentor college students, ensuring graduates have the skills Washington employers need.
• Save money and get more work done: Partial wage reimbursements of up to 70 percent help offset your labor costs. You could save on future recruitment and hiring costs if student employees are retained after graduation.

Off-Campus Employers Information

• Determine the kind of work you need performed and the necessary qualifications.
• If interested in hiring students through State Work-Study: Complete the State Work-Study online contract renewal process by contacting State Work Study, or create a new contract by completing the State Work-Study Program Employer Contract and Business Profile in the linked forms and submit it to us by email.
• If interested in hiring students through Federal Work-Study: Complete Federal Work-Study Off-Campus Contract, Business Profile, and the Community Service Information and submit it to us by email.
• Once your Federal and/or State Work-Study contract is approved please complete the Job Description form(s) in the linked forms and submit it to us by email.
• Once the contract(s) and job description(s) are approved, start the interview process. Students must have completed the FAFSA and received their award letter.
• Once a student is hired, please complete the WSPAF with the student and submit a copy by email.
• The WSPAF will be processed and work-study will be awarded to eligible students.
• You and the student will be notified once the WSPAF has been approved or denied.
• Students may start work on either the start date listed on the student’s WSPAF, the Monday of the first week of classes in September, or the WSPAF approval date, whichever is later.

WSPAF or Work-Study Personnel Action Form

• Work Study Personnel Action Form is required for off-campus work-study students.
• You will complete the WSPAF with the student and submit it to WorkStudy@cwu.edu to be processed.
• The WSPAF is NOT an award.
• Eligible students will be offered a work study award; students should contact Financial Aid to find out their eligibility.
• WSPAFs can be downloaded here (pdf)

Release of Information Form

The student must release Financial Aid information to their off-campus employer by completing the Release of Information form on MyCWU.

Reimbursement

• Students will receive a paycheck for their earned hours according to their off-campus employer’s payroll schedule. The student must be paid at least once per month, you must pay the student for all hours worked, and you must pay the student in full before requesting reimbursement. 
• Per the federal Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, employees cannot volunteer additional hours to an employer who has hired them for pay.
• Fill out the Invoice Vouchers at least monthly and send to CWU Financial Aid. They must be signed in ink by the supervisor and student.
• If we make an adjustment to the Invoice Voucher during the reimbursement process, we will send an email explaining the changes to the email provided on the student’s WSPAF.

Disclaimer: Any requests for reimbursement made after the fiscal year end on June 19, 2023, will not be honored for reimbursement.

Off-Campus Renewal

To renew your off-campus job for the upcoming school year, you and your student(s) will complete the WSPAF and submit it(them) to the Financial Aid office. The student(s) will be awarded Work-Study for the upcoming year when the financial aid file is completed. If they are no longer eligible, we will notify you and the student.

On-Campus Renewal

You will receive an email message when it is time to renew your job for the upcoming year. The student(s) will be awarded Work-Study for the upcoming year when the financial aid file is completed. If they are no longer eligible, we will notify you and the student.

For more information

Washington Student Achievement Council
Phone: 360-753-7848
Email: sws@wsac.wa.gov