FWS Policy & Procedures Manual

SOUTHERN COLLEGE OF OPTOMETRY

FEDERAL WORK STUDY PROGRAM POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL FOR STUDENTS AND SUPERVISORS

SCO chooses to participate in the FWS Program as a way of assisting students in reducing their debt. SCO awards eligible students dollar amounts that can be earned while working in an approved FWS job. All awards are based on availability of FWS funds. Students must also be US citizens or eligible non‐ citizens.

The purpose of this manual is to provide policies and procedure guidelines relative to the Federal Work Study Program at Southern College of Optometry. This manual should answer many questions that students and supervisors may have regarding Federal Work Study.

Should an issue arise that is not covered or if clarification on policies is required, please contact the Financial Aid Office.

Financial Aid Mission Statement

To see that every student receives the funds necessary to complete the program with the least possible debt at graduation, and to see that each student’s experience with Financial Aid is a positive one.

The Financial Aid Team

Cindy Garner

Director of Financial Aid

722‐3223 cgarner@sco.edu

Brenda Rakestraw Financial Aid Counselor

722‐3206 brake@sco.edu

Delrita Branch Financial Aid Counselor

722‐3208 dbranch@sco.edu

What is Federal Work Study?

Federal Work Study (FWS) is a federally funded program for students who have demonstrated financial need as determined by the Department of Education.

The Department of Education mandates that: • We must spend at least 7% of our allocation for community service.

• We must have at least one elementary reading tutor.

• We must report our expenditures on a yearly report called the FISAP (Fiscal Operations Report and Application to Participate).

• We must make FWS jobs reasonably available to all eligible students.

• We must consider the student’s financial need to determine eligibility.

• We must pay students at least minimum wage.

Of the funds that SCO is allocated each fiscal year, the College must contribute 25%. We must spend the entire amount or return the remaining funds to the Department of Education.

Supervisor Procedures: 1. Each year the dept heads requests FWS funds in their departmental budget. Once the dept has been allocated funds for work study, your department head will notify you of the amount you were granted for the year. Supervisors may then begin the hiring process. a. Please contact the FAO, if you have a work study opening. We can help you find students that are interested in working. b. We can also post open positions on SharePoint. c. We can send you an excel file with a list of students looking for work.

2. Before the student worker begins their new position, they must come to the Financial Aid Office to make sure they are eligible for work‐study and complete the necessary paperwork for the position which includes a work‐ study contract, I‐9 and W‐4. These forms are available on SharePoint.

Work‐study contracts expire May 31st each year. A new contract must be completed each year, June 1‐May31.

3. Each Federal Work‐study student must have a work‐study contract for each work‐study position. If working more than one position in a specific department ‐ more than one contract is not required unless the student is earning a different hourly rate. The contracts have to be completed and signed by the student worker, a Financial Aid Office staff member and it must be completed and signed by the hiring supervisor and Dept Head.

Once the contract has been completed in its entirety, it is returned to the financial aid office for the Financial Aid Director’s signature. It may be brought in person, faxed to 901.722.3204 or emailed to cgarner@sco.edu.

Then you will receive a signed copy via email.

4. Student workers are paid monthly and a timesheet must be completed once a month and turned into the Accounting Office on the 11th floor.

Timesheets are to be turned in to the Accounting Office by the 22nd of each month and each timesheet is to include any hours worked through the 20th of each month. The student’s pay will be available on the 3rd business day of the next month by deposit to the student’s bank account.

Timesheets can be obtained from the Bookstore, Financial Aid Office or Share Point.

5. Entering students are eligible to work the summer before their fall enrollment, beginning July 1st.

Student Procedures.

1. The student will begin by completing a FWS application and FAFSA. Once a position has been secured, the student will come to the Financial Aid Office to pick up paperwork and to check on their eligibility. They will then bring the contract to the supervisor and Dept Head for their signature. Once the contract has been approved by the Director of Financial Aid, the employer will then be sent a copy of the contract for their records. A contract is required each school year from June‐May. 2. Students may begin working as soon as a contract has been approved.

3. Students that are new to FWS must also complete two other forms in order to be paid. These forms can be found on the FAO share point page. a. The student must bring the I‐9 form to Financial Aid Office. We must see two forms of identification from the student, usually the Driver’s License and Social Security card. b. Next the student must complete a W‐4. This must be turned in to accounting with a copy of your social security card.

4. Students will pick up a timesheet in the FAO, Bookstore or on SharePoint.

They will record the hours they work each day from the 21st to the 20th.

Timesheets are turned in to the Accounting Office by the 22nd of the month.

The student’s wages will be directly deposited to the student’s checking account. As a reminder, an email will be sent out a few days before the timesheets are due.

5. Students who are unable to report to work are expected to notify their supervisor immediately. In non‐emergency situations, students should notify their supervisor well in advance of necessary absences.

Setting Work Schedules

Work with the student to create a mutually agreeable work schedule that will accommodate academic requirements. Students are not permitted to work in lieu of attending class.

When creating work schedules, please pay close attention to student’s hourly pay rate, the student’s FWS eligibility, which you can find on their contract and the number of weeks the student plans to work. Any student who earns more than they are eligible for cannot continue work. Students are allowed to have more than one work study position. Most students work 5 to 10 hours per week.

Departments open late and on the weekends may allow a student to work up to 40 hours per week, if their eligibility allows and the department has the funds available.

Any department that spends more than they were allocated for the year cannot continue to employ workers until the beginning of the next fiscal year. It is imperative that departments stay within the amount they have been allocated.

Hourly pay rate ranges from $11 to $15 per hour. Most jobs pay $11 per hour.

Some positions in TEC pay $12. Dr. Newman’s tutors are paid $15 per hour.