Work Study Information for Students
The goal of work-study programs is to promote student employment opportunities for students who desire job experience and to assist those students who need earnings to help meet educational expenses. There are two work-study programs:
- Federal Work-Study Program (FWS) - The Federal Work-Study Program provides to employers a federal subsidy of 75% for all eligible earnings, the remaining 25% of student wages is borne by hiring departments.
- Duke Work-Study Program (DWS) - The Duke-Work Study Program, for undergraduate students only, provides a 50% subsidy from financial aid sources for all eligible students, with the remaining 50% to come from the hiring department’s funds.
Undergraduate Students
All students who demonstrate a financial need will be offered work study. To apply for work study, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Once Duke receives the student's FAFSA & CSS Profile information, the financial aid office will determine whether or not the student is eligible for work-study.
Depending on the student's financial need, they will be offered either Federal work study or Duke work study. The only difference between the programs is the amount of subsidy the employer receives.
Graduate Students
As a graduate student, you'll need to contact your program's financial aid office to determine if you are eligible for work study. If you've already been offered work study, you may apply for positions. The amount of work study awarded for a school year varies based on the program & student.
Applying for jobs:
Available openings for both on- and off-campus jobs are posted to JobX year-round by employers. While you are not guaranteed to find a job, you will want to begin applying early in the semester and check JobX often for open positions. In addition to jobs on campus, some off-campus positions may be available as well. These positions will also be posted in JobX. You will need to log-in to JobX using your Duke SSO net id & password. You will go into the Students page & use the Search for Jobs link. Once you find a position(s) you’d like to apply for, click apply & complete any requested information. The employer will be able to review your application(s) to determine if they would like to interview you for their open position. If an employer decides to offer you a position, they will do so directly. If it is a Duke department, they will request the needed information to place you on Duke’s payroll. If it is an off-campus non-profit employer, they will request the information needed to place you on their payroll.
Work Study Program Rules and Regulations:
Students may work a maximum of 19.9 hours per week during academic periods and up to 39.9 hours during periods of non-enrollment. Students enrolled in one or more classes during the summer may only work up to 19.9 hours. The student is responsible for reporting to the employer any changes in his/her work-study allocation.
Transportation for students to and from their place of employment will not automatically be provided by the Institution.
Compensation for work performed will be disbursed by the employer and paid to the student at least once per month.
Wage Rates:
Undergraduate students are paid Federal Work Study (FWS) wages on an hourly basis only. Graduate students may be paid by the hour or may be paid a salary.
FWS employers must pay students at least the federal minimum wage in effect at the time of employment. Please note that Duke University's current rates are higher than the federal minimum wage rate & employers using FWS are to use the Duke rates.
Below are the current University rates for hourly student employees for 2025-2026.
(Specialized ex: research assistant, advanced computer, technical work)
If you are working within a Duke Department, student employees are paid on the Duke University bi-weekly payroll system, with the exception of PhD graduate students employed as teaching assistants who are paid on a monthly basis. The departmental payroll/HR rep will contact you to obtain all information needed to place you on payroll (please make sure to respond to their requests in a timely manner as there are deadlines that must be followed). Earnings are not paid into a student's bursar account, it is paid directly to the student. Direct deposit is required for all work study students and must be setup through Duke@Work.
If you are working with a non-profit agency off-campus, the agency will hire you using their payroll system. You will need to provide them with all information needed to place you on their payroll. The agency's payroll calendar may be different from Duke's, but they are required to pay you at least once a month.
Please note that students who are employed in a work study position within Duke or America Reads are paid on a biweekly basis based on the timecard they submit via Duke@Work. Students who are employed by an off-campus non-profit agency are paid directly by that agency using their payroll dates (it should at least be monthly but may be more frequent).
For more information, please review our list of Frequently Asked Questions.
