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When you are enrolled in a workstudy program, you can get paid while you attend school. The Federal government provides jobs to students in undergraduate and graduate degree programs if they demonstrate financial need. Under this type of program a student will complete community service work and work related to the program of study.

Under a workstudy program, a student will earn at least minimum wage. The amount may be higher depending on the type of work you do and your qualifications. The total amount of funding under this program depends on the cost of your schooling, the amount of financial aid you receive and the funding level of the school.

The way in which you get paid depends on your level of education. All undergraduate students are paid by the hour, while graduate students may be paid by the hour or earn a salary, depending on the type of work you do. Whichever category you fall in, the school has to pay you once a month and must pay you directly unless you opt for direct deposit to your bank account. You can also make arrangements to have the pay go to the comptroller’s office to pay for tuition or books.

You can work both on and off campus when you are enrolled in one of these programs. For example, if you are enrolled in a VA workstudy program administered by Veteran’s Affair, the bulk of your work will be off campus at a nearby Armed Forces base. Usually you work for a non-profit organization and the work must be directly related to the interest of the general public.

You cannot work as much as you like. When you are accepted into one of these programs, either the employer or the financial aid office will set the number of hours you can work so that it will not impede your studies. The work schedule will also be arranged around your class timetable. While you are in this program, you have to maintain at least a 2.0 grade point average in your classes. If you choose not to accept a workstudy program in one year, you still have to apply the following year. You cannot carry it over to another academic year.