Forms

Federal Work-Study Guide Book
Federal Work-Study Payroll Schedule
Federal Work-Study Timesheet
Work Authorization Form
Direct Deposit Form

Off-Campus Community Service

Federal Work-Study employment opportunities are available both on-campus and off-campus. All off-campus Federal Work-Study positions must be community service-oriented. As defined by federal regulations, community service is designed to improve the quality of life for community residents, particularly low-income individuals, or to solve particular problems related to their concerns including such fields as health care, child care, literacy training, education, welfare, social services, transportation, housing and neighborhood improvement, public safety, crime prevention, recreation, rural development, and community improvement.

MCNY participates in the Public Service Corps, America Reads, and America Counts programs. Through these programs, Federal Work-Study students are able to make a contribution to the community by working as reading and math tutors at several local public schools as well as learning a multitude of skills in different governmental offices.

The America Reads Challenge began in 1997, President Clinton asked the higher education community to take a lead in helping to build a nation of readers. To assist this effort, U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley issued a waiver to the Federal Work-Study (FWS) regulations that allows the Federal Government to pay up to 100% of eligible FWS students' wages if they serve as a tutor to preschool through elementary age children. The America Reads Challenge waiver has since been expanded to include family literacy programs as well as the America Counts initiative.

As of July 1, 2000 every college and university receiving Federal Work-Study funding is required to have a literacy tutoring program and to use seven percent of the funds towards community service. Institutions ensure that one or more of their FWS students is employed as a reading tutor in a preschool, elementary school or in a Family Literacy Program. The wages of the Federal Work-Study students working as reading tutors count towards the seven percent requirement.
For more information and resources call 1-800-USA-LEARN or email: americareads@ed.gov.

Students may apply for an off-campus Federal Work-Study position through the Public Service Corps by submitting a resume and cover letter to the Federal Work-Study Coordinator or by emailing a cover letter and resume to  If the student qualifies, he/she will be chosen for an on-campus interview for the off-campus position. Once hired for the off-campus position through the Office of Student Financial Services, students can contact Kenny Wong for an appointment of available positions and/or placement.

You may contact Public Service Corps at:
New York City Public Service Corps
1 Centre St. 17th floor New York, NY 10007
212.222.2408
Kenny Wong
www.nyc.gov/html/dcas/html/employment/psc.shtml

If you would like to work for a specific nonprofit organization not already identified by MCNY, you can email with your request. Setting up a contract with a new organization can take several months for processing. The deadlines for permitted nonprofit funding are as follows:

• Fall Semester positions: July 31
• Spring Semester positions: December 15

The following must be submitted by the deadline to set up the new organization:

• Federal Work Study Off-Campus Agreement
• Federal Work Study Off-Campus Contract
• Job Description Form
• Copy of the organizations 501.3 Certificate

Once the above documents are received, the Federal Work-Study Coordinator will schedule a site visit. The student will be contacted if the organization has been approved or denied for Federal Work-Study. If the position has been approved, the student must complete the hiring paperwork either with the organization or the Office of Student Financial Services, depending on who will be paying the student and who will be invoiced. If you have any questions during this process, you may email .