Federal Work Study (FWS)

The Community College of Philadelphia (CCP) receives and awards funds through the Federal Work Study (FWS), to provide employment opportunities for students with financial need.

FWS provides part-time jobs to eligible students with financial need, subject to funding availability. These positions are not guaranteed, as FWS funds are limited and awarded on a first-com first-serve basis. FWS is part-time employment that has specific advantages over other part-time jobs. For example, students can typically get a job on or off-campus that often align with students’ specific interests and skills, work schedules are flexible to fit around classes, and there is an opportunity to network with faculty, staff, and other people outside of the classroom.

FWS Awards

Federal Work Study (FWS) is a federal financial aid program that allows students to work while enrolled in school. FWS is a need-based component of most financial aid packages and is an awarded dollar amount that you can earn through working at an approved FWS job on- or off-campus. If eligible, you will receive your work-study funds through a regular paycheck or direct deposit every 2 weeks. Eligible student workers are compensated at a rate of $15 per hour. Students can work a minimum of 5 hours to a maximum of 20 hours per week during the academic year. An unpaid half-hour break is required for students scheduled to work more than 5 consectuvie hours.

FWS Eligibility Requirements

FWS funds are awarded on a first come first serve basis and students who submit their FAFSA application early have a better chance of being awarded. To be considered for FWS, students must complete and submit your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine your financial need. Students must be enrolled in 6 or more credit hours and in good standings maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).

Generally, a student cannot receive FWS funds if their total financial aid package already meets their full cost of attendance Cost of Attendance (COA), as FWS is a need-based program that cannot exceed the calculated need.

If eligible, FWS earnings cannot exceed a student's total COA for any term, requiring immediate correction of any over-awards to remain compliant with federal regulations. FWS must fit within the student's aid budget, ensuring total aid does not exceed the maximum COA.

Reducing your credit hours or receiving additional aid resources that exceeds your COA may trigger a reduction or cancellation of work-study funds without prior notice.

Accepting FWS Awards

Once eligibitlity is determined and you are awarded FWS funds, you must accept your FWS award by logging into MyCCP student portal account. Under Student Services click on:

-Financial Aid, - Award, -Award By Aid Year, -Select Aid Year, -Accept Award Offer

If further assistance is needed, please visit the Financial Aid department.

Student Employment Packets

Following the receipt of an FWS award, students must submit the required work-study packet, which includes:

1. I9 form (Employment Eligibility Verification)
2. W4 form (Employee’s withholding Certificate)
3. SAP form (Satisfactory Academic Progress)
4. Confidentiality Agreement Form

Students must also provide identification when completing an I9 form. You can either present one document from "List A" which establishes both identity and employment authorization, or a combination of one document from "List B" (establishing identity) and one document from "List C" (establishing employment authorization). Please present valid, original identification documents in person for physical inspection and verification. Please refer to the I9 acceptable documents at

https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents

FWS Job Search

Federal Work-Study (FWS) recipients must actively seek and secure their own on or off-campus position, and are prohibited from working until all required employment paperwork is processed and a start date is confirmed. FWS funds are not automatically paid; students must work hours to earn the funds. FWS positions are listed on the CCP Handshake portal at https://ccp.joinhandshake.com/edu, or you can directly contact department managers to express interest in work study employment.

FWS Schedules

Once a job is secured, Supervisors are responsible for establishing workstudy schedules. To prevent conflicts, students must submit their class schedules to their manager prior to the start of work study.

Employment is prohibited during scheduled class hours. Students must be available for all scheduled class times and may not work during these hours.

FWS Termination

Federal Work-Study (FWS) eligibility may be revoked immediately due to failure to meet academic, financial, or performance standards, including poor performance, policy violations, or invalid employment documentation. Common grounds for termination include unsatisfactory academic progress (SAP), exhausting or exceeding FWS funds, excessive tardiness/absences, or fraudulent time reporting. The hiring department also reserves the right to terminate the work study assignment at its discretion without prior notice. It is the student’s responsibility to secure a new position on or off campus if their current work-study job is terminated.

FWS Increase Requests

Students may request a review for a FWS increase. Please be advised that FWS increases are not guaranteed and depends on funding availaibility and demonstrated financial need. Additionally, because total financial aid cannot exceed the semester’s COA, your ability to receive increased FWS funds may be limited if you have already accepted maximum financial aid, received additional resources, or borrowed significatne private /Parent PLUS loans. Requests can be made by emailing workstudy [at] ccp.edu (workstudy[at]ccp[dot]edu).

CCP Graduates

Federal Work-Study (FWS) is restricted to currently enrolled students with demonstrated financial need; therefore, graduation terminates eligibility, and you can no longer continue in the FWS program. 

Leave of Absence

To be eligible for a FWS position, students must be activley enrolled, registered for classes, and eligible for federal financial aid. Students on a leave of absence are not eligible to participate in the FWS program.

Tuition and Fees

FWS funds are not typically applied directly to tuition and fees. FWS funds are usually used for day-to-day expenses like food, transportation, and school related supplies.

W2 Forms

Federal Work-Study wages are considered taxable income and are subject to standard federal, state, and local tax regulations. Students working in a FWS position will be issued a form W-2, which is viewable in the MyCCP student portal under: 1) Employee Services, 2) My Personal Information, 3) Tax Forms

SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)

As a FWS student, you may be eligible to receive SNAP benefits. You may contact your local County Assistance Office. You may also refer to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program at https://www.pa.gov/en/agencies/dhs/resources/snap/snap-college-students.html to see if you meet eligibility requirements.

International Students

While International students are ineligible to particiapte in the FWS program, they can work on-campus through the department-funded Regular Work Study (RWS) program, rather than the federal FWS program. RWS operates under different regulations than federal, need-based work study. 

These positions are not part of the standard financial aid package, requiring students to find their own campus jobs.