There are two forms of Work-Study: Federal Work-Study (FWS) and Institutional Work-Study (IWS). Students with financial need according to their FAFSA can qualify for FWS. All students may qualify for IWS regardless of financial need.
Federal Work-Study
To become eligible, students must submit a FAFSA by March 2 and demonstrate financial need. Dominican will award FWS to all students as long as they meet those two criteria and will be at least 17 years old and have obtained their high school diploma or equivalent prior to their first semester.
Adult degree completion and graduate students will also need to contact the Office of Financial Aid in addition to submitting the FAFSA.
FWS awards will appear on the student’s award notification. The amount a student earns through FWS may be greater or less than the awarded amount depending on the rate of pay and number of hours worked. The awarded amount is an estimate of how much a student might earn.
Institutional Work-Study
Students who are not eligible for FWS can work under the University’s IWS program. Students are not required to submit a FAFSA or have financial need in order to qualify. Students must be at least 17 years old and have obtained their high school diploma or equivalent prior to their first semester. IWS will not appear as an award on the student’s award notification.
If you were awarded Federal Work-Study, you are not required to participate. It’s an optional program.
Employment Eligibility
Students must be eligible to work in the United States in order to participate in Work-Study. Part of this process will involve completing a Federal I-9 Form and presenting identification to the University’s Human Resources Office. The most common types of identification presented are:
- U.S. Passport
- Driver’s License (or State ID) with Social Security Card
- Driver’s License (or State ID) with Birth Certificate
Please contact the Financial Aid Office with any questions about this requirement.
We encourage students looking for Work-Study jobs to attend the Work-Study Job Fair held on the first Wednesday of the fall semester, where they can meet with many of the on-campus and off-campus supervisors who are looking to hire students. Students can view open positions in the Work-Study section in Dominican’s Financial Aid Portal. Contact the listed hiring departments for additional instructions about applying for that department's job.
Students are paid twice monthly. Earnings are paid directly to the student and are not automatically applied toward tuition. Students may opt to be paid by check or through direct deposit.
Landing a Work-Study job can be difficult as there are more students looking for work than there are jobs. Here are a few tips to help you along the way:
- Start applying early in the fall semester.
- Create a one-page resume that highlights your work, academic, athletic, or volunteer experience and achievements.
- Attach a schedule of your availability to your resume.
- Prepare for an interview and be ready to answer a few questions about your experience.
- After any interviews, send a thank-you note. Emails work perfectly for this!
