What is the difference between Federal Work-Study and Institutional Employment?
On the surface, federal work-study (FWS) and institutional employment (IE) positions look very similar. FWS positions are only for students who qualify based on financial aid. A FWS student will have a maximum about of money that they can earn during the academic year. Once the student earns this amount, they will need to discontinue working in their position or check with their hiring department about the possibility to switch their employment to IE (institutional employment) status. The FWS wages can be deducted from the student’s reported total income by entering their FWS earnings in Worksheet C of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This way the earnings will not be included in the calculation of their expected family contribution (EFC). Both IE and FWS positions: • Pay similar, taxable wages • Have similar job titles and job duties • Are posted on joblink.jmu.edu • Cannot exceed 20 hours in one week • Require the student to be degree seeking and enrolled in 6 un
