Federal Work Study (FWS) Funded Graduate Assistantship Student Information Sheet, Academic Year 2011-2012
Federal Work-Study (FWS) is a financial aid program through which the federal government subsidizes the compensation of appointed students who qualify for FWS on the basis of financial need. Federal Work-Study Funded Graduate Assistantships are a special subset of the traditional FWS program, using FWS funds for supplementing assistantship stipends. The nature of work and financial compensation is the same as that for other graduate assistantships. The value of the FWS funded portion of the assistantship stipend is included as part of the student’s total financial aid package and can therefore affect the student’s eligibility for other aid, particularly student loans.
Steps to Follow
- Complete and submit the 2011-2012 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine eligibility for a FWS funded position. For the fastest results, file the FAFSA electronically. FAFSA on the Web may be accessed from the OSFA website at www.osfa.illinois.edu or directly at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
In response to the completion of the FAFSA, the Office of Student Financial Aid issues an electronic financial aid award letter. The initial letter will not include notification of a Federal Work Study appointment. If the FWS appointment is approved by the Office of Student Financial Aid, a revised electronic financial aid letter would be sent.
- Identify a FWS position by asking at your department or checking with other units on campus.
The department/appointing unit will complete and submit a FWS Funded Graduate Assistantship Appointment Request Form to the OSFA by April 30, 2011. FWS funded graduate assistantship descriptions carry a "pending availability of funds" notice, and therefore cannot be interpreted as a firm commitment on the part of the department.The Office of Student Financial Aid will review the FWS Funded Graduate Assistantship Appointment Request Form to determine eligibility for FWS funding. If the FWS funded appointment is approved, the Office of Student Financial Aid will issue a revised financial aid award letter.
- You may need to file a Special Circumstances Form with OSFA
Students whose income will decrease significantly upon enrolling in graduate school should go ahead and file the FAFSA. After receiving the Student Aid Report (SAR) from the federal processor, students may complete a Special Circumstances Form to reflect the decline in income. The Special Circumstances Form is available online at the OSFA website www.osfa.uiuc.edu. The completed form and supporting documents can be submitted to OSFA via fax (217-265-5516) or mail. The OSFA will then reevaluate the student’s aid eligibility using the estimated 2011 income instead of the actual 2010 income. It will take approximately four weeks to process the Special Circumstances Form. If the aid eligibility is affected by the Special Circumstances Form, students will receive a letter reflecting your revised aid eligibility.
FWS Funded Graduate Assistantship Appointment Request Form (PDF)
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