What is federal work study?
Federal Work Study (FWS) is a financial aid program designed to provide college students who need additional assistance a chance to earn money while pursuing their education. FWS provides part-time jobs for students on and off campus.
FEDERAL WORK STUDY
Eligibility
- Students must have a completed the current year's FAFSA.
- Students must be eligible for Pell Grant.
- Students must be enrolled in at least 6 credit hours for the semester. (If the student drops below 6 credit hours at any time during the semester, the student will no longer be eligible for FWS for that semester and must cease working immediately.)
- Students must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) each semester to continue working. Students who are on Financial Aid Warning are not eligible for FWS. (An explanation of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is available in the Student Academic Catalog and Handbook on the OFTC website.)
FWS Award
- Federal Work Study is based on the student's financial aid need.
- A student's award cannot exceed their cost of attendance.
- Students earn $9.00 per hour worked.
- Students can work up to 19.5 hours per week.
- Under no circumstances may a student receive payment from FWS funds in excess of 19.5 hours per week.
- Students are paid the last day of the month.
- Pay period runs the 16th of the month to the 15th of the following month.
Student Responsibilities
- All FWS students must complete the online OFTC FWS Orientation. Verify that you have viewed this presentation by submitting Confirmation Form on the final page.
- Students must follow the rules and regulations set by OFTC and by their department employer.
- Check your OFTC student email regularly so that you will not miss any important messages concerning FWS. Email is the primary way that we will communicate with you.
- Dress appropriately for your position. Remember: you are a representative of OFTC, and your conduct, appearance, and attitude while on the job should remain professional and respectful at all times.
Student Responsibilities
CONFIDENTIALITY
- In performing your job duties, you may have access to confidential information from various sources that pertains to individual students or employees, financial information, and other proprietary OFTC information and records. The confidentiality of these records and information is protected by federal laws such as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), state laws, and procedures outlined in the Technical College System of Georgia's policy manual.
- It is imperative that at all times you respect and maintain the confidentiality of any information that you may see, read, or hear through your employment at OFTC.
- Misuse or disclosure of confidential or sensitive information will result in disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment and/or criminal or civil prosecution.
- All members of the OFTC community have the right to expect that all other members, in whatever capacity they may function, will respect their privacy and never disclose information in an inappropriate manner.
- In addition to data in official records and documentation, you should not divulge any other information provided to you directly or indirectly (for instance, that you may overhear in someone else's conversation or that you happen to view among written materials or communications of others}, whether the info pertains to the College or to any individuals, if such info is not available to the general public.
- Never review, access or attempt to access info about yourself or any other student or personnel beyond the specific purposes of performing an assigned task.
- Do not attempt to alter, change, add, delete, copy, download, remove, disclose, divulge, publish, share, or transmit any information in records or official documents, unless specifically instructed to do so by your supervisor and within the scope of performing an assigned task.
- If you have any questions or concerns about whether info is considered confidential or whether you are authorized to access, use, or share any info, you should always err on the side of confidentiality and seek guidance from your supervisor or other College supervisory staff. Do not proceed without clear direction from a supervisor.
WORK SCHEDULE
- Set up an acceptable work schedule with your supervisor, then stick to it. Contact your supervisor directly any time you are running late or unable to work as scheduled.
- Under no circumstances are you permitted to work during the time you are scheduled to be in class. Even if your class is cancelled or ends early, you cannot work during this time.
- Per federal regulations and OFTC policy, you are NOT PERMITTED to login to Blackboard for any reason, from any school computer OR personal device, while you are working. If you violate the policy, the first violation will result in a Warning. The second violation will result in termination from your job.
- If you leave work to go to a class, you must stop working 15 minutes before your class starts and you can resume working 15 minutes after your class ends. Your timesheet should always reflect a 15-minute interval between your time on the job and your scheduled class time.
FWS Weekly Timesheets
- All timesheets must be turned in to the Financial Aid Office each Monday by 12:00 PM unless directed otherwise.
- All timesheets must be signed by the student and the supervisor.
- Dublin Campus students may turn timesheets in to Teresa Crafton (located in Porter Center).
- Sandersville Campus students may turn timesheets in to Lori Parnell (located in Student Affairs suite).
- Jefferson Campus students may turn timesheets in to Brandy Johnson (located in the main office).
ACCURATE TIME REPORTING
- Time must be reported in 15-minute increments {15,30,45 minutes). You should round up or down to the closest 15 minutes.
Example: If you arrive at work at 10:10, you would report 10:15 on your timesheet.
- Total hours worked daily and weekly should be reported in quarter-hour increments:
- .25 = 15 minutes
- .5O= 30 minutes
- .75 = 45 minutes
Example: If you worked 5 hours and 15 minutes for the day, you would report 5.25 hours on the timesheet.
- If you work more than 6 hours, you are required to take a 30-minute break.
End of Semester Procedures
- Students will cease working on the last day of each semester, until their eligibility for the upcoming semester is determined.
- Once grades have posted for the semester, the student will receive an email from the Assistant Director of Financial Aid.
- Email will be used to notify the student and supervisor of the FWS eligibility status for the upcoming semester.
- If the student is eligible to continue FWS, the student should contact their supervisor to determine the day they will resume working.
FWS Contact Information
FOR QUESTIONS CONCERNING FWS, PLEASE CONTACT:
Teresa Crafton, Assistant Director, Financial Aid
Lori Parnell, Director, Financial Aid
Last Step...
COMPLETE the FWS Orientation Confirmation Form using the link below BEFORE you start working.