Work-Study for Students
UTRGV has several Work-study Programs that help students earn wages through the Work-study Grant.
Why chose a work-study job over a non-work-study job?
Not only does a work-study job provide the convenience of working on-campus or in between campus. It helps you market your skills to On-Campus employers because Work-study eligible students are highly sought after!
How does Work-study Program Work?
Eligible students are offered a generic work-study award, which may vary per student. The generic award helps students market themselves for work-study positions.
Work-study does not pay for a student’s tuition and fees; nor does it get disbursed with other financial aid awards. Students earn their work-study award through part-time student employment.
If the student is hired for a work-study assignment, the real funds are placed onto the student record once the department requests the student for hire. Work-study awards are also pro-rated based on the point of hire. It is important to know that your work-study awards may change from the time you are awarded to the time you are hired for a position.
Your student ASSIST account will indicate the amount of work-study grant you are eligible for once the hiring department submits a request.
- How do I become eligible? To become eligible for Work-study Program you will need to do the following:
- Apply for financial aid by submitting a FAFSA or TASFA application Complete any Financial Aid Verification items
- Be a U.S. Citizen, or Permanent Resident, or Texas Resident with valid Employment Authorization
- Be in a financial aid eligible degree program
- Be enrolled for the duration of employment or if a receiving Texas College Work-study Grant be enrolled a minimum of 6 credit hour
- Meet UTRGV’s Satisfactory Academic Progress
- Demonstrate financial need
- How do I can I tell if I am eligible?
If you have questions on your eligibility, please visit your nearest UCentral or email workstudy@utrgv.edu.
The Career Center offers services to students and alumni to help you reach your career goals! Services include resume reviews, mock interviews, job search strategies, career planning, self-assessment and more! Watch our Career Center welcome video!
Contact info: careercenter@utrgv.edu Phone: (956) 665-2243 Edinburg/(956) 882-5627 Brownsville. Office Hours are Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Additional tips on how to navigate Handshake or our other services/resources:
- When is the last day I can find a Work-study job?
- What is the Hiring Process?
For the Human Resources On-Boarding links visit our Work-Study Resources and complete the On-Boarding items needed for your employment.
- What happens if decide to quit or transfer to another department?
Additionally, if you are transferring, the remaining award is what will be available to earn in the new department.
For Example:
If you were awarded $ 4,000 in your work-study award and you have earned $2,436 in Department A, you will have $1,564 available to earn in Department B.
$4,000 − $2,436 = $1,564
- How much does a Work-study job pay?
- Do my earnings go to my student account?
- How do I get paid?
Earnings will be released as either a Direct Deposit or a check that you can pick up at the Bursars Office.
To get a copy of the Payroll Schedule for hourly employees, visit the Payroll & Tax Compliance website.
- What happens if did not get paid?
If you were not paid on the due date, make sure your timecard was submitted and approved by 5 p.m. of the due date. If your timecard was not submitted and/or approved by the due date, Payroll will process it in the next pay period. If you have additional questions, contact the Payroll Office.
- Will I ever have to pay my Work-study back?
No. Work-study are wages that you earn through your job. Similarly, if you do not have a work-study job then you are not able to earn work-study wages.
- What happens if I earn more than my award?
- How many hours can I work?
You and your employer will discuss your schedule to plan accordingly. The number of hours you can work during your employment depends on your work-study award and your pay rate.
For example:
$4000 ÷ $8.00 𝑝𝑒𝑟 ℎ𝑟 = 500 ℎ𝑟𝑠
It is important to know that you should not work more than your work-study award on a semester or annual basis. Doing so can negatively impact your other financial aid awards since your work-study earnings must fit within your financial aid budget.
- How can I monitor my hours, so I do not go over my award?
- Why did my work-study award decrease?
- Can I increase my work-study award?
Yes, you can request an increase to your work-study award by coming into UCentral or emailing workstudy@utrgv.edu . Work-study award increases are not guaranteed and depend on your financial aid eligibility at the time the review is taking place.