FINANCIAL AID

- Applyng for FWS
- Steps to Obtain FWS Employment
- Types of FWS Jobs Available
- Responsibility of the Finanacial Aid office
- Responsibility of the FWS Student
- Responsibilty of Job Placement
- Responsibility of Employing Department

1.   Students must be enrolled in 6.0 units or more in the semesters in which they are employed. To work in the summer, students do not need to attend school but must plan on attending Mt. SAC in the Fall term.

2.   Students may not work over 20 hours per week while school is in session (this includes Finals Week). Students may work up to 40 hours per week during school breaks (this is subject to change).  You may not work over (8) hours per day- NO OVERTIME IS ALLOWED.

3.   Students must maintain a 2.0 GPA or better.

4.   Students must comply with the Financial Aid Terms of Offer.

5.   Students must not earn over their FWS award amount.

6.   Students may not work during a scheduled class or lab

7.   The FWS academic year is July 1 through June 30.  Students are not paid for what they don’t earn.  Earnings “left over” from the pervious year are not transferred to the next academic year. All students must stop working by June 30 even if they have not earned their full FWS award.

8.   Those students who are awarded only for the Fall semester because of Probation, Appeals Stipulation, etc., must stop working in their positions by the last day of Fall finals week even if they have award money available. In this situation students may not continue working into the Spring semester until they are awarded and a new FWS Student Participation Agreement has been returned to the Financial Aid Office.

9.   FWS awards will be canceled if the student does not start working within 5 weeks from the date FWS is awarded.

10. The FAO has the right to change a student’s award which may result in a student’s FWS award being increased or decreased.  If this happens, the student and supervisor will be notified. A new Student Participation Agreement will be typed. The student and supervisor must sign the FWS Student Participation Agreement. The student must return the FWS Student Participation Agreement to the FAO within 5 days.

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1.   To be eligible for FWS each academic year, students must complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) yearly.

2.   Students should mark “yes” on the FAFSA that they are interested in “work-study”.

3.   Once students receive their Student Aid Report (SAR), students must fill out and submit to FA all other necessary paperwork to complete their financial aid file by Mt. SAC’s Priority deadline, April 15. After this date, students can still apply for financial aid and request FWS, but we cannot guarantee the availability of funds.

4.   After an Award Interviewer has reviewed the student’s file, an award letter will be mailed with the terms of offer.

5.   If the student is eligible for and is offered FWS as reflected in the award letter, he/she needs to contact Job Placement for a job referral.

6.   Failure to contact Job Placement within 5 weeks from the date of the award letter will result in the cancellation of the Student’s FWS award without notice.

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STEP ONE:

1.   Schedule an appointment to meet with the FWS Job Developer at Job Placement-9B.

2.   Job titles and descriptions are located in Job Placement-9B. Listings will include minimum qualifications required for each position. Apply for jobs that are of interest and for which the student meets the minimum qualifications.

3.   At the appointment, policies and procedures regarding the FWS Program will be discussed. Students will receive a FWS Job Referral to take to their job interview.

STEP TWO: The job interview

1.   Students should be on time and dress appropriately for the interview.

2.   Students may be required to take a test (typing, filing, and etc.).

3.   Be sure to discuss job responsibilities, work schedule, amount of the student’s FWS award, and any other concerns or questions with the prospective supervisor.

4.   Being awarded FWS does not guarantee the student a job.  If the student is not hired, he/she should not become discouraged. The student should return to Job Placement to review other job descriptions.

STEP THREE: If the student is hired

1.   Take the FWS Job Referral to the FAO. Within two days the FWS Student Participation Agreement (SPA) will be ready for pick-up.

2.   The FWS SPA is extremely important, as it is, with the timecard, the student’s avenue for being paid.

3.   In order to work under the FWS Program, the FWS SPA needs to be signed by the student and supervisor. By signing the FWS Student Participation Agreement, the student is agreeing to all the terms of the FWS Program.

4.   Return the signed FWS SPA to the FAO.  STUDENTS MAY NOT BEGIN WORK UNTIL THE SIGNED WORK-STUDY STUDENT PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT HAS BEEN RETURNED TO THE FANANCIAL AID OFFICE.

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On-Campus Jobs

1.   Various departments and offices at Mt. SAC are eager to hire FWS students.

2.   Positions complement academic and career goals

Hours & Pay
Hours:

1.   During the school year, including Finals week, the number of hours a student may work depends on their FWS award, but in no case more than 20 hours per week.

2.   During school breaks in Fall, Spring & Summer, students can work a maximum of 40 hours per week (only with prior approval from the FAO).

