Student Jobs/Work Study Jobs

Student employment at Heinz College includes Federal Work Study, Federal Community Service Work Study and Non-federal work study. Federal Work Study (FWS) positions are generally within Heinz College. Federal Community Service Work Study (FCSWS) provides off‐campus employment opportunities and offers students a valuable experience while working within the community. Non‐federal work study is any other position within Heinz College and Carnegie Mellon that does not qualify for federal work study. Heinz College makes employment under the FWS/FCSWS program reasonably accessible for all eligible students to the extent of available funds and consults with nonprofit, government, and community‐based organizations to identify these opportunities.

Students may search and apply for work study positions through Carnegie Mellon University’s Handshake system. The pay rate for student employment is typically $17 per hour and students are paid bi-weekly through Carnegie Mellon University’s payroll system.  Regardless of the student’s employer, the student's work must be governed by employment conditions, including pay, that are appropriate and reasonable in terms of type of work, geographical region, employee proficiency, and any applicable federal, state, or local law.

More than 300 employers have hired our students through our various student employment programs. 

Federal Work Study (FWS) Program - Jobs Within Heinz College

The FWS program is a federal financial aid program administered by Heinz College Office of Financial Aid that provides part‐time employment to eligible students to help offset their educational expenses. Generally, Heinz students do not receive academic credit for work performed under the FWS program.

A Heinz College student with a federal work study award is able to be employed under the Federal Work Study (FWS) program. FWS position eligibility is determined by the Heinz College Director of Financial Aid. The hiring supervisor/department pays 60% of the student’s eligible work study wages. The remaining 40% of the student’s eligible wages is subsidized by the federal government. A Federal Work Study eligible job can only be filled by a Federal Work Study eligible student. All employment under this federal program must be authorized by Heinz College Office of Financial Aid in advance of accepting employment or hiring students.

Federal Community Service Work Study (FCsWS) - Off-Campus Jobs

The Federal Community Service Work Study (FCSWS) program is a federally subsidized work program which provides eligible students the opportunity to work for an eligible public, government or 501(c) 3 non-profit organization whose mission and work benefit the community and enables the student to earn money to help cover education-related expenses. In most cases, the salary is $17 per hour with the federal government providing 70% of the salary and the qualifying employer paying the 30% "non-federal share" of the hourly wage. Students must not receive compensation from the employer beyond the non-federal share paid by the employer.

Heinz College assures that employment may be used to support programs for accommodating services to students with disabilities, and informs all eligible students of the opportunity to perform community services. All employment under this federal program must be authorized by Heinz College Office of Financial Aid in advance of accepting employment or hiring students.

Questions? Please Contact:

Anja Hojka
Heinz College Business and Research Services
ahojka@andrew.cmu.edu

For FCSWS, Please Contact:

Heinz College Office of Financial Aid
hzfinaid@andrew.cmu.edu

Non-Federal Work Study Employment

The employment is considered Non-federal work study within Carnegie Mellon University or Heinz College if the student does not qualify for either the work study program and/or the job is not eligible to participate in the FWS program.  Generally, international students are able to work on campus through non‐federal work study. Students may research opportunities through Carnegie Mellon University’s Handshake system. Job opportunities for non‐federal work study are very limited.

Information for Employers/Supervisors regarding non-federal employment processes is available from the Office of Fiscal Management, Hamburg Hall, room 1105.

Answers to commonly asked questions related to student employment can be found here.