About Student Employment Programs

The University of Richmond Student Employment program has two different components: Federal Work Study (FWS) and the University Work Program (UWP). Regardless of which program you are in, students are encouraged to work 20 hours or less per week during the academic year to ensure academic success. International students should visit the International Students page to read more about international work restrictions.

The primary difference between the two is that FWS is partially supported by federal funds and students receiving these funds must be qualified through the Financial Aid Office and are issued a FWS award as part of their financial aid package. FWS funds are not allocated in the summer, so all student employees earn UWP funds in the summer.

UWP is fully funded by the University of Richmond, and students need not be receiving need-based aid to work under this program. All non-FWS students are automatically qualified to work under UWP.

Please review the information below to determine how these two programs will affect your job search.

Student supervisors should refer to the supervisor information section for further information on these two programs.

  • Federal Work Study (FWS)

    Federal Work Study funds are used to pay student employees who have received a FWS award as part of their need-based financial aid package. The Financial Aid Office determines a student’s eligibility to receive work study and determines the amount of the award. Not every student receiving need-based financial aid receives work study as part of their aid package.

    It is important to understand that it is advantageous to earn FWS dollars vs. any other income, in that the wages you earn under the FWS program are subtracted from your Adjusted Gross Income when you report it on the FASFA, worksheet C, when applying for aid for the next year.

    The payment for hours worked is paid to the student in the form of a bi-weekly paycheck that the student can spend however he or she wishes. All FWS earnings must be paid for hourly work, so no salary or lump sum payments are allowed.

    Students receiving work study are, however, not guaranteed a job; they must secure employment through one of the methods available through Student Employment. When applying for jobs, be sure to look for those listed as FWS jobs. Students working under the FWS program may only earn the amount stipulated in their work study award (unless your award is increased). You should try to find a job (or combination of jobs) that will allow you to earn your full FWS award. After you have earned your award limit, you will automatically be switched to the University Work Program, provided the department you are working for has that type of budget.

  • University Work Program (UWP)

    UWP is generally available to all University of Richmond students, unless you have been awarded FWS as part of your financial aid package (see Federal Work Study description above). UWP does not place limits on the amount of money you may earn through on-campus employment. When applying for jobs, be sure to look for those jobs listed as UWP.

    If you were not awarded FWS as part of your financial aid package, you automatically fall under the UWP program.

Wage Rates

Our student on-campus jobs have two different wage rate levels which are listed in the table below. The greater the responsibility or skills required, the higher the rate of pay. In addition, students working on the student payroll during the academic year are exempt from FICA taxes (Social Security/Medicare taxes, normally 7.65%), which means more money in your biweekly paycheck.

The pay rates are as follows:

Wage Rate Level Rates
Level I $11.00 - $13.00
Level II $13.00 - $15.00