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About CWSP CWSP Current Job Postings For Students
Student Eligibility Finding a Job Interview Tips If You Receive a Job Offer Hiring Instructions End of Employment
For Community Partners
Employer Eligibility Requirements How to Hire a Student Job Descriptions
Campus Partners
Job Descriptions How to Hire a Student
Summer Work Study Payroll Instructions and Policies Program Resources & Policies for Students & Employers
CWSP remote work arrangement spring 2022
Important CWSP Program Dates
opportunities for Students     /    Community Work Study Program     /    For Students
For Students

We appreciate your interest in the Community Work Study Program! Working public interest positions in local communities has proven to be a valuable experience to the students within our program. In addition to earning work study funds, the benefits to students could include opportunities to explore the innerworking of the nonprofit sector, getting to know and serve the community in which we live, a chance to provide support for those in need, gaining real world work experience and skills to carry into future careers, and an excuse to explore our local area outside of campus life. Whether you are a new student learning about our program, or a returning student looking for information, please see the resources listed to the left. For questions and additional program information, reach out to cwsp@cornell.edu.

CWSP New Employee Trainings
CWSP New Employee Trainings

There is a 30 minute training session required for students hired into the Community Work Study Program. Click on the training that fits your availability and make sure to complete the registration. These training are conducted via zoom and you only need to attend one session. If there is not a time that fits your schedule, please email your availability to the CWSP coordinator at cwsp@cornell.edu.

 

Tuesday January 31st – 4:30pm – 5:00pm

Tuesday February 7th – 4:30pm – 5:00pm

Tuesday February 28th – 4:30pm – 5:00pm

Student Eligibility
Eligibility Requirements
Eligibility Requirements

Students who have federal work-study funding (FWS) in their financial-aid package, are a member of Cornell Tradition, or a part of the Foreign Student Employment Program (FSEP), are eligible to participate in the CWSP.  Review your financial aid on Student Service Center to ensure you have a FWS award.

Students need to actively accept, reduce, or decline offers for all Federal Work Study (FWS), federal student loans, and university loans through Student Center. For instructions on how to accept FWS or loans, please review this tutorial. FWS cannot be earned and student loans will not credit to the Bursar statement until they are accepted, or reduced, and all standard Entrance Counseling and Master Promissory Notes are complete.

Need help understanding your financial-aid award letter? See the 2-min Cornell video “Understanding Your Award Letter” or call Financial Aid at 607-255-5145.

Eligibility Requirements

Students who have federal work-study funding (FWS) in their financial-aid package, are a member of Cornell Tradition, or a part of the Foreign Student Employment Program (FSEP), are eligible to participate in the CWSP.  Review your financial aid on Student Service Center to ensure you have a FWS award.

Students need to actively accept, reduce, or decline offers for all Federal Work Study (FWS), federal student loans, and university loans through Student Center. For instructions on how to accept FWS or loans, please review this tutorial. FWS cannot be earned and student loans will not credit to the Bursar statement until they are accepted, or reduced, and all standard Entrance Counseling and Master Promissory Notes are complete.

Need help understanding your financial-aid award letter? See the 2-min Cornell video “Understanding Your Award Letter” or call Financial Aid at 607-255-5145.

FWS Employment Periods
FWS Employment Periods
  • FWS awards are determined for a specific employment period: academic year or summer.
  • Funding must be used in the corresponding employment period.
  • Eligible students are granted FWS funds as a part of their financial aid package for the academic year, they must specifically apply for FWS funds in the summer.
  • An academic-year award does not guarantee a summer award, and vice versa, as situations are liable to change.
FWS Employment Periods
  • FWS awards are determined for a specific employment period: academic year or summer.
  • Funding must be used in the corresponding employment period.
  • Eligible students are granted FWS funds as a part of their financial aid package for the academic year, they must specifically apply for FWS funds in the summer.
  • An academic-year award does not guarantee a summer award, and vice versa, as situations are liable to change.
Additional Eligibility Criteria
Additional Eligibility Criteria
  • Taking a leave of absence or withdrawing from Cornell will affect eligibility.
  • Academic year employment must be registered in classes full time. FWS is not available for part-time enrollment.
  • Registration holds, including bursar, dean’s, and medical holds will affect ability to start working.
  • Must maintain satisfactory academic progress for continued eligibility.
Additional Eligibility Criteria
  • Taking a leave of absence or withdrawing from Cornell will affect eligibility.
  • Academic year employment must be registered in classes full time. FWS is not available for part-time enrollment.
  • Registration holds, including bursar, dean’s, and medical holds will affect ability to start working.
  • Must maintain satisfactory academic progress for continued eligibility.
I9 form is to be complete prior to starting work
I9 form is to be complete prior to starting work

Students must have completed an I9 for before they may begin to work. This is done after the hire has been started. Make sure to have your original documents on hand, copies are not accepted. To ensure you have the proper documents, review the options required at https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents. You will not be able to start your position until the I9 step is completed.

