Federal Work-Study
Guttman participates in the Federal Work-Study (FWS) program, which enables qualified students to have part-time employment while pursuing a degree. Students may seek employment in the following types of positions:
- On campus: FWS positions at a Guttman campus location.
- Off campus: FWS positions at non-profit agencies approved by CUNY to participate in the FWS program.
- On/off Campus: FWS positions at another CUNY college or CUNY administrative offices.
- Public Service Corps (PSC): PSC provides students with opportunities to serve their communities, build professional skills and learn about careers in the public sector. A PSC internship links meaningful community service experience with academic learning, personal growth, and civic responsibility.
Federal Work-Study Program
What are the benefits of the Federal Work-Study (FWS) Program?
- Gain exposure to the workplace. FWS employers are often willing to give on-the-job training.
- Earn money to assist in paying for educational expenses while gaining valuable work experience.
- Use your FWS job as an employment reference when seeking employment after graduation.
- Learn new skills to boost your resume.
- FWS earnings do not count against your when completing the FAFSA.
- Enjoy flexible work hours and job locations.
How do I qualify for Federal Work-Study?
Federal Work-Study is offered on a first-come, first-served basis. FWS eligibility requirements:
- Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
- Qualify for federal financial aid (as a citizen or eligible non-citizen).
- Have remaining financial need demonstrated through the FAFSA.
- Provide additional documents according to CUNYfirst “To-Do List” if required.
- Maintain minimum half-time enrollment (6 credits or more) per semester.
- Meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).
Federal Work-Study Waitlist
Students who are interested in participating in the program but did not receive a Federal Work-Study offer may appeal by adding their name to the waitlist to be considered. Receiving a FWS offer is contingent upon the availability of additional FWS funding; placement on the waitlist does not guarantee a FWS offer. Students will be notified of a final determination via their Guttman email in approximately 2-3 weeks.
Join the Federal Work-Study Waitlist, available when funding is available.
I received a FWS Offer. What are my next steps?
- Log into CUNYfirst to view your FWS offer.
- Accept your FWS offer.
– This step is required; this is how you notify the Office of Financial Aid that you are interested in participating in the program. Follow the instructions below to accept your offer:
– How to Accept your FWS Offer.pdf
FWS Placement/Onboarding Process
Placement and onboarding begins the first week of August. You’ll receive email notifications from the FWS Coordinator about when to complete the additional steps to participate in the program.
FWS Placement/Onboarding Process Overview
- Complete the FWS Orientation on Blackboard
- Search for FWS position on Handshake
- When offered a job, submit onboarding documentation on Student Forms
- Make an in-person appointment to submit Form I-9
You will only be cleared to start working once you have completed all four steps listed above.
FWS Orientation
The purpose of the orientation is to learn about:
- several types of work-study jobs available
- applying for work-study jobs
- next steps after you have been offered a work-study job
Access the FWS Orientation by logging into Blackboard. The Federal Work-Study Orientation will be listed under “My Organizations” section on the right-hand side.
You may complete the orientation in your own time. You will review a presentation and take a short quiz to test your knowledge.
A FWS Orientation Completion certificate will be awarded when all the quiz questions have been answered correctly. Download and save your certificate!
Search and Apply for FWS Jobs
Most Federal Work-Study jobs are posted on Handshake. Check back often as job postings are updated throughout the semester.
First-time users must set up an account using CUNYfirst login credentials by clicking on “Guttman Community College Sign On.” Do not use your email to set up the account.
> How to Set Up a Handshake Account
Apply for work-study jobs by selecting the Filters button then checking the “Work study” checkbox under Job Type. You may apply for more than one job. Employers will contact you for an interview.
When deciding which work-study job is best for you, consider the factors that matter most to you, such as work schedule flexibility, commute time, and type of work.
Note: If you are interested in obtaining an internship with the Public Service Corps (PSC), you should complete and return the PSC application to the Federal Work-Study Coordinator with a copy of your resume. To access the application, click here. Additional information can be found on the New York Public Service Corps website. You can send PSC questions to psc@dcas.nyc.gov and copy fws@guttman.cuny.edu. All onboarding for Public Service Corps is processed through PSC.
Onboarding Documentation
When offered a job, you must submit onboarding documentation on Student Forms before you can begin working.
When you have been offered a work-study job, you must complete the “Federal Work-Study Onboarding” task on Student Forms. Log into Student Forms using your CUNYfirst login credentials.
Student Forms Tasks:
Task 1: Federal Work-Study Onboarding – within this task there are five items to complete:
- Student Employer Acknowledgment Form- (Hyperlink to PDF: 23-24 Student Employer Acknowledgement Form_Fillable.pdf) this is a formal agreement between you and your employer. You will complete the STUDENT INFORMATION section; you will ask your employer to complete the EMPLOYER INFORMATION section. Upload the form on Student Forms after you and your FWS supervisors have completed and signed the Student/Employer Acknowledgement form.
