FCWS Regulations
Eligibility | How to Find a Job | Student Payroll
Paperwork | Regulations | Responsibility | Termination
- Limitations on earnings
- Terms of compensation
- Taxation
- FCWS and the FAFSA
- Hours per week
- Enrollment status
Limitations on earnings
All students who are FCWS-eligible have a maximum amount of money they can earn under the FCWS program, or an earnings ceiling. The student can find his/her earnings ceiling amount on the award letter. The student is not guaranteed to earn this amount, nor are they required to earn it. However, no student may earn more than the amount of Work-Study he/she was awarded without written permission from the NEC Financial Aid Office.
While students are responsible for monitoring their own Work-Study earnings, the Financial Aid Office keeps records of accumulated earnings. Contact the Financial Aid Office if you want to confirm your total earnings.
A student may request an increase of his/her Work-Study earnings ceiling by sending a letter of appeal to the Financial Aid Office. Only written requests will be considered. We will make every attempt to meet students' requests; however, in light of limited funding, not all requests will be approved.
If it is discovered that a student has earned more than his or her allotted Work-Study funding, and has not made arrangements to raise that limit, the student will need to arrange with his/her supervisor to be paid by department funds. If the department cannot do this, the position may be terminated.
Terms of compensation
Work-Study students are paid on an hourly basis only, and cannot be compensated under a stipend salary, commission, or fee arrangement. They cannot receive benefits such as paid sick leave, vacation pay, holiday pay, or compensation for any time away from the job due to serving on a jury.
Taxation
Under United States law, Work-Study earnings are taxable income. FICA/Medicare taxes are not typically withheld from checks issued during the school year unless withholding is specifically requested by the student on his/her W-4 form. However, during the summer months and other various vacation periods, FICA/Medicare is required to be withheld. Please read the W-4 form carefully when filing as this will determine your tax withholding. Unless you claim "exempt" state and federal income tax will be deducted from your paycheck.
FCWS and the FAFSA
Because FCWS is financial aid, it cannot be counted as a resource in more than one award period. FCWS is always counted as a resource for the academic period for which it was awarded. When filling out the FAFSA for a subsequent award year, students need to deduct the amount of work-study earnings from their total earnings so the resource will not be double-counted. FAFSA worksheet B is provided to assist students in making this adjustment.
Required number of hours per week
The minimum number of hours required per week is set by the hiring department. This information should be clarified during the interview process. Students may not work more than a total (all jobs combined) of 20 hours per week during the school year, or 40 hours per week during school vacations.
Graduation, leave of absence, less than half-time status
All students cease to be eligible for student employment at NEC once they are no longer enrolled. This includes students who have graduated, taken a leave of absence or have been approved for inactive status. Students who have changed to less than half-time status, are eligible to work in the student employment program, but are ineligible to be paid from FCWS funds. These students must make arrangements with their hiring departments to be switched from FCWS to student aide.