I9 form is to be complete prior to starting work

Students must have completed an I9 for before they may begin to work. This is done after the hire has been started. Make sure to have your original documents on hand, copies are not accepted. To ensure you have the proper documents, review the options required at https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents. You will not be able to start your position until the I9 step is completed.

How Does the Federal Work Study award work?
How Does the Federal Work Study award work?
  • FWS award calculations are based on your financial need; thus, an academic year award does not guarantee a summer award, and vice versa.
  • Your FWS award is for a specific employment period – academic year or summer.
  • Academic year work study awards can be earned in one semester or spread across the academic year.
  • FWS funding not used during an academic year or summer does not roll over. You must apply for FWS for the academic year, and then again for the summer, if you wish to work during this time.
  • The FWS balance you do not earn cannot be converted to cash, nor can it be applied to your Bursar balance. Basically, if you don’t use it, you lose it.
  • Students are automatically terminated at the end of the academic year and at the end of the summer employment session.

How much can be earned?

You may earn the amount stated in your financial aid package as a Federal Work Study award. This figure is equal to your “gross wages,” not the taxable portion of your earnings. If you have more than one work study position, remember to add earnings from all jobs when calculating how much of your award remains. Email the CWSP Coordinator if you’d like to check your FWS balance.

FWS award reduction or cancellation

Your FWS eligibility can be reduced or cancelled by the Office of Financial Aid at any time based on changes to your financial aid package and/or status at Cornell.

What is not covered by Federal Work Study?

Your employer will be billed for your wages at 100% (as opposed to 0-25%) if any of the following occur:

  • You earn wages in excess of your Federal Work Study award;
  • You work prior to receiving your appointment email;
  • You work overtime (over 40 hours);
  • You lose your work study eligibility and continue to work; or
  • You submit hours to be paid after the end of the academic year or summer for which you were hired.

Running out of Federal Work Study?

When you have earned 75% of your FWS award, you will receive an alert notification in WorkDay. CWSP also receives this notification and will send you and your supervisor a separate email with your balance. Track your hours carefully so you do not exceed your FWS award.

If you continue working after your FWS award ends, or, after your employment term ends, your employer will be billed for 100% of your wages.

If your FWS award is depleted, you have the following options:

  • First: Petition your Financial Aid counselor for an increase to your FWS award. Do not wait to look into this option; it should be done immediately. During this period you are not eligible to work. Contact Financial Aid for more information by phone 607-255-5145.
  • Second: If you are a Tradition Fellow, notify the Tradition office that you have exhausted your federal work study award. The Tradition office will notify the CWSP Coordinator with proper documentation.
  • Third: Ask your employer if they are able to pay 100% of your wages. If they can, they need to communicate this in writing to the CWSP Coordinator.

If your FWS award is increased, it is your responsibility to notify the CWSP Coordinator immediately.

How Does the Federal Work Study award work?
  • FWS award calculations are based on your financial need; thus, an academic year award does not guarantee a summer award, and vice versa.
  • Your FWS award is for a specific employment period – academic year or summer.
  • Academic year work study awards can be earned in one semester or spread across the academic year.
  • FWS funding not used during an academic year or summer does not roll over. You must apply for FWS for the academic year, and then again for the summer, if you wish to work during this time.
  • The FWS balance you do not earn cannot be converted to cash, nor can it be applied to your Bursar balance. Basically, if you don’t use it, you lose it.
  • Students are automatically terminated at the end of the academic year and at the end of the summer employment session.

How much can be earned?

You may earn the amount stated in your financial aid package as a Federal Work Study award. This figure is equal to your “gross wages,” not the taxable portion of your earnings. If you have more than one work study position, remember to add earnings from all jobs when calculating how much of your award remains. Email the CWSP Coordinator if you’d like to check your FWS balance.

FWS award reduction or cancellation

Your FWS eligibility can be reduced or cancelled by the Office of Financial Aid at any time based on changes to your financial aid package and/or status at Cornell.

What is not covered by Federal Work Study?

Your employer will be billed for your wages at 100% (as opposed to 0-25%) if any of the following occur:

  • You earn wages in excess of your Federal Work Study award;
  • You work prior to receiving your appointment email;
  • You work overtime (over 40 hours);
  • You lose your work study eligibility and continue to work; or
  • You submit hours to be paid after the end of the academic year or summer for which you were hired.

Running out of Federal Work Study?

When you have earned 75% of your FWS award, you will receive an alert notification in WorkDay. CWSP also receives this notification and will send you and your supervisor a separate email with your balance. Track your hours carefully so you do not exceed your FWS award.

