Federal Work-Study

Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and indicate that you are interested in being considered for work-study. The earlier you file your FAFSA, the greater your chance of being awarded Federal-Work Study.

Then follow these steps:

1. Activate and check your Hunter email account in order to receive award and work-study job placement notifications. If you are awarded Federal Work-Study funding, you will be notified by email.
2. You can also check your award status on your CUNYfirst Student Center page by scrolling down to “Finances” and choosing the “View Financial Aid” link.
3. Accept the award by going to your CUNYfirst Student Center page, scrolling down to “Finances”, and choosing the “Accept/Decline Awards” link.
4. If you didn’t receive a Federal Work-Study award on CUNYfirst, you can ask to be wait-listed, by completing the Federal Work Study Waitlist form.

Work-Study is awarded to

• U.S. Citizens and Eligible Non-citizens.
• College students who are matriculated and enrolled for at least six credits (for summer jobs, you must be enrolled for at least six credits in the fall).
• Students in good academic standing pursuant to Hunter’s Satisfactory Academic Progress policy.

Note: There is no income cut-off to qualify for federal student aid. Many factors—such as the size of your family and your year in school—are taken into account.

• Federal Work-Study awards are disbursed on a first-come, first-served basis.
• The amount of your award will depend on available funding from the Federal Government, and may be higher if you are a graduate student.
• Your award will pay the hourly salary you receive in your work-study job.
• Your award will cover the upcoming academic year, starting with the summer. Current students who are employed in a Work-Study job during the summer, and who are not enrolled for classes during the summer, should be registered for a minimum of six credits for the fall semester.
• If you did not receive a work-study award, you can ask to be wait-listed, by completing the Federal Work Study Waitlist form. Wait list awards are made on a first come, first served basis, considering the remaining need in your CUNY financial aid budget and the availability of funding.

All students who accepted the work-study award on CUNYfirst and are registered for at least six credits in the fall will receive Fall Placement Schedules in early July. Continuing students will be notified via email in early-May about applying for summer/fall jobs.

1. Create your account in the Next Gen Student Portal so that you can view job postings and apply for jobs. TIP: For first-time users, just enter your email address and you will be sent an email to “change” your password.
2. Search for Jobs on Next Gen. TIP: Choose “Show All Active Jobs.”
3. If hired, your supervisor will fill out and give you a Letter of Intent to Hire.
4. Give the Letter of Intent to Hire to the Office of Financial Aid. You will receive a Hiring Packet for you and your supervisor to complete. You will need to provide documentation that you are eligible to work in the United States. Please review the Employment Eligibility Verification form which includes a list of acceptable documentation.
5. Submit the completed Hiring Packet to Financial Aid before you can begin working.
6. Your supervisor will complete your hiring process online in the NextGen portal.

How much you earn per hour in a work-study job depends on the job you obtain. Jobs that require greater skill may offer a higher rate of pay.

Students are paid every two weeks, using the payment schedule that will be emailed to supervisors. Your first paycheck may take 3-4 weeks to process.

You may not earn more during the academic year than the total amount of your award for that year.

Your hourly salary and your work schedule will determine how quickly your award is used.
For example:

• If you earn $15 per hour, and work 10 hours per week, you will earn $150 for that week, reducing your remaining award by that amount.
• But if you work 20 hours per week, you will earn $300 for that week, reducing your remaining balance more quickly.

You and your supervisor will be expected to keep track of the hours you work, and compare them with your remaining award balance so that you do not work beyond your remaining funds.

You can fill out your timesheet by logging into the NextGen Student Portal.

1. Set up your account on Next Gen, Hunter’s online system for on-campus work-study jobs. Request a login through the Request a Login page or send an email to fwsjobs@hunter.cuny.edu using your Hunter email address.
2. Login requests are generally processed in two or three business days. During periods of higher than usual student volume, it may take longer.
3. Information on how to navigate Next Gen will be sent to you when your login request is processed.
4. Ask the chairperson/director of your department to approve your request for work-study students. The approval form will be emailed to you with other information after your login request is processed.
5. Return the approval form to our office.

1. When your NextGen login request has been processed, we’ll email information to you about how to navigate NextGen, including posting jobs to the database.
2. Pay attention to the specified deadlines for posting a job description, and follow the instructions for posting a job. if you need help, contact us at fwsjobs@hunter.cuny.edu.
3. You can post more than one job.
4. In the job posting, you can request as many students as you need by indicating how many openings you have.
5. You will receive an approval email once your job posting has been approved by your chairperson/director and ‘listed’ (activated) on Next Gen.

1. You may begin interviewing students as soon as you receive our Placement Schedule, which is emailed to supervisors at the beginning of each semester.
2. You may interview multiple students, and choose the students who are best suited for your job.
3. Once you decide to hire a candidate, fill out the Intent to Hire form and give it to the student, to return to us 
4. We’ll give the student a Hiring packet, to be filled out by the both the student and the supervisor.
5. Complete the supervisor’s forms in the Hiring Packet
6. Confirm that the student has also completed the information they must provide.
7. Go online in NextGen and choose the student/s you are hiring. Refer to the emailed instructions. Each student’s name should be available to select with 72 hours after the student submits the completed Hiring Packet to the Office of Financial Aid.

Payment

Students are paid every two weeks using the payment schedule that will be emailed to supervisors.

Work-study timesheets are completed online. You will find instructions on how to submit a timesheet in the NextGen employer training manual which is emailed to each supervisor .

Work Schedule

Students can work 20 hours per week if they are enrolled in classes, and 25 hours per week if they are not enrolled in classes (during summer and winter breaks, for example).

With the exception of the summer session, a student is required to maintain an enrollment of at least six credits during each semester that they work. To work during the summer, the student must be a continuing student who is enrolled for six credits for the fall semester before they begin working in the summer. 

Students cannot be scheduled to work during times when they are expected to be in class.

The last day a student can work is the last day of finals, or if all the monies from their award have been earned, whichever comes first.