Work-Study Information for Off-Campus Employers

Please refer to the communication archive for important updates and program announcements.

 

Work-Study is a financial aid program that promotes part-time employment for undergraduate and graduate students to help finance their education. By participating in the Work-Study Program, your organization can hire student workers and obtain a subsidy for a portion of the student’s wages.

Employers will pay a net cost between 45 to 60 percent of eligible wages and the program will provide the subsidy for the remainder of the wages. The range of the net cost to an off-campus employer varies, as it is dependent on the employer type and if this is a non-profit, for profit, federal, state or local public agency.

As an off-campus employer, you will have access to a large pool of applicants with diverse personal, academic and career interests to contribute to your business needs. Our students actively participate in the Work-Study Program and during the 2022-2023 academic year, over 2,600 students benefited from the program. In addition, your participation in the program will help students gain valuable work experience to reach their academic and career goals while helping them avoid loan debt.

 

Benefits to the Student

You can help students avoid increasing their student loans by earning part of their college costs through work-study. In addition to the financial benefits, students gain valuable work experience and develop transferable skills while in school, putting them in a stronger position to pursue graduate school and/or employment opportunities when they graduate.

 

Benefits to the Employer

Employers can hire UC Berkeley students for half the cost with the work-study subsidy! As an off-campus employer, you can have access to a talented pool of job applicants that bring with them diverse personal, academic and career interests that can meaningfully contribute to meeting your business needs.

 

​Become an Off-Campus Employer

The first step to become an off-campus employer is to submit an application/contract to be reviewed by the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office for processing and approval. We advise prospective employers to review federal guidance to determine if their organization may be eligible to participate in the Work-Study Program. Employers located out of the state of CA are ineligible for participation in work-study. Employers located outside of the local SF Bay Area will be reviewed on a case by case basis. Questions regarding employer eligibility can be submitted to wsp@berkeley.edu


If you are interested in becoming an off-campus employer, please submit the off-campus employer interest form and the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office will follow up with instructions on how to submit the work-study application and contract.

 

Employer Portal to the Work-Study Management System (WSMS)