To be considered for a Work Study award, you must first complete the Free Federal Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) which assesses your financial need. This form must be completed each year by March 1st. Once the application has been received, the cost of education for you will be established. The budget includes an average monetary amount for fees, books, room and board, personal expenses and transportation. An expected family contribution is subtracted from the cost of education. The difference is defined as financial need which could create the need for a work study award.

Under federal guidelines, the combination of all need-based aid may not exceed the financial need of the individual. When limited funding is available, regulations assure students with the highest need are considered first priority. If eligible, a Work Study award will be listed in the student's Financial Aid letters typically mailed in June for returning students and in May for freshmen for the following academic year. Summer students will receive a letter in April indicating eligibility. The monetary amount offered will be the maximum earnings the student may attain during each session. This amount may change if information or financial aid awards change the students eligibility for financial assistance. If a student is not eligible for the Work Study program, the Part-Time Job Program in the MU Career Center is another resource designed to help students find employment.

Once you know that you are eligible for Work Study and have all paperwork complete with Financial Aid, you may then make some choices of where you would prefer to work. This is where the MU Career Center's Online Work Study Employment System comes in. You may obtain your Work Study referral through our online database system by typing in your student number and pin number, and then selecting a job that is of interest to you. Our online database system lists all jobs available, which include on-campus and community service positions.

If your Financial Aid file is incomplete, you will be notified by Financial Aid. This must be cleared before you can be referred to an employer. Once this is done, Financial Aid will notify the Work Study Employment Office.