- W-4- You must submit a completed and signed Form W-4 Employee Withholding Certificate. Access this year’s form at https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-4. The Form W-4 Employee Withholding Certificate is required so that the correct federal income tax can be withheld from your pay as you indicate on the form. Instructions for filling out the Form W-4 Employee Withholding Certificate are listed on the form.
- IT 2104 or IT 2104-E- A Certificate of NYS Tax Withholding (IT-2104 or IT-2104-E) is required by the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance and by the City of New York to determine how much New York State (and New York City and Yonkers) tax to withhold from your pay.
- You only need to complete one of the two forms. Do not complete both forms; select the one that works best for you.
- Select one form; either the Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate (IT-2104) or the Certificate of Exemption from Withholding (IT-2104-E). Access this year’s form at https://www.tax.ny.gov/forms/withholding_cur_forms.htm.
- Labor Law Form – You must submit a completed and signed NYS Labor Law Form. The law requires employers to give written notice of wage rates to each new hire. Answer question #3 and #8, sign and date the form. Standard FWS jobs have a rate of pay of $15.00 per hour.
- FERPA – A signed Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) Form is required before you can be placed in a Federal Work-Study (FWS) job. As a student employee at the City University of New York, you may be granted access to confidential and private records. These records are protected from disclosure to third parties under CUNY and federal and state privacy laws. Student records are protected by FERPA and must be treated as confidential. Read, complete, sign, and upload the FERPA Form to indicate your acknowledgement of FERPA regulations.
Task 2: Blackboard Orientation Completion Certificate. Access the FWS Orientation by logging into Blackboard at https://bbhosted.cuny.edu/webapps/login/noportal. You are required to review a presentation and take a brief quiz. Once completed, upload the Blackboard Orientation Completion Certificate to Student Forms.
Important: Make an in-person appointment to submit your Form I-9.
Your last step before you can start working is to make an in-person appointment to submit your Form I-9. You must submit a signed Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification along with the required proof of identification as listed on page 2 of Form I-9.
- Select the first link under Forms and Document Downloads; “Form I-9 (Please see the Special Instructions tab on how to use and download this version.) (PDF, 477.5 KB)”
Book time with Jessica Portilla: Test FWS Form I-9 Appt
What to bring to your appointment:
- Completed and signed Form I-9 (page one only)
- Appropriate Proof of Identification (refer to page 2 of Form I-9; see below).
- All documents must be unexpired and must be originals, no photocopies.
- Failure to submit IDs will result in having to reschedule your appointment which will delay when you can start working.
Appointment location:
Report for your in-person appointment at the Hub located on the 3rd floor of Guttman South (50 West 40th Street).
Clearance to Start Working:
You will only be cleared to start working once you have completed all four steps listed above.
Once cleared, you will receive an email to your Guttman email from the FWS Coordinator.
This email will have your work start date, the payroll calendar, timesheet instructions and the completed Student Employer Acknowledgement. Keep this email for your records.
Note: The FWS program will not pay for hours worked prior to receiving clearance from the FWS Coordinator.
Federal Work Study Payment Resources
Timesheets
Students must submit their timesheets by the Timesheet Input Deadline on the Payroll Schedule. Timesheets submitted after the indicated deadline will be retroactively processed, and payment issued during the next payroll period. Be sure to submit your timesheets on time to avoid late payments.
Go to https://forms.guttman.cuny.edu/ to submit your timesheets. Access the guide for how to fill out online timesheet here.
Timesheet Reminders:
- Late timesheet = late paycheck (helpful hint: add a reminder on your calendar!)
- Keep track of all hours worked:
- Helpful hint #1: remaining hours are listed on the top right of your online timesheet;
- Helpful hint #2: you will receive biweekly “CUNY Federal Work Study Payroll Notification” email with your remaining hours available to work.
- Do not prefill out your timesheet. Only submit your timesheet after you have worked all hours in the pay period. Your timesheet will be rejected if submitted prior to the last day you worked for the pay period.
- You are required to take a half-hour break if you worked more than five (5) consecutive hours.
- If you did not take a break during your shift, use only the first “IN” and “OUT” fields.
- You may not work more than 20 hours per week.
Pay Rate
The FWS pay rate is $15.00 per hour.
Direct Deposit
Enroll in Direct Deposit on CUNYfirst for faster transfer of your earnings to your bank account.
- To e-consent, navigate to Employee Self-Service on CUNYfirst -> Payroll -> W-2/W-2c Consent and click the check box to consent. You will receive an email when your Form W-2 is available.
- To verify address: Login to CUNYfirst and navigate to Employee Self-Service -> Personal Details -> Addresses.