Work Study is a federally-funded program that provides part-time job opportunities
to eligible students to assist them with education and education-related expenses.
Western Carolina University students can gain valuable work experience through community
service, by working in a job related to their major, or obtaining a job in an area
of interest.
Students are offered work study based on financial need, federal funding, and availability
of funds. They’re paid bi-weekly through direct deposit as they work to earn the funding
provided in their Financial Aid Package.
Please contact workstudy@wcu.edu to determine your eligibility for work study or if you are interested in hiring a
work study student.
Must have completed FAFSA
Answer “YES” when asked about Work Study on the FAFSA
Student must have demonstrated financial need according to the FAFSA
Follow the directions to apply within the application
Supervisors will select applicants to interview
Once hired, follow the hiring process instructions
Student is offered job and provided the appropriate hiring documents
Student follows these steps to set up a hiring appointment:
Log into myWCU
Click "Advising/Tutoring"
Click the blue "Get Assistance" button
Choose Financial Aid from the drop-down menu under the "What type of appointment would
you like to schedule?"
Choose Financial Aid-Work Study
Pick a date and click the blue "Find Available Time" button to see availability
Schedule appointment
Student brings hiring documents and identification to hiring appointment with the
Assistant Director for Student Financial Aid
The AD and the student will complete the Federal I-9
Hiring documents are processed by the AD
Student and supervisor are emailed a start date, payroll calendar, and instructions
for entering their time in myWCU
You must complete a Federal I9 before you can begin working for Western Carolina University.
Failure to complete an I9 prior to your start date places WCU out of compliance with
the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986/1990. If a federal audit were to occur,
WCU could be penalized with fines and/or loss of funding. Please see the List of Acceptable
Documents and bring originals, not copies, with you to your hiring appointment. Failure
to provide all original identification at your scheduled hiring appointment will result
in a delay in the hiring process.
Log in to myWCU
Click Personal Services in the Quick Links Box
Locate and Click on Employee
Click on Student Timesheets and Hourly Employee Timesheets
The next screen will allow you to see the position
Choose the dates fo the payroll period in which you are submitting time and click
Time Sheet
You will be able to click on the date and enter your time
Be sure to click save and verify that the hours you entered appear in the corresponding
date for which you’re entering time
You will use the Bi-Weekly Payroll Calendar to determine the date on which you will
submit your time
Please follow these instructions and be sure that you can enter your time before you
begin working. Reach out to workstudy@wcu.edu if you need further assistance.
To change a job, student must resign from their current job by completing a Student
Employment Change Form with their current supervisor. They will then be able to complete
the hiring process with their new supervisor. All documents will need to be submitted
to WCU Financial Aid and Scholarships and a start date provided before the student
can begin working in the new job.
Students can be terminated from their work study jobs for poor performance or exhausting
their Federal Work Study funding. A Student Employment Change Form will need to be
completed in order for the termination to occur.