Financial Aid

Types of Financial Aid

Work-Study

Work-study (known as campus employment for international students) represents money that a student can expect to earn working at a job on-campus.  U.S. citizens and permanent residents offered work-study are considered to be federal work-study eligible.  International students offered campus employment are considered to be institutional work-study eligible.  

The amount of work-study offered to a student in his/her financial aid package is based on demonstrated financial need.  Work-study is the "self-help" portion of a student's financial aid package (along with loans).  Whether or not a student works the number of hours required to fulfill the awarded amount of work-study is a decision each student must make based on their ability to hold a job while attending classes during a semester.  If a student decides not to work, this would increase the expected family contribution.

Students are not guaranteed a work-study position by virtue of being offered work-study in their financial aid package. All students must apply for on-campus jobs by submitting a resume and cover letter to the Student Employment Office.  Students indicate which job(s) they are interested in applying for; the Student Employment Office will forward their resume to the hiring department.  The department will then contact students they would like to interview.  Each department is responsible for hiring work-study students of their choice. 

If work-study is not included in your financial aid award (or if you do not have a financial aid award), you can still work on campus.  Note that these students will have the lowest priority in the hiring order (as described under the "Student Employment Office" section below).   

Earning Your Work-Study:

• Work-study is not paid in advance.  Income is earned via a bi-weekly paycheck based on the number of hours worked and the position salary.
• Work-study does not affect the bill directly. 
• Income earned via a work-study job should be applied toward expenses.
• A student may earn more (or less) than the dollar amount awarded to him/her.  If the student earns less than the amount awarded, the difference would increase the expected family contribution.
• To allow fellow students the opportunity to gain employment, it is expected that a student will only obtain one campus job per semester. 
• The student and hiring department should negotiate work hours.  In addition, it is the responsibility of the hiring department to complete all employment paperwork.  

Student Employment Office:

• The Student Employment Office (under the auspices of Human Resources) will help students locate a job on campus. 
• Please note that priority hiring will be given to incoming freshman that are federal work-study eligible.  Second priority hiring will be given to upperclass students that are federal work-study eligible.  Thereafter, institutional work-study eligible students will be given priority hiring; followed by all other students.
• If you have questions, please contact the Student Employment Office at employme@hamilton.edu or go to www.hamilton.edu/studentemployment.
  

Outside Scholarship Impact:

• Students who receive outside scholarship(s) will have the amount of their work-study reduced or eliminated based on the amount of outside scholarship received.  Loan and/or Hamilton College Scholarship could also be impacted.