Federal Grants and Work-Study

All of the following programs require completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Detailed program information is also available at http://studentaid.ed.gov.

A substantial change to the current FAFSA is the use of the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. This tool allows students and parents to pull tax information directly from the IRS data base. Many students and parents complete the FAFSA using estimated taxes. The IRS Data Retrieval Tool should be used after the 2012 tax returns are filed. For more information see the Financial Aid Application page or www.fafsa.gov .

Federal Pell Grant
This federal grant is awarded based on exceptional needs as defined by the federal government. It is free money and does not have to be repaid. Pell Grants are awarded to undergraduate students who have not earned a bachelor's degree. The award amount depends on several factors including financial need, the cost of education at the school a student attends, and if you enroll full-time or part-time. As of January 2013, the maximum award for the 2013-2014 award year is $5,645 pending final approval by the federal government.

Congress Changes Time Length for Pell Grant Support

The amount of Federal Pell Grant funds you may receive over your lifetime is limited by a new federal law to be the equivalent of six years or twelve semesters of Pell Grant funding. Since the maximum amount of Pell Grant funding you can receive each year is equal to 100%, the six-year equivalent is 600%.

For example, a student who has attended full-time for a full year will have received 100 percent of his scheduled award for that year. If this student receives payments for half-time attendance for the next full academic year (e.g., two semesters or three quarters), he will have received 50 percent of his scheduled award. At the end of the two years, this student's "lifetime eligibility used" (LEU) is 150 percent. The Department of Education keeps track of your LEU by adding up the percentages of Pell Grant received by the student received for each award year.

The law eliminated any grandfathering for this provision, and all students are affected. Once all past Pell Grant usage is totaled, any student whose LEU equals or exceeds 600 percent may not receive additional Pell Grant funds. If the LEU is more than 500% but less than 600% the student may receive a Pell Grant for the next year but it will be less than a full award. To learn more about Pell Grant limits and how your eligibility is calculated see here.

The Department of Education will perform the tracking and notification functions associated with the Pell Grant limit. However, The Department of Education's information will be only as up-to-date as reporting timeframes allow; students whose LEU is very close to the maximum limit will be carefully monitored.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
This federal grant is awarded to undergraduate students with exceptional financial need. The federal government requires priority in awarding these funds be given to those who are eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant, and is subject to fund availablity.

Federal Work-Study
Federal Work-Study (FWS) provides part-time jobs for students with financial need, allowing them to earn money to help pay education expenses. This program allows students to work around their class schedules while obtaining valuable work experience. Students will receive a regular paycheck for hours worked.  Unlike grants and loans, you cannot apply your FWS eligibility to your account for payment of tuition and fees.  Jobs are available on-campus and at various community service of-campus sites.

If you receive a work-­study award and are interested in working, you must apply for a position using the University's online employment site and click on Employment Opportunities. If you were not offered work-­study but are interested, please submit a written request for consideration to the Financial Aid Office.

Work Study Orientation

Students who have been awarded work-study will be notified when they can attend a required orientation session before they begin work.

All sessions will be held in the Mustang Room in Rockland Center on the Owings Mills Campus.

General Forms

Payroll Forms

For current FWS positions available at the University, please visit Human Resources.