Federal Work-Study Student Manual 2014-2015

Federal Work-Study
Student Manual
2014-2015
Table of Contents
Section One – Introduction to the Program
Page 3
Overview of the Federal Work-Study Program
Federal Regulations
Community Service
Page 3
Page 3
Page 3
Section Two – Application Process
Page 4
How to Apply for Federal Work-Study
Page 4
Section Three– Procedures, Term and Conditions for Students Pages 5-7
Terms and Conditions
Beginning Your Work-Study Assignment
Work-Study Schedule
Professionalism
Pages 5
Page 6
Page 6
Page 7
Section Four – Payroll, Timesheets, and Record Keeping
Timesheets
Payroll
Resignations and Terminations
Pages 8-9
Page 8
Pages 8
Page 9
Section Five – General policies for students and supervisors
Work During Times Other than Fall/Spring Semesters
Terminations
Monitoring Student Earnings
Section Six – Federal Work Study Contact Information
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Pages 10-11
Page 11
Page 11
Page 11
Page 12
Section 1
Introduction
Federal Work-Study Program Overview
Federal Work-Study is a federally supported program for students who have a documented need
for financial assistance, as authorized by the Office of Student Financial Assistance, Department
of Education, under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1995, as amended by the Higher
Education Amendments of 1998.
University of Maryland University College participates in the Federal Work-Study Program and
places eligible students in on-campus positions and designated off-campus positions. Students
are awarded Federal Work-Study based on their financial need, available funds, and job
availability.
Federal Regulations:
1.
Students must have documented financial need. Financial need is defined as the Cost of
Attendance (COA) minus the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). (COA is the amount
it will cost the student to go to school. EFC is the amount the student and/or their family
are expected to contribute to the student’s education. The EFC is determined from
information submitted by the student on the FAFSA, Free Application for Federal Student
Aid and reported to the student on the SAR, Student Aid Report). The student’s need must
be at least $5,000, in order to make the most of their Federal Work-Study opportunity;
2.
Students must be enrolled at least half-time in a current, or future term within the same
academic year;
3.
Students must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States or its territories;
and
4.
Students must be in good academic standing and make satisfactory progress to maintain
eligibility. Please visit our website at
http://www.umuc.edu/students/aid/fapolicies/sap.cfm for complete information regarding
Standards of Academic Progress.
Community Service
University of Maryland University College is committed to community service employment
designed to improve the quality of life for community residents. Employment opportunities in
such fields as day care, tutoring; emergency services, cultural events, services to persons who
have disabilities, and agencies that provide services to the community at large are available. Each
year, a minimum of 7% of FWS funds must be spent in community service jobs.
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Section 2
The Application Process
How to Apply for Federal Work-Study
Applications are available to all students through UMUC’s Financial Aid website. Applications are
accepted throughout the year. The application must be completed fully and submitted directly to the
Federal Work-Study Coordinator at fws-finaid@umuc.edu. Along with the application, students must
submit an updated copy of their resume. Applications are located here:
http://www.umuc.edu/students/aid/work-study.cfm.
The available jobs are listed on the Federal Work-Study Web site. The listings are updated when
new jobs come available or when employment opportunities are no longer being offered. The
current list of positions located here: http://www.umuc.edu/students/aid/work-study.cfm.
Applicants should indicate which jobs they are interested in applying to on the second page of
the application.
Upon receipt of the application, the student will be notified of his/her eligibility via e-mail by the
federal work-study coordinator within five business days.
The student’s resume will be sent to the supervisors of the jobs they selected. The supervisor
will contact the students they are interested in for an interview.
-
If a student is not selected for the positions s/he has applied, their resume will be sent to
other available jobs
Once selected for a position, additional hiring documentations must be completed through the
Human Resources Department before a student can begin working.
Prior to their first day, the student must complete and sign a Federal Work-Study Agreement that
indicates the following:
-
The yearly award amount
Federal Work-Study job designation
Terms and conditions of the Federal Work-Study program
Wages per hour
Prior to starting the work-study position, the student will receive an e-mail with their official
start date, timesheet, timesheet schedule and Federal Work-Study contract. The student cannot
begin working before the Federal Work-Study contract has been signed or before the official
start date.
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Section 3
Federal Work Study Procedures, Terms, and Conditions
2014-2015
Terms and Conditions

Each student must have a valid FAFSA on file for the 2014-2015 academic year and
demonstrated financial need as described in Section 1 (page 3);

Students must be located in the DC, MD, VA area and be enrolled in at least half-time
status to participate in the program;

Students must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress in order to participate in the
federal work-study program. UMUC’s SAP policy is as follows: a cumulative grade
point average of 2.00 for undergraduate students and must complete at least 67% of the
enrolled classes each semester. Graduate students must maintain a GPA 3.00 and must
complete 50% of the enrolled classes each semester.

