Federal Work Study Community Service Organizations

Important Update

We’re excited to announce the return of our colleague Lorraine Vavul, the University’s new On-Campus Student Employment and Federal Work Study Coordinator, now based out of  Human Resources:

• lvavul@butler.edu
• 317-940-JOBS (5627)
• JH 037

CaPS will continue to support Lorraine as she settles into her new position. Anyone with questions about Federal Work Study should reach out to Lorraine using the contact information above.

Federal Work Study (FWS) provides part-time job opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students with financial need, allowing them to earn money to help pay education expenses. The program encourages community service work and work related to the student’s course of study. FWS positions are available on-campus in a number of university departments and off-campus at approved non-profit and government agencies. Students usually work anywhere from 5-to-16 hours per week and hourly pay rates vary depending on job responsibilities and skill level required.

Each year, Butler University partners with 12-18 non-profit organizations (located both on and off campus) that hire Butler students eligible for FWS to work part-time during the academic year. Butler covers 100 percent of the students’ wages, up to the students’ allotted FWS monetary award designated by the Office of Financial Aid.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Federal Work Study Community Service (FWS CS) organization?

• These organizations partner with Butler University by hiring only FWS eligible students to work for the academic year. Each year, there are about 12-18 non-profit organizations (located both on and off campus) that will hire Butler students, on the terms that Butler is responsible for paying 100% of the students’ wages, up to the students’ allotted FWS monetary award.
• Employers must confirm all FWS positions with the CaPS Office, prior to being advertised to Butler students.
• Questions? Contact CaPS Director Gary Beaulieu (gbeaulie@butler.edu)

How does an organization become a FWS CS organization?

• The first step is to contact CaPS Director Gary Beaulieu (gbeaulie@butler.edu).
• After doing a basic review to see if the organization would be a good fit for Butler students and vice versa, the organization will be asked to sign a Butler University contract, or possibly added to a waiting list.
• As more funds become available during an academic year, or at the start of a new academic year, organizations will be contacted on that list in the order that they requested to hire Butler students. It is not a guarantee that funds will become available at any time, but there have been instances in the past in which we have been able to add new organizations.
• However, once the budget has been confirmed and the Butler contract is signed and agreed upon, the partnership can move forward!

How do students apply to jobs at FWS CS organizations?

• Every job gets posted on Handshake, our job search website. A basic job description form must be completed in order to post the open job, and students apply directly through that system (all applications are sent via email to the supervisor).
• We ask that supervisors include in the job title “Work Study\

How many FWS students can be hired?

• The number of students that can be hired and the amount they can be paid is determined each year by the federal funding Butler University is allotted to use.
• It can vary from year to year, but typically supervisors divide roughly 16 (20 max) hours per week among 1-5 students.

What is the process to officially hire a FWS student?

• All applications placed on Handshake will be sent directly to the supervisor via email.
• Once the supervisor has some students in mind they would like to hire or interview, they must first officially check that the student is eligible for FWS funds, by either having the student contact Financial Aid (finaid@butler.edu) or the supervisor can contact CaPS Director Gary Beaulieu (gbeaulie@butler.edu).
• Once the student has been confirmed they are FWS eligible, the supervisor can then provide them a schedule and start date.
• The supervisor then must communicate all hiring details of the FWS student(s) with CaPS Director Gary Beaulieu (gbeaulie@butler.edu).

What does it mean for a student to be eligible for FWS?

• Students who have been awarded FWS as a part of their financial aid package must seek on campus employment or Community Service employment.
• The primary benefit of the Federal Work Study program for the student is that the income from this type of employment is exempt from the income reported on the subsequent year’s Financial Aid Form.
• Only students who meet federal guidelines and have been awarded aid or are eligible for aid may apply to FWS CS organizations. If a student or supervisor needs to check the FWS status for any student, they may contact CaPS Director Gary Beaulieu (gbeaulie@butler.edu) or Financial Aid (finaid@butler.edu):
  • Average monetary award is equivalent to 8 to 16 hours per week at hourly minimum wage ($7.25 in Indiana) or more.
  • Award amount is not automatically deducted from the student’s bill.
  • Students receive a paycheck for the hours worked every two weeks from Butler University.
  • Students are required to pay taxes on earnings, however amount earned is not used against the student when determining financial aid eligibility in the following year.
  • *Available only to full-time undergraduate students pursuing their first bachelor’s degree.

How does a FWS student get paid?

• For FWS students, Butler University covers 100% of the students hourly wages earned.
• Butler FWS students are responsible for entering their work hours into their online timesheet each week through my.butler.edu portal.
• The CaPS Office acts as the “FWS supervisor” who approves all FWS student submitted work hours.
• Once the hours are approved, FWS students will receive their bi-weekly paychecks from the university.
• If FWS students have issues accessing their timesheet, please have them contact CaPS Director Gary Beaulieu (gbeaulie@butler.edu) for assistance.

Do FWS students get paid hourly?

• Yes. (One-time stipends are not allowed)
• The the amount they can be paid is determined each year by the federal funding Butler University is allotted to use. It can vary from year to year, but typically the average hourly pay rate is between $8.00 – $11.00.

How many hours as a FWS student allowed to work?

• We ask that FWS students not exceed more than 16 hours per week. The absolute max is 20 hours. FWS students must stay under part time hours.

Can FWS students work during Summer Break?

• FWS students can only work within the academic school calendar year, which includes scheduled breaks and holidays (e.g. spring break).
• Butler will not cover FWS wages for students over the summer break.
• A FWS student can work over the summer as long as the organization agrees to cover the students wages.
• FWS students must claim any earnings they make over the summer as income on their FAFSA