Metropolitan State University of Denver’s work-study program has seen significant growth this fall, offering need-based, paid employment to more than 900 students — doubling last year’s total. This means more students than ever have access to on-campus, paid employment opportunities that align with their academic and career goals.
However, the process has had its bumps. Changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, combined with technology and workflow gaps, have caused delays in finalizing awards, affecting students and supervisors.
MSU Denver continues to take steps to address the challenges, including improving technical integrations and streamlining the awards process to adjust to FAFSA changes, said Long Huynh, DBA, chief enrollment officer and the senior administrator overseeing the program.
“Work-study is an essential part of our students’ educational journey,” Huynh said. “We’re doing everything possible to streamline processes and maximize resources to benefit our students and the University.”
Here’s an outline of what’s happening with work-study and what students and supervisors can do to make the process go as smoothly as possible.
Expanding access and addressing challenges
This year, the Financial Aid Office adjusted individual work-study awards to reach more students, offering work-study opportunities to 921 students. Three hundred eighty-three have accepted the offer, and as a result, 296 students are employed through work-study across MSU Denver’s campus. The remainder are in various stages of the hiring-and-onboarding process. Here’s the breakdown:
- 54% (161) in Academic Affairs
- 37% (109) in Student Affairs
- 9% (26) across Administration, Athletics, Advancement and the President’s Office
Financial Aid is in the process of reallocating any unclaimed funds, with 133 waitlisted students awarded funds thus far. Funds will continue to be allocated to the 322 students remaining on the now-closed waitlist until exhausted. Once the process is complete, the number of students receiving work-study is expected to be in alignment with previous years.
Meanwhile, the University has hired third-party experts to help better integrate Banner and Workday. Both systems are used in the awards process, but they haven’t worked effectively together.
Additionally, the revamped FAFSA form has created another challenge. Students must complete FAFSA to be eligible for work-study aid, but the new form no longer includes the ability for applicants to indicate their interest in