Federal Work-Study

FWS is a federal financial aid program that helps students meet educational expenses through employment opportunities. Unlike a traditional financial aid grant, FWS earnings are not applied directly to your tuition. Rather, you receive FWS earnings directly to use toward education-related expenses, including tuition and fees, room and board, books, studio supplies and travel expenses.

Ultimately, managing FWS income is your responsibility. (Neither the federal government nor RISD bear obligation for managing funds once they are paid out to you.)

The amount shown on your award notification is the maximum amount you can earn over the academic year. Actual earnings will depend on your work schedule and hourly rate. Generally, students work 8–12 hours per week. Since you receive FWS funds directly as wages, you cannot use your FWS award as a credit toward your tuition bill.

Students in hourly jobs are paid on a biweekly basis, provided you submit your timesheet promptly. We will deposit your weekly pay directly to the US-based bank account of your choice. You can find pay stub information, as well as direct deposit authorization, via your student employee profile in Workday.

If you are supervising a FWS student, you will need to monitor their award balances to make sure they keep within their allotted award. If you need information about a student’s financial aid eligibility and/or balance, please email us at studentemployment@risd.edu.