Federal Work-Study

Students participating in the Federal Work-Study (FWS) Program must be: 

• U.S. citizens or Permanent Residents, and
• eligible to receive Federal Work-Study wages, and
• enrolled on at least a half-time basis (6 credits or more).

To verify your eligibility for Work Study for the academic year, please log on to the SIPA financial aid portal NetPartner: https://studentviewer.finaid.columbia.edu/ and click on the Menu and then the Awards and Accept Awards sections to review your aid eligibility. Please note Work Study is available on a limited basis to high-need students as determined by data on the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Annual earning limits typically range from $4,000 to $5,000. If you have any questions about your eligibility, please contact SIPA Financial Aid at 212-854-6216 or [email protected]. 

At the beginning of each semester, look out for postings in the SIPA building and around the Columbia campus for various Work-Study positions covering research and other administrative tasks. Concentration offices, regional institutes, libraries, computer labs, and administrative offices often hire Work-Study students. Many Work-Study positions are advertised on an as-needed basis and many are offered year-round. 

We also recommend you review the Start-Up Guide to Work-Study on the Columbia Work-Study website for more details. 

Columbia University’s Federal Work-Study Program maintains a central database of job postings. Make sure to check that on a regular basis. To access the work-study job listings, visit the Find a Work-Study Job section of the Work-Study website.

Regularly check SIPAlink for off-campus Federal Work-Study (FWS) positions. Note that many organizations do not advertise their internships as Work-Study positions; however, students have persuaded the organizations to make the internships Work-Study eligible by informing the organizations about the FWS program. In addition, internships often come to SIPA through alumni or contacts who are not aware of their organizations’ participation in the FWS program, i.e., empower yourself to investigate the possibility of making the internship Work-Study eligible.

Work-Study with Federal, State, Municipal Agency Employers

New York City Public Service Corps

New York City Public Services Corps funds the largest off-campus Work-Study program for NYC agencies. The New York City Public Service Corps (formerly known as Urban Corps) began more than 30 years ago as an alternative to on-campus placements for students receiving Federal Work-Study financial aid. Public Service Corps internships are for undergraduate and graduate Work-Study students from affiliated colleges and universities both in New York City and across the nation. With more than 30 city agencies participating, students may chose from a myriad of internship opportunities related to their interests.

Each year, more than 1,000 students become Public Service Corps interns, working in diverse areas including but not limited to social work, education, law, accounting, health, and office administration. Public Service Corps interns also help to improve reading skills in NYC's youngest citizens through the "America Reads" federal literacy initiative. Review the Public Service Corps website for more information and forms for participating agencies.

If you have any questions about the program, call the Public Service Corps at 311 or call (212) NEW-YORK if outside of NYC.

Sample of NYC Agencies and Nonprofit Organizations Participating in the Work-Study Program

Please Note:

If you are interested in an organization and it is not listed above, this does not mean that it is ineligible to participate in the FWS program. Instead, please review the Off-Campus Work-Study Form to confirm whether your organization meets the requirements of the FWS program.

Steps to Take Once You Have Secured a Work-Study Position

Once a student has secured a Work-Study position, the student must obtain an Off-Campus Work-Study Form or by stopping by the Career Advancement Center in room 420.

Student must have the form signed by the host organization and return it to the CAC with:

1. A letter confirming the internship on the host organization’s letterhead and
2. Confirmation of your Work-Study allocation (e.g., a print-out from SSOL).

Once the form has been signed by the CAC, the student must bring the form to Columbia’s Federal Work-Study Payroll Office located at 210 Kent Hall to complete payroll procedures and to obtain paperwork for the host organization.

Important:

Federal regulations prohibit retroactive Work-Study salary payments. Therefore, it is critical that Work-Study students take the necessary steps to place themselves on payroll at the beginning of the term in which they are appointed.

For information about the Federal Work-Study program payroll process, please contact:

Work-Study Office, Student Financial Services

205 Kent Hall

New York, NY 10027

Tel: 212-854-1770

E-mail: [email protected]