Federal Work Study FAQs

FWS students are limited to 20 hours per week. If additional hours are needed, please submit an Additional Student Work Hours Request Form for Student Employment/Financial Aid to review. FWS students are required to make at least minimum wage ($7.25 per hour). There is no limit on the maximum wage for FWS students. Please be mindful of your budgets and work with your Business Officer and/or Department Leadership to determine appropriate pay/working hours. 

The Student Employment Team deployed a new tool in February 2024 to help departments identify and hire FWS eligible students during the application process. When reviewing applications for open student positions in Ignite, hiring managers can now see a FWS Eligible Label that identifies which student applicants are FWS Eligible. Learn how to use this FWS Eligible Label in Ignite and get those students hired! 

Currently, we do not have the current reporting capability to view FWS eligibility for existing student employees. The FWS Eligible Flag is only available in Ignite when they apply for a position. If your student employees think they may be eligible for FWS, encourage them to visit One Stop to learn more about the FWS Program. Students must accept their FWS offer first to earn FWS wages. 

The Federal Work-Study (FWS) program allows Baylor University to use federal funds to provide jobs for students. A percentage of FWS award amounts are reimbursed to departments at the end of the Fall and Spring semesters. To receive these funds, departments need to prioritize FWS eligible students in their hiring processes! Over $1 million in incentive payments were distributed to various departments that participated in the FWS Hiring Incentive during the 2023-2024 Academic Year. Learn more about the FWS Hiring Incentive and begin hiring today!

The Student Employment Team is working diligently to help students find jobs and assist departments in the search for student employees year-round! With the influx of eager incoming freshmen students and a heightened awareness of on-campus employment opportunities, we are encouraging departments to begin the hiring process at least three weeks before the planned start date. It takes time for students to apply for positions, complete their background checks, and turn in their I-9 documentation. Think ahead and begin hiring early – our Student Recruitment Process Guide can help! As always, check with your Business Officer and/or Department Leadership before requesting student employees. 

The best way to stay in the loop as Student Employment continues to grow is to join the Student Employment 101 Teams Channel. We host one meeting per semester to get every department on the same page! We also use this channel to communicate new tools, process improvements, and reminders to help make student employment as smooth as possible. All student employment questions can be shared with the Student Employment Team at student_employment@baylor.edu – we are here to help you!