Work Study

Boston University Financial Assistance selects as many participants for the Work-Study Program as funding allows for the academic year program, while students apply directly for the summer program. Eligibility for both programs is based on financial need. Learn more about reapplying for Work-Study.

 If your eligibility changes during the academic year or summer program, BU Financial Assistance may be required to adjust or cancel your Work-Study award. Therefore, it is important to monitor your award balance, which you can view through MyBU Works.

When accepting your financial aid package, you may decline your Work-Study award online if you are not interested in obtaining a Work-Study position. Otherwise, notify Financial Assistance as soon as possible.

Payment for Work-Study

Undergraduate students are paid on an hours-worked basis. Graduate students may be paid on either an hours-worked or a weekly-salaried basis, depending on the job.

Your earnings will depend on your work schedule and your hourly pay rate or weekly salary and are paid only for hours worked. Holidays, snow days, sick days, lunch, and break periods are unpaid. Rates are set according to the complexity and responsibilities of the job and the skills and experience required. Learn more about getting paid.

You are able to submit an Appeal for Additional Funding if you’re actively working in a Work-Study position and will run out of funding before the program end date. Keep in mind that we are not able to verify your eligibility for an increase before you start working in a Work-Study position.

The Federal Work-Study Program encourages students to participate in community service. These opportunities include (but are not limited to) health care, childcare, literacy programs, public recreational development, neighborhood improvement, and support services to the disabled and elderly. Learn more about the community service and tutoring opportunities established by Boston University.

Overall, most departments at Boston University hire Work-Study students. Available job categories include:

Depending on your previous work experience and how much effort you invest in your search, you may be able to find a job related to your academic and career goals. However, a job that isn’t related to your field of study can still provide valuable experience and a better understanding of workplace dynamics. Many supervisors are also open to expanding a routine job into new responsibilities. The more initiative you demonstrate, the more likely your supervisor will be to assign you higher-level tasks and/or promote you.

Students who have been awarded Work-Study can search for “Work-Study Preferred Jobs” on the JobX Student Job Board. If you are interested in working with a specific department but do not see an opportunity on the job board, we recommend checking their website or reaching out to them directly.

Interested in working with an outside organization? Learn more about the Off-Campus Work-Study program.

Looking for general guidance on the job application process? Refer to our Job Hunting Tips.

As long as you continue to receive a Work-Study award and your supervisor approves your continued employment, you will be automatically rehired into your job from Fall to Spring of the same academic year program, and from Spring to the following Fall for the next academic year program. If you decide not to return to your current job, promptly notify your supervisor and then begin your job search anew.

Working multiple Work-Study positions

You may have more than one on-campus Work-Study job, but only one off-campus Work-Study job. If you have more than one Work-Study job you should:

• Notify your supervisors that you have another Work-Study job.
• Agree upon what portion of your award (dollar amount) will be earned in each job. If the positions have different hourly rates, this will affect the hours you work for one job over another.
• Agree upon the number of hours that you will work each week.
  • Students cannot exceed a total of 20 hours per week while classes are in session, but can work more than 20 hours per week during official University breaks.
• Carefully monitor your award balance using the Fiori Application, to ensure that you do not work beyond your award amount.

If you need further assistance in your job search, contact the Student Employment Office staff.

The Summer Work-Study program is a separate application, funding, and financial aid consideration from the Academic year Work-Study program. Please note that this application is for undergraduate students only. Graduate students should contact their school or college’s financial aid offices for Summer Work-Study awarding.

We understand that it may be difficult to plan ahead for the summer; if you need to make any updates to your application, let us know.

If you’re a law student, find out more about the Law School Summer Work Study Program.

Timelines to consider 

• Student Employment will begin accepting applications in March.
• The Summer Work Study Program begins after Spring graduation in May and concludes in August. Please refer to the Summer Work-Study program webpage for specific dates.
• The deadline to find a summer Work-Study placement will be in mid-June.

Please note that University housing is not typically included with employment. If housing is provided, this information is usually noted in the job description.

If you have questions about the program or require assistance, contact the Student Employment Office staff.