Federal work-study grants are available to “financially need eligible” graduate students to complete part-time paid internships, community service, research projects, or other endeavors closely related to their academic degree program. Graduate students working on a research project in his/her discipline qualify for funding. Students should not be employed as clerical assistants to departmental administrators nor in other functions not related to their graduate education.

Award Amounts

The minimum is $5,000 with a $15,000 maximum per student between July 1 and June 30 of each fiscal year. Amounts below $5,000 require an exception request and approval from the Graduate Division.

Student Eligibility

To participate in the Graduate Work-Study Program, a graduate student must meet the following conditions:

• Complete Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March 2nd.
• Be a US Citizen or Permanent Resident. International students are not eligible.
• Identified as eligible for Graduate Work-Study. Eligible students will be notified via eFAN (Electronic Financial Aid Notification).
• Accept award online via their eFAN once approved.
• Complete the GWSP Application participation request by August 13, 2018, for Summer and November 9, 2018, for Academic-Year requests.
• Maintain satisfactory academic progress.
• Be enrolled at least half time (four units) per quarter. Students employed as Teaching Assistants/Associates/Fellows, Readers/Special Readers, Tutors/Remedial Tutors, or Graduate Student Researchers must be enrolled in 12 units per quarter.
• For summer appointments, be enrolled during the summer and the preceding Fall term (due to Federal guidelines). If you are not enrolled, the amount you earn will be deducted from next year’s financial aid eligibility.

Summer Appointments

Federal guidelines require enrollment during the summer. In the event the student does not enroll, federal guidelines require the application of “Summer Savings” and mandatory enrollment during the preceding Fall term. Summer Savings is an advancement of the academic year’s funding; therefore the student’s eligibility throughout the academic year will be impacted.

Academic-Year Appointments

Federal aid programs require that students be enrolled in a minimum number of credit hours to establish eligibility for Federal funding. Graduate students must maintain at least four units of academic course work credit per quarter to access federal student aid.

Application Process

The UCLA Financial Aid and Scholarships Office is responsible for determining students’ financial need and eligibility for Federal Work-Study funds. The following briefly describes the student application process:

• Students submit a completed Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online. The priority filing deadline is March 2nd to be considered for Work-Study funds in the following academic year.
• eFAN (Electronic Financial Aid Notifications) notifies students of their eligibility. Students must select the link provided on their eFAN to confirm interest in GWSP.
• Search for a job on the Work Study Job bulletin posted on myUCLA under “Work Study Job Search.” If a position is not available or does not match one’s graduate field of study, students can seek out potential employers to participate in GWSP and have them post a position that meets the student’s needs. Each student is responsible for contacting potential employers and arranging job interviews.
• Complete the GWSP application participation request. Participation applications must be submitted by no later than August 13, 2018, for Summer and November 9, 2018, for the academic year.
• Students/Departments must submit the GWSP participation request directly first to Graduate Fellowships and Financial Services Office (1228 Murphy Hall) for initial review and processing. Please make sure the form is completed in its entirety and is correct. Forms not done so will result in processing delays.
• After approval by Graduate Fellowships and Financial Services, the application is forwarded to the Work-Study Office for verification and final approval. Once approved, the student will receive an approval notification from the Work-Study Office.
• Students accept their Work-Study award via their eFAN and will be able to view their Work-Study Job Referral Form. The Work-Study Job Referral Form serves as confirmation of eligibility to on-campus departments and off-campus organizations wishing to hire a Work-Study Student.
• Once approved, students notify their On-Campus employer or print out the referral form for Off-Campus employer to initiate the formal hiring process.

Deadlines

NOTE:

• The deadline is subject to change based on availability of Work-Study Program funds. Please review the on-line Work-study Program Calendar for any changes.
• Web updates occur daily through placement deadlines.
• A Work-Study employee may not work Saturdays, Sundays, or holidays unless his/her regular Supervisor is also working.

Permissible Working Hours

Work-Study students may work a maximum of 20 hours per week during the academic year. (The employer is responsible for 100% of hours worked in excess of 20 hours per week.) During Winter and Spring breaks along with the Summer period, students may work up to 40 hours per week. The employer must mentor, supervise, and monitor the activities of student hires.

Contacts

Victor Cisneros – Financial Aid and Scholarships, (310) 206-0454, vcisneros@saonet.ucla.edu

Sherman Chew – Fellowships and Financial Services, (310) 825-1025, schew@grad.ucla.edu