Work Study Program

The Federal Work-Study Program allows you to earn funds for your educational expenses by working at a part-time, campus-sponsored job. To qualify for this federally-funded program, you must demonstrate need on the FAFSA as part of the yearly financial aid application process. 

Students are responsible for applying for designated work-study jobs, which may be on or off campus. Once you have located a job opening, interviewed, and been hired, you will work with the Office of Financial Aid to complete the required paperwork. You may hold up to two work-study jobs at the same time.

Work-study award funds cannot be deducted from your billing statement or student account. Instead, you will receive payment by monthly direct deposit or paycheck. 

Finding a Work-Study Position 

A job opportunity bulletin board is located outside of the Office of Financial Aid. For additional help in locating a work-study position, you also may contact Delores Hall, assistant director of financial aid, by phone at 216.421.7423 or by email.

The Work-Study Process

After you have been hired for a work-study position, you will need to follow the steps below. 

1. Ask the Office of Financial Aid for a Work Study Referral Form. Complete the form, sign it, and have your hiring supervisor sign it. Return the form to the Office of Financial Aid.

2. Ask the Office of Financial Aid for the following tax forms. You must complete these forms before receiving your first work-study job paycheck. Unless you want to make changes next year, you will not need to complete these forms again. When you return these forms to the Office of Financial Aid, you also must provide two forms of identification—generally a driver’s license (or state-issued I.D.) and a Social Security card (or birth certificate). 

• Form W-4: Federal IRS Employee’s Tax Withholding Allowance Certificate 
• Form IT 4: State of Ohio Employee’s Tax Withholding Exemption Certificate
• Form I-9: Employment Eligibility Verification for Homeland Security and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services 
• Paycheck Direct Deposit Authorization Form: Allows CIA to electronically deposit your monthly pay into your personal checking or savings account (Note: For direct deposit, you also must submit a voided check, which is a blank check on which you write "VOID.")

3. Ask your work-study supervisor to obtain blank time sheets from the Office of Financial Aid. Your supervisor must complete a time sheet by the 3rd of each month, sign it, and submit it to the Office of Financial Aid. You are paid on the 15th of each month for the hours worked the previous month. If your supervisor is late to turn in your time sheet, you will not get paid until the 15th of the following month.