Off-campus Federal Work-Study Opportunities and Next Steps for Students
Follow these six steps to get started.
Note: Any work done before you complete the off-campus Federal Work Study paperwork will be considered unpaid volunteer work.
Steps
Step 1. Confirm you qualify for Federal Work-Study
- Log in to Banner Self-Service → Financial Aid → Award → Award for Aid Year → Award Overview → [select academic year]
- Award must say Federal Work-Study not Reed Work Study
Step 2. Review off-campus FWS-approved service sites and available positions
- Handshake: search for jobs that include [FWS/CE Credit] in their titles or search for the SEEDS Internship Program employer.
If you want to work with an organization that is not FWS-approved, initiate the process to create an eligible FWS site.
Step 3. Follow the Handshake application process
- Handshake will ask you to submit application materials (typically a resumé) and fill out a google form. Once you've submitted both the Handshake and the google form, our coordinator confirms eligibility and sends your application to our community partner.
- Community partners may contact you for additional evaluation procedures, including but not limited to: additional application materials, interviews, or background checks.
Contact Center for Life Beyond Reed with questions about Handshake, as well as for support for your application, letter of interest, resume, and/or interview.
Step 4. Once hired, complete the online learning contract
- You will receive an application decision via email with the required learning contract linked for you to complete. You cannot earn FWS wages for work done before you send in this contract.
Step 5. Complete I-9, W-4 & direct deposit forms with the business office (if this is your first time working at Reed).
If this is your first time working at Reed, the Business Office will contact you directly to complete relevant work forms (I-9, W-4, and direct deposit). If you have worked on- or off-campus with Reed before, we have this information already and no further action is required.
Step 6. Submit timesheets to the Business Office/Student Payroll.
- Paper or electronic timesheets are due bi-weekly on Mondays before 3 p.m.
- The current off-campus FWS pay rate is $15.75/hour
- Record exact roundtrip travel time (not to exceed 1 hr/day)
- Conclude all FWS work by the last day of the spring semester (Reed does not offer FWS funding during summer break)
Federal Work-Study (FWS) Info Sessions
Regular office hours and information sessions are held throughout the semester to support students interested in Off-Campus Federal Work Study. Office hours are every Thursday from 10:30a.m. to 11:30a.m. in the Student Center lobby or by appointment. Contact the CE Internship Program Coordinator, Nina Gopaldas, at seedsinterns@reed.edu to book an appointment or ask any questions.
Student-Initiated FWS Host Sites
If you do not find the kind of work you are looking for in the posted opportunities, you can still earn your Federal Work-Study award through another organization, provided it meets the required criteria. If you'd like to initiate the FWS contract process with an organization that is not currently a community partner, follow these steps:
- Review partner organization site requirements.
- Email the SEEDS CE Internship Program Coordinator with your request (seedsinterns@reed.edu) and copy your supervisor at the community partner organization
Student Feedback
At the end of the academic year, SEEDS suggests that FWS students fill out an evaluation with their FWS site supervisor during an exit interview. We ask for feedback on your placements so that SEEDS can learn more about the organizations where students worked and pass that information on to future FWS interns & other volunteers. This helps us curate the best experiences and host sites for Reedies. It is also beneficial to ask for a letter of recommendation from your site supervisor, if it was a positive experience.
If you have feedback before the end of the year, please contact seedsinterns@reed.edu.