Off-Campus Federal Work Study

How do I know if I am eligible for Off-Campus Federal Work Study positions?

First, you must have applied for student aid by completing the FAFSA.

If you completed the FAFSA, you can check your FWS eligibility on FLASHline: 

1. Login to FLASHline and click on the ‘Student’ tab
2. Hover over the ‘Finances’ tab, and click on ‘Scholarships & Financial Aid’
3. Click on ‘Financial Aid Dashboard.’ (You can pin this item to your Student Dashboard if desired.)
4.  Confirm that the Aid Year displayed in the upper right corner is the correct aid year.
5. Click the Offer tab in the top menu.
6. Scroll down to view your scholarship(s) & financial aid.
7. Click on each type of financial aid to read more information about each offer.

If you do not see a FWS award listed in FLASHline, that means that you have not been awarded FWS. If you have completed the FAFSA and are a Kent campus student, you can request an eligibility review by completing the Federal Work Study Request Form on the Financial, Billing and Enrollment Center website.

Where can I find the job postings for Off-Campus Federal Work Study positions?

Like all on-campus student employment opportunities, Off-Campus Federal Work Study positions are posted on Handshake, the university’s job posting board, when available.

Most Off-Campus FWS positions are posted in Handshake by ‘Kent State University, Career Exploration and Development’ on behalf of the organization. Most of these job posting titles are formatted as follows: ‘Job Title @ Organization Name – Off Campus, Federal Work Study Position.’ However, note that the ‘America Reads/America Counts Tutor’ positions are posted by ‘Kent State University, Community Engaged Learning.’

What organizations offer Off-Campus Federal Work Study positions?

Kent State has relationships with several non-profit organizations in the surrounding area that employ FWS-eligible students. Current partners include: Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Girl Scouts of North East Ohio, United Way of Portage County, the Portage Area Regional Transportation Authority (PARTA), Davey Elementary School, Willyard Elementary School, West Main Elementary School, King Kennedy Community Center, and Skeels-Mathews Community Center.

What is America Reads / America Counts tutoring, and is this program a part of the Off-Campus Federal Work Study Program?

The America Reads / America Counts tutoring program is a part of Off-Campus Federal Work Study and aims to enhance the primary-level reading and math skills of children in the Kent/Ravenna area while offering Kent State students a chance to gain valuable experience and engage with their community. America Reads / America Counts tutors are compensated through FWS funds and training from their site.

America Reads / America Counts sites include:

• Davey Elementary School (Kent)
• King Kennedy Community Center (Ravenna)
• Skeels-Mathews Community Center (Ravenna)
• Willyard Elementary School (Ravenna)
• West Main Elementary School (Ravenna)

These tutoring positions, when available, can be found on Handshake under “America Reads/America Counts Tutor.”

What is the difference in the hiring process between the regular Off-Campus Federal Work Study program and America Reads / America Counts tutoring?

In the regular Off-Campus Federal Work Study program, your application is collected by Career Exploration and Development in Handshake and reviewed by the organization hosting the opportunity. If you are eligible for a FWS position and meet the qualifications, the hiring organization will contact you directly to schedule an interview. If hired, you will be considered an employee of that organization and hired directly through the organization.

In the American Reads / America Counts tutoring program, your application is collected by Community Engaged Learning and a staff member will review your application. If you are eligible for a FWS position and meet the qualifications, Community Engaged Learning will contact you to schedule an initial interview. If you advance in the process following this conversation, you will be responsible for contacting your respective site(s) to schedule a second interview with the site supervisor. If selected by the site, you will work with the Community Engaged Learning office to complete hiring paperwork with Kent State University before working your first shift.

Can I work as many hours as I wish?

No. Your earnings cannot total more than your overall FWS award.

Can I have more than one work study position?

As long as you do not exceed 28 hours per week combined between all positions, you can have more than one work study job. If you are working multiple jobs, you will need to monitor yourself to ensure that you do not work more than 28 hours in a week.

Are Federal Work Study positions on-campus or off-campus?

Both! If you work on-campus, you will work for Kent State University. If you work off campus, your work site will be a private nonprofit organization or a public agency, they will treat you like an employee, and you will perform work in the public interest.

How much can I make?

Pay rates vary depending on the role and particular job responsibilities. Pay rates for each position can be found on the job posting in Handshake. As stated above, you cannot earn more than your award for the year, though if you work enough hours, you could earn your year’s award all in one semester—the higher your rate of pay and the more frequently you work, the quicker you might earn all of your funds for the year.

If you have any other questions, please email Career Exploration and Development at career@kent.edu.

How can my organization participate in the Off-Campus Federal Work Study program at Kent State as an employer?

The Kent State Career Exploration and Development (CED) office reviews its Off-Campus Federal Work Study partners annually in the summer but is happy to collect expressions of interest and answer any questions anytime. Organizations interested in serving as an Off-Campus Federal Work Study site for Kent State can email Career Exploration and Development at career@kent.edu.

The first step is for a Career Exploration and Development staff member to complete a site visit at your location in order to complete a needs assessment, discuss payment processes, communicate federal regulations, and answer any questions you may have about the Off-Campus Federal Work Study program.

To prepare for this meeting, please note the following:

• The Off-Campus FWS program involves a 75%/25% pay split; where the employer pays the students in full by maintaining timecards and records of student employment. After timecards are turned in according to the designated schedule, Kent State reimburses the organization 75% of the students’ earnings (the America Reads / America Counts Tutoring program reimburses the organization 100%).
• The employer is responsible for the interviewing, hiring, and potential termination (if necessary) of the student employees, including all tax paperwork and other documents related to their employment at the organization.
• The organization must provide documentation of non-profit status (examples include 501(c)(3) tax documentation) at the time of the site visit.
• At the conclusion of our meeting, based on the needs and regulations assessment, the Career Exploration and Development staff member will review and sign the Off-Campus FWS agreement to keep on file with our office; this serves as the contract between the institution and the organization for the duration of the student’s employment for the academic year.

Do organizations need to do anything to continue serving as an Off-Campus Federal Work Study site for Kent State University in subsequent years?

Career Exploration and Development staff members perform additional site visits with each organization annually. Additionally, the organization must file a new Position Information Form and a job description with the CED office annually for each position it hosts, and the organization and the university must endorse a new agreement each year.

How are positions posted, and how do organizations receive applications?

After the organization submits all paperwork and the organization and university endorse the agreement, a Career Exploration and Development staff member will post each position to Handshake, the university’s job posting board.

The CED staff member will monitor the submission of applications, verify candidates’ FWS eligibility with the Kent State Student Financial Aid office, and forward all eligible applications to the organization. Once the organization receives these applications it is welcome to initiate its own interview process. When the process is complete, the organization informs CED which student(s) it wishes to hire, the staff member works with the Student Financial Aid office to issue the FWS award, and once that’s complete, the organization is able to on-board the student as a new employee.

How are organizations reimbursed, and how quickly does it happen?

At the end of each pay cycle, the organization submits documentation of each student employee’s work hours, including a completed work study voucher (which Career Exploration and Development provides upon becoming an Off-Campus FWS site), paycheck stubs, and timesheets. CED will process the reimbursement, and the employer can expect to receive payment within 2-4 weeks.