If you continue working after your FWS award ends, or, after your employment term ends, your employer will be billed for 100% of your wages.

If your FWS award is depleted, you have the following options:

  • First: Petition your Financial Aid counselor for an increase to your FWS award. Do not wait to look into this option; it should be done immediately. During this period you are not eligible to work. Contact Financial Aid for more information by phone 607-255-5145.
  • Second: If you are a Tradition Fellow, notify the Tradition office that you have exhausted your federal work study award. The Tradition office will notify the CWSP Coordinator with proper documentation.
  • Third: Ask your employer if they are able to pay 100% of your wages. If they can, they need to communicate this in writing to the CWSP Coordinator.

If your FWS award is increased, it is your responsibility to notify the CWSP Coordinator immediately.

Finding a Job

Check out the 2-minute Cornell video “How To Find a Job,” then:

Search Job Postings

Postings are located on our CWSP current job postings page.

Positions can also be found on Student Job and Internship Postings.

  • Click on the “Jobs” link to search the available job opportunities.
  • Choose the region “Ithaca-Tompkins County.”
  • Career Field:  The Einhorn Center cross-posts all CWSP positions under the term “public-service.”

Not all of the jobs listed under the “Ithaca-Tompkins County” and “public service” listing are through the CWSP, so check listing information carefully!

Communicate with the Employer

  • Contact the employer/supervisor who is listed on the job posting directly.
  • Be sure to tell the employer if you work at another job or plan on finding another job that employment term (academic year or summer), so the employer understands that wages will be earned from multiple jobs.
Interview Tips
  • Contact the employer/supervisor directly who is listed on the job posting.
  • Be prepared for an interview that could include a review of the job description, tasks, and responsibilities associated with the job, relevant skills, experience, or coursework.
  • Discuss scheduling, whether they want you to work during breaks, transportation needs, your extracurricular/co-curricular activities, the office dress code, and the employer’s preference for communication so that each of you is clear on expectations and your availability.
  • Be sure to tell the employer if you work at another Cornell job(s) or plan on finding another job for the employment term (academic year or summer), so the employer understand that wages will be earned from multiple jobs.
  • Other helpful interview resources can be found on the Career Service Interview Preparation Page.
If You Receive a Job Offer

You cannot begin working, or be paid, until you have been appointed to University Payroll. Immediately upon receiving a job offer from an employer, learn how you become eligible to begin working by reading the Hiring Instructions.

Important: You and your employer will receive an email notification when your appointment is complete.Start dates cannot be back-dated. Any hours worked prior to your employment with the Community Work-Study Program (CWSP) cannot be paid by this program and are the responsibility of your off-campus employer 100%.

Hiring Instructions

Hiring instructions after receiving an offer:

  1. Sign up for CWSP Training or contact the Community Work Study Coordinator at cwsp-psc@cornell.edu to complete employment paperwork and program/payroll training.
  2. Steps behind the scenes prior to the hire in WorkDay (this may cause delays in hiring):
    1. Employer contacts CWSP and requests to hire student
    2. CWSP confirms student’s eligibility and ensures all employer contracts are current
    3. CWSO drafts and sends employment agreement (hiring addendum) to employer
    4. Once employment agreement is signed, hire can be started
    5. Student Employment must approve hire in WorkDay prior to start
    6. CWSP can then finish the hire which will prompt next steps send from WorkDay
  3. Once the hire is complete and I9 is verified, an email will be sent from the CWSP Coordinator titled ‘Appointment Confirmation’. You cannot start working until this email has been received.
  4. When your hire is complete you will receive access and usage instructions from WorkDay, our online timekeeping system.
  5. Upon receipt of this email from WorkDay, access the site via instructions and report any issues or errors.
  6. Follow action items to complete any necessary hiring documentation such as direct deposit forms, W4 and the I9. More information on payroll visit the payroll policies page.

Hiring Tips

Once offered the position, request job details in writing and review with your supervisor:

  • Hourly rate
  • Start date (dependent on CWSP approval) and end date
  • Duties and responsibilities
  • Work schedule and hour expectations
  • Supervisor’s name/contact information
  • Agency name and address
End of Employment
  • The end date on the appointment confirmation email is the last day allowed to work.  Appointments will be terminated at the end date listed.  If both the student and employer wish to continue employment into another term, eligibility checks and new hire paperwork must be completed for the new term. Students must wait until they received the confirmation email to start work.
  • If a situation permits, students and supervisors are allowed to terminate employment prior to the end date.  Inform the Program Coordinator prior to ending the position. If resigning, we ask that a two week notice be given to the employer.
  • Loss of funding eligibility or early graduation could result in a change of the position end date.
  • Fill out the evaluation survey at the end of employment to let us know how the experience was.
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