Work-study is a program that provides part-time jobs to students who cannot afford expenses while studying. Earning is a concern of state and federal taxes The state and federal tax authorities declare the money a student can earn from a federal work-study. If the students are enrolled in a college full-time but work part-time, their earnings are usually exempted from the FICA taxes. They also require the student to make a report on their earning, excluding the taxes based on their calendar year and not the amount they earned during the school year. Total working hours may vary Students cannot decide on the number of working hours. Instead, the college or university sets the curfew. Under the work-study program, the students are not allowed to work for more than 20 hours because it is intended to be a part-time job. Sometimes students use up their semester’s work-study allotment by working 12 hours a week. According to Bates College’s website, students can earn their total study awards by working an average of 8 to 12 hours a week during the academic year. However, students who have applied for financial aid are not allowed to exceed the allotted time. There is no guarantee of work-study every year There are several factors that determine the student’s work-study eligibility. If your family income has increased, you may not be eligible to qualify on the FAFSA. Some other factors include whether the student made use of previous work-study awards. If yes, how much funding did the school received for the course? The study says students who have applied for FAFSA at their early stages are more inclined to the odds of not being offered the work-study program. Not all work-study programs are on campus The aim of the federal education is to supply monetary help to students. While some of the colleges offer on-campus work-study options, other colleges partner with public agencies, non-profit agencies, or for-profit employers. In the coming years, the financial aid authorities are planning to focus on local community services like elementary schools to offer a work-study position as a subject tutor. Most of the students benefit from work-study The reach of the federal work-study program is broad. There are more than half a million students being benefited through this program annually. According to the recent data passed on by the department of education, more than $1billion was allocated to colleges and universities by the federal government during the year 2016 -2017. The university usually subsidizes up to 75% of the student’s work-study wages and funds the remaining portion of the amount. There are situations where the federal government could take up to 90% of the wage. The work-study permit does not guarantee a position While some colleges find a perfect work-study position for the student, other colleges require the students to apply for a job on their own like any other job. The University of California, Berkeley, awards financial aid for students which means they are eligible to apply for any of the positions.