Federal Work-Study (FWS) jobs are a good way to offset some of your borrowing needs. FWS is part of your overall financial aid award and the amount you’re eligible to earn through the program is designed to contribute to your academic expenses. A portion of FWS wages are paid through federal funds allowing on-campus employers to hire students for positions that otherwise wouldn’t be funded.

Returning students may request FWS funds on their Georgetown Law Financial Aid application or by signing-up at our office once the academic year has begun. Entering students may request FWS funds when they accept their award packages. During the first year, students are allowed to work up to an average of 10 hours per week and upper-class students may work up to an average of 15 hours per week.  As part of the financial aid award package, FWS funds decrease eligibility for other aid (usually Grad PLUS loans), dollar-for-dollar.

If you’ve been awarded FWS funds, you will see the amount in your financial aid award on MyAccess and our colleagues in Employment Services (McDonough 583) have the same information so that your hiring documents may be completed.  It may come as no surprise to you that the largest employer is the library. Faculty and many administrative offices hire law students for FWS positions.

Unlike other types of financial aid, FWS funds are paid to students bi-weekly for hours worked. Therefore, eligible students who participate in the FWS program typically use these funds to help cover day-to-day living expenses, not big-ticket expenses like tuition or rent.