Students may not work more than 15 hours per week during the fall, spring and
summer semesters.

$12 is the FWS wage for on-campus and off-campus students;

Students must take a ½ hour unpaid lunch break when working more than six consecutive
hours;

Students must recertify their intention to enroll and work in the Federal Work-Study
Program every semester.

Students cannot earn more than their scheduled award per academic year;

Any unearned funds will be forfeited. The award year starts July 1, 2014 and ends on
June 21, 2015; ex: if a student is offered $5,000 for the award year and only earns
$2000 by June 21, 2015, the awards will not carryover to the next award year.

Students may not work more than one FWS job simultaneously;

Students cannot be employed by UMUC or any other University System of Maryland
institution while working as a UMUC Federal Work-Study student.

If the student fails to submit timesheets for two consecutive pay periods, the supervisor
will be contacted. If the student, has not given the supervisor advance notification that
s/he will not be working, that student will be separated from the FWS program.
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
UMUC has the right to terminate any Federal Work-Study position due to changes in
availability of FWS funds or changes in the student status which could affect continued
eligibility for Financial Aid. Failure to abide by UMUC policies and procedures,
unsatisfactory performance, poor attendance, unethical work behavior or dishonesty may
also result in separation from the program.
Beginning your Federal Work-Study assignment

The student is expected to arrange his/her work schedule with his/her supervisor prior to
the first day of work.

Some departments or agencies may require students to work during holidays and/or
breaks so that services may continue uninterrupted. This expectation will be made clear
during the interview and hiring process, as well as, communicated to the FWS
Coordinator. This information can be submitted in writing via email fwsfinaid@umuc.edu
Student must be provided with a current job description that clearly defines student’s
duties.

Work-Schedule

Student must arrange a mutually agreeable work schedule with his/her supervisor and
adhere to it.

Arrange a work schedule that does not interfere with your class schedule.

Follow the schedule carefully once it has been established. Always notify your
supervisor if you are unable to work. If you cannot reach your direct supervisor, please
contact a secondary supervisor at your work-site.

During final exams and mid-terms, supervisors must accommodate the student’s
study/exam schedule.

Be punctual. If delayed, offer to make up the time but understand that you may not be
permitted to do so.

Student must provide prior notification to supervisor of inability to report for scheduled
work hours.
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Professionalism

Dress code will be established by the organization or the department you are working
with.

Dress neatly and conduct yourself in a professional manner. You are not only
representing yourself, but also the University.

Once work has begun, perform duties efficiently and effectively.

Only work the number of hours specified during the award year. The weekly work
schedule must be arranged between the student and the supervisor, not to exceed the
amount of the award for which the student has been certified.

As a Federal Work-Study student, you agree to perform all required tasks and believe that
such work will not jeopardize your academic standing.
Section 4
Timesheets, Payroll, and Record Keeping
Timesheets

The student is responsible for adhering to their work-schedule and will only be paid for
actual hours worked. No advance payments will be allowed.

The student must update their timesheets daily for each shift worked via their MyUMUC
portal.

Students must sign out for breaks, and then sign back in after the break is completed.

The student will not be allowed to work any hours over the award amount unless the
FWS Coordinator increases the award amount in advance. Increased work-study
awards are based on fund eligibility and are not guaranteed;

Timesheets must be completed in the student’s MyUMUC portal;

For off-campus students, timesheets must be submitted via the student’s staff
portal https://my.umuc.edu by 8:00 am on the last Friday of the pay period. Please
refer to the 2014-2015 timesheet schedule provided.
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
The off-campus supervisors are responsible for confirming the student’s hours via
the FWS e-mail account fws-finaid@umuc.edu by 10:00 a.m. on the Friday of the
pay period.

On-campus supervisors must approve timesheets via the timekeeper center in accordance
with the due dates on the timesheet schedule for 2014-2015;

When approving timesheets, supervisors must assure that the hours approved are
accurate;
Payroll

Student will earn a bi-weekly paycheck. Payment for hours worked run two weeks behind
the submission of time sheet;

During holidays or vacation periods, the submission date for time sheets may change.
Please pay close attention to the Timesheet Schedule;

A separate time sheet must be submitted for each pay period;

Students are not permitted to work during periods of class attendance.

Students cannot be paid in advance for future hours to be worked; and

Students will not be given salary advances for late timesheets or any other reason.

