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Federal Work Study @ GW 2009-2010
The Federal Work Study Program (FWS) is a federally-funded work program that allows students who have received a Federal Work Study award from GW’s Office of Student Financial Assistance to earn money while working at pre-approved organizations—GW departments, local nonprofits, government agencies and community service employers.
Do you have orientation sessions about the FWS program?
Am I eligible for a FWS job?
When do I find a FWS job?
How do I find a FWS job?
Where can I work?
What do I need to do to get hired?
How do I report my hours?
How do I get paid?
Do I have to pay taxes?
Why do I have to monitor my earnings?
Can I have more than one FWS job at a time?
Where can I download the necessary forms?
Yes, orientation sessions are offered each fall at the beginning of the semester.
The Fall 2009 orientation sessions will be offered on Wednesday, September 2 at either 3pm or 5pm in the Dorothy Betts Marvin Theater (Marvin Center, first floor). For those who cannot make one of these orientations, there will be mini sessions beginning at 4:00 p.m. SHARP and again at 4:30 p.m. SHARP in the Career Center’s Conference Room (Room 208, Old Main, 1922 F Street, NW, corner of 20th & F) each weekday afternoon from September 8 through September 18, 2009.
GW’s Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) determines who is eligible for financial aid, which may include a FWS award. You must apply for financial aid through them to learn whether you are awarded money for a FWS job.
Most students find their FWS jobs during the first few weeks of the fall semester, although it is possible to obtain a FWS job at any time during the year. However, if you are not yet working by Friday, October 16, 2009, or if you decide to wait until the spring semester to obtain a FWS job, you must notify your Financial Aid Counselor so that your award is not cancelled.
How do I find a FWS job?
Attend the FWS Job Fair, scheduled each fall early in the semester. Be prepared to fill out job applications and interview directly with employers. Dress professionally and bring your resume if you have one. You will need your GWorld ID card to gain entrance.
The 2009 FWS Job Fair will be held on Thursday, September 3, from 1-4pm, in the Grand and Continental ballrooms on the Marvin Center’s third floor.
Click here to view the list of employers who have registered for the 2009 FWS Job Fair as of August 31, 2009. This list is subject to slight revision.
You may also view the employers by clicking on the appropriate link in Quick Links on your GWork homepage.
FWS positions available are posted on GWork, our online employment service.
2009-2010 FWS jobs will begin to be posted on GWork starting Sunday, August 23, 2009.
Contact the office manager at any GW department that interests you and ask if that office or department will be hiring FWS students. If the office or department seems unfamiliar with the FWS program, have them contact the GW Career Center at fws@gwu.edu.
You can work for any GW department, office, institute or center as long as that unit has signed a contract with the GW Career Center for the current year (any GW unit that posts a job through GWork or attends the FWS Job Fair has already signed a contract). You may also work for any of the pre-approved off-campus non-profit agencies who have been selected by GW to participate in the 2009-2010 FWS Program.
2009-2010 List of Approved Off-Campus FWS Employers
Please download the Student Employment Checklist and follow the steps provided.
If your FWS job is on campus, your employer will show you how to "clock in" and "clock out" using the Kronos Time Reporting System.
If your FWS job is off campus, your employer will tell you how to record your hours.
Please keep a notebook or other written record of your work schedule and the hours you’ve worked. If you dispute your hours at some point during the future, written records will be essential in proving your case.
The University issues paychecks to FWS students every other Friday (even students working for off-campus employers receive GW-issued paychecks).
Whether your FWS job is on campus or off campus, you should sign up for direct deposit. Your paycheck will be electronically deposited into the bank account or bank accounts of your choice. If you do not sign up for direct deposit and you work off-campus, you will pick up your paycheck in the Career Center. If you do not sign up for direct deposit and you work on-campus, you will pick up your paycheck in your employing department.
FWS positions are subject to federal and local taxation. Students must complete federal and local tax forms, as well as an Employment Eligibility Verification (I-9) form, prior to beginning work. These forms are available online (see bottom of page) and at the Career Center.
Only certified tax professionals can answer tax questions. Career Center staff members cannot (and will not) advise you on how to complete tax forms or estimate how how much tax you will have to pay. Assistance in completing tax forms is available from the GW Tax Department located in Room 100 of Rome Hall.
If you wish to file your taxes in a local jurisdiction other than the District of Columbia, please visit the Internal Revenue Service website to find the appropriate form. Although work-study earnings are taxable, they need not be reported as earned income on your financial aid forms for the following school year. For more information, contact the Office of Student Financial Assistance, 202.994.6620 or 800.222.6242, or finaid@gwu.edu.
You are responsible for knowing when the amount you’ve earned at your FWS job approaches the limit of your FWS award because when you use up your FWS funds, you can no longer work under the FWS program. In some cases, your employer may have a budget that will allow them to hire you directly onto their payroll apart from the FWS program. Many employers, being non-profit organizations, do not have extra funds available and cannot hire you after your FWS funds are used up. This means that you stop working for the year.
Check your GWeb account regularly to see if anything about the award has changed. If changes have been made, inform your employer immediately in case the number of hours you are working has to be adjusted to avoid exceeding your award. If you think any element of your financial aid package has changed (including your FWS award), contact GW’s Office of Student Financial Assistance in Colonial Central on the ground floor of the Marvin Center. The Career Center cannot answer questions about your financial aid package.
No, students are not permitted to have more than one FWS job at any given time.
GWork: The job and internship listing service exclusively for all GW students and alumni.
Students/ Alumni Employers