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Work Study
To join the work-study waitlist, please fill out the Work Study Waitlist form. The waitlist will be regularly assessed, and if funding becomes available, you will be granted a work-study award. We can accommodate up to 150 students on the waitlist, so please be prompt in submitting your form.
If you need the waitlist form in the future, it can also be found on our student forms page.
Work Study is an employment program that provides paid jobs for students who need to earn a portion of their educational expenses. Work-study funds come from the state and federal government depending on which award the student receives. Funding is limited and not guaranteed to all students. Students earning money through work study are subject to Financial Aid stipulations pertaining to credit hours and Satisfactory Academic Progress. There are three types of work-study awards:
- Federal Work Study
- Colorado Work Study
- No Need Work Study
Student Hourly
Student Hourly positions are on-campus positions funded by a university department’s budget. Work-study and/or financial aid is not required for this type of employment. All hourly students must be enrolled in some credit-earning capacity during the semester in which you are employed. For more information, visit our Student Employment page.
Eligibility
- Student must have completed a FAFSA for the academic year.
- Student’s financial aid file must be complete for the academic year, and you must meet all other financial aid eligibility requirements as determined by your FAFSA or CASFA.
- Must be enrolled in at least half time (at least 6 credits for undergraduate and 3 credits for graduate).
- Student cannot be on financial aid suspension.
- You cannot owe an overpayment on a grant or a loan or be in default on a student loan.
- Student must demonstrate financial need.
- You must turn in a work-study form confirming your employment.
- Work-study funding is limited and award amounts to eligible students will vary each year but cannot exceed your unmet need.
- Student must have completed a FAFSA or CASFA for the academic year.
- Student’s financial aid file must be complete for the academic year, and you must meet all other financial aid eligibility requirements as determined by your FAFSA or CASFA.
- Must be an undergraduate student and must remain enrolled at least half-time (6 credit hours).
- Student cannot be on financial aid suspension.
- You cannot owe an overpayment on a grant or a loan or be in default on a student loan.
- Student must demonstrate financial need.
- Student must turn in a work-study form confirming your employment.
- Student must be a Colorado resident.
- Student cannot have a previous bachelor’s degree.
- Work-study funding is limited and award amounts to eligible students will vary each year but cannot exceed your unmet need.
- Student must have completed a FAFSA or CASFA for the academic year.
- Student’s financial aid file must be complete for the academic year, and you must meet all other financial aid eligibility requirements as determined by your FAFSA or CASFA.
- Must be an undergraduate student and must remain enrolled at least half-time (6 credit hours).
- Student cannot be on financial aid suspension.
- Student must not have any need-based aid.
- You cannot owe an overpayment on a grant or a loan or be in default on a student loan.
- Student must turn in a work-study form confirming their employment.
- Student must be a Colorado resident.
- Student cannot have a previous bachelor’s degree.
- Work-study funding is limited and award amounts to eligible students will vary each year but cannot exceed your Cost of Attendance (COA) minus any other accepted aid.
How It Works
- In order for a student to be eligible for work-study the student must have completed a FAFSA or CASFA for the academic year.
- Student must be offered work study in their financial aid package.
- Students must find a job with an on-campus employer or a non-profit off-campus employer. Once offered the position, the student will complete the Work Study Request form (ex. WK23, WK24) with their supervisor (hiring manager) to confirm they have an eligible job for work study funds. Simultaneously the student will also complete all hiring documents and background check for the Office of Human Resources.
- The student/supervisor must turn in the Work Study Request form to the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships to have the award added to their financial aid package and confirm their employment for the Fall/Spring. There is a Work Study Request form specific for summer employment. All Work Study Request forms must be signed by their supervisor (hiring manager).
- The student must submit the appropriate employment paperwork to the Office of Human Resources before they start working to be placed in the system as an employee. A student cannot start working until they have been approved by Student Employment to begin. Once Human Resources has received all the necessary documentation, they will add the student to a queue in Workday for Financial Aid to confirm the correct award in Workday and confirm the student has funds to begin working.
- Those who complete a CASFA must also be listed as ASSET by admissions and have the appropriate I-9 documents to be eligible for Colorado Work Study or No-Need Work Study.
- If a student does not begin earning their award before the second payroll of the semester, their award will be cancelled, and the funds will be reallocated back to the work-study pool and redistributed if sufficient work-study funds remain.
- If a student begins to work before they are awarded work study funds, that payroll will be charged to the Employer’s Departmental fund.
- Summer work-study employment is considered separate from the regular academic year (Fall/Spring). Due to federal work-study regulations, the Office of Human Resources and the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships must verify the eligibility of each student employee. Based on the availability of work-study funds, students will be processed by the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships for summer work study on a first-come, first-served basis. During the Spring semester, the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships will send an email if Summer work-study is available.
Work-Study Award Earnings and Limits
The complete amount of a work-study award may be earned by a student, but the student is not entitled to or able to collect any portion of the award that remains unearned after the award year ends. It is the responsibility of the work-study student and supervisor to monitor the earnings of work-study student employees to ensure that the student does not earn more than their approved work-study award. We recommend that the work-study student employee and supervisor monitor total earnings using the amount earned before taxes, as opposed to the amount received after taxes. If a student earns more than their work-study award amount, the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships will correct the overage by charging the supervisor’s department, terminating the student’s work-study position, and/or adjusting any resulting financial overages on the student’s account.
Financial Aid Package Changes and Reductions
If a student receiving a work-study award also receives other forms of financial aid (such as scholarships, grants, or loans), the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships must reduce the work-study award by the appropriate amount to ensure that the student does not receive more than the federal maximum grant in aid.
Find answers to your questions here
The average award for an academic year is $10,000. (This may vary depending on funding and available room in a student’s award). This is based on your available unmet need.
Yes. If a student has not begun earning their funding by the 2nd payroll of the semester, their award will be cancelled. Please contact the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships if the student plans on starting a job after the 2nd payroll of the semester or if the student wants to defer their award until the following semester.
No. Students may accept hourly jobs on-campus any time during the year.
Yes, but students who receive No-Need Work Study are not eligible to work off campus through the work-study program.
No. If a student chooses to forgo their award, please notify the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarship as soon as possible.
Yes. Students must notify each supervisor that they have another job on campus and both supervisors must sign the Split Assignment form provided by Student Employment. Please be aware that a student (work-study student) cannot work over the 30 hours a week maximum between all jobs while classes are in session.
Federal and State work study funds require that all students meet and maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress.
Any credits attempted at MSU Denver (whether the student is receiving financial aid or not) are subject to all aspects of the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy, and any credits transferred from another institution will be subject to the quantitative measures under this policy. A student’s academic progress must be evaluated at the end of each semester in which they attend school, and it must be reviewed before any disbursement of financial aid funds for a new semester.
Contact Us About Work Study
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Whether you're not finding the necessary info on this web page or would rather get in touch with a human, feel free to email us.
Physical Location & Address:
Jordan Student Success Building (JSSB), Suite 130
890 Auraria Pkwy
Denver, CO 80204
For specific Work Study questions, reach out to:
Hours:
Monday – Friday: 8am – 5pm
Friday: Call Center opens at 9am!
Mailing Address:
Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships
Campus Box 2, PO Box 173362
Denver, CO 80217