Students are not eligible for paid leave; therefore, they will not be compensated during
absences. This includes: vacation, sick, leave of absences for school, holidays, inclement
weather, jury duty, etc.

Students must be physically present at the work site and are not eligible for teleworking
or similar arrangements
Resignations and Terminations

Students should give a notification of at least two weeks if planning to resign from their
Federal Work-Study position.

The student must notify their supervisor and the Federal Work-Study coordinator of their
resignation.

Once a student is selected for a work-study position, continued employment is contingent
upon satisfactory performance. If the supervisor decides that the student’s performance is
not satisfactory, the student may be dismissed. The supervisor must notify the FWS
Coordinator immediately.
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
If a student is dismissed for performance or attendance related issues, the student will not
be eligible for rehire, will be dismissed from the program and forfeits the remaining
award.

Students will be dismissed from the program and may face legal consequences if they
knowingly submit fraudulent information.

Students will be terminated from the program if they do not register by the first start date
of the semester. If the student enrolls for a later start date, they will have to contact the
FWS coordinator to discuss placement options.

Students will also be terminated if they have unauthorized leave of two pay periods or
more.

Students can be separated from the Federal Work-Study program at any time it is
projected that they are/will go over their award amount.
Section 5
General Policies for Students and Supervisors

Supervisors must develop a job description and determine the amount of hours required to
complete these job duties;

Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that FWS personnel are assigned duties that will that
enable them to remain productive during work schedule;

Office-specific training is the responsibility of the supervisor;

Supervisors should maintain a file for each student employed. Information in this file should
include: FWS timesheets, evaluation notes, and written warnings;

Often, supervisors will be used as a reference when the student applies for other jobs. Careful
documentation of the student’s performance will assist the supervisor in the
recommendation;

Under no circumstances may students earn more money than they are awarded. Since workstudy is most beneficial to the student if the earnings are spread out over the enrollment
period, it is best to calculate the total number of hours the student can work and divide it by
the total number of weeks. This will allow the student to have consistent earnings throughout
the academic year;
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
If the student is injured on the job, it must be reported to the Federal Work-Study
Coordinator and UMUC Office of Human Resources immediately;

A FWS position cannot be used to replace or displace a regular full-time or part-time
employee; and

If a student ceases to be enrolled at any time during the semester, he or she must stop
working immediately.

If there is a change in supervisor, the current supervisor and student worker and employer
must notify the Federal Work-Study coordinator.
Work During Times Other than Fall and Spring Semesters:

Students may remain in the same position throughout their attendance at UMUC provided
they meet all the requirements, carry out their responsibilities, are rehired by the employer,
and obtain a new award each academic year;

The award period ends June 21, 2015. Students must have a new official award letter, and be
registered at least half time for the upcoming fall semester, if they are to continue working
past that date. In addition, they must meet with the FWS Coordinator to complete paperwork
for the new award year; and

Students may also work during the winter break if they are registered at UMUC for the
spring semester and if they have sufficient funds in their FWS award.
Terminations:
In addition to depleted funds, the Financial Aid Office may terminate a student from a job for the
following reasons which may also result in report to Department of Education and face
sanctions, etc.:
-
Failure to maintain good academic standing and satisfactory progress;
Failure to uphold the standards of the UMUC Code of Student Conduct;
No award for the new academic year;
Not enrolled at least half-time during the fall and/or spring semesters;
Graduation from the college; and
Fraudulent time sheets
Discovery of employment in another UMUC or University System of Maryland position
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Monitoring Student Earnings:

While the Financial Aid Office monitors students’ earnings, the student is also advised to
keep track of his/her total award and the balance. Students and/or supervisors may contact
the Federal Work-Study Office to find out the remaining amount of a student’s award.

A low funds memo is sent to the student and the Supervisor when the student is within
$2,000.00 of earning the total FWS award. No additional warnings will be sent. The
student may contact the Financial Aid Office regarding availability and eligibility for any
additional funds. Increased work-study awards are based on fund eligibility and are
not guaranteed. If sufficient funding is not available, the student will be separated
from the program.
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Section 6
Financial Aid Office/FWS Program Information
Hours of Operation:
Monday through Friday (Largo )
Saturday (Largo)
8:30 AM – 8:00 PM
8:30 AM – 2:00 PM
FWS hours:
8:30 AM – 4:00 PM
FWS Location:
The Academic Center at LargoStudent Services Suite
Main Office Phone Number:
240-684-5697
FWS Fax Number:
301-985-7462
FWS E-mail:
fws-finaid@umuc.edu
Staff:
Melanie Mason
melanie.mason@umuc.edu
Lynette O’Leary
Lynette.Yeomans@umuc.edu
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