3.   Absolutely NO OVETIME allowed.  No one may work over 8 hours a day at any time.

Pay:

1.   Pay varies from minimum wage per hour and higher.

2.   Checks are disbursed on the 10^th and 25 of every month at Auxiliary Services-9A.

3.   It is the student’s responsibility to make sure Financial Aid and Admissions & Records have their correct address on file.  To make address changes, notify BOTH offices.

4.   For questions on your pay, contact the Auxiliary Services.

5.   It is the responsibility of the students and the supervisor to keep track of hours worked.

Terminations

1.   Students may be terminated prior to their termination date if they drop below 6.0 units at any time during the semester or do not maintain a 2.0 GPA or higher. In addition, students will be terminated if they earn their full award amount, are laid off by their employer, or violate any of the Terms of Offer included with the award letter.

2.   If students quit their job, students need to inform the supervisor and the FAO by giving proper notice- 1 to 2 weeks in advance if possible.

3.   Students/Supervisors should request from the FAO a Work-Study Termination Form (Schedule E) for the student and the immediate supervisor to sign. The signed termination form needs to be returned to the Financial Aid Office. 

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1.   Determines eligibility and notifies students of their FWS awards.

2.   Accepts and forwards Potential Employer For Mt SAC Students (Schedule C) forms to Job Placement.

3.   Controls the FWS Student Participation Agreement (SPA) process and submits a signed copy of the FWS SPA’s to Auxiliary Services.

4.   Ensures that all documents required for employment are received from FWS students.

5.   Provides time cards and pay schedules to department supervisors.

6.   Notifies department and Auxiliary Services after each pay period of the student’s FWS balance.

   Revises awards when appropriate, and notifies student and supervisor of changes.

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1.   Once awarded FWS, the student needs to locate a job within 5 weeks after school starts. If a student is awarded after the semester starts, the student must locate a job within 5 weeks of the date of the award.

2.   ALL FWS students must make an appointment with the Job Developer in Job Placement-9B.

3.   Once hired, the student must take their Work-Study Job Referral to the FAO.

      Before beginning to work; a Federal Work-Study Student Participation Agreement needs to be signed by the student and supervisor, and returned to the FAO. Even if a student is returning to work in the same job site, he or she must have a new Federal Work-Study SPA before starting work for the new academic year.

4.   Shall be subject to the same rules, regulations, and safety standards applicable to other employees.

5.   When the student is hired as an employee, he/she becomes a member of a work unit that is depended on.  A student employee should:

•    Report to work on time.

•    Notify his/her supervisor as soon as possible when he/she will be late or unable to work.

•    Refrain from conducting personal business in the job.

•    Dress appropriately for the work location.

•    Observe confidentiality policies of the employing office.

6.   The student needs to notify the Financial Aid Office and his/her supervisor if he/she wants to terminate. Please give supervisors at least one-week notice two if possible when terminating.

7.   With the department supervisor, keeps track of hours worked.

8.   Works no more than the average hours as stated in the SPA.

9.   Submit timecards to the supervisor and Auxiliary Services by the deadline.

10. If an employment problem arises, the student should talk to his/her supervisor. If the problem is not resolved, the student should contact the FAO for advice.

11. Adhere to the FWS Policies and Financial Aid Terms of Offer.

12. Shall not work when student should be attending classes.

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1.   Makes available job descriptions to FWS students.

2.   Orients students to regulations and procedures regarding the FWS Program.

3.   Controls the Job Referral Process.

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1.   Provide the FAO with a Potential Employer For Mt. SAC Students(Schedule D) form

2.   Supervisors and Department Chairperson must sign the  Schedule D

3.   Since the FAO does not screen students as to their skills and abilities, the departments should do this in the interview process. Administering filing and/or typing test and the like are certainly appropriate.

4.   Train and supervise FWS students.

5.   Monitor and verify student hours-worked on time sheets; not allowing them to work more than the recommended hours as stated in the SPA.

6.   Will not allow students to work when they should be attending class

7.   Assist students in keeping track of hours worked and remaining FWS balance.

8.   Submit time sheets to Auxiliary Services-9A by the established deadline.

9.   Resolve employment disputes or refers unresolved disputes to the FAO.

10. Terminate FWS students that department no longer need, and submits a 
      Termination Of Work-Study Assignment (Schedule E) to the FAO.

11. Will be responsible for paying students for any hours worked beyond those authorized by the Financial Aid Office

12. Will be responsible for finding other funds to pay their student worker(s) if TIMESHEETS are not turned in by the year-end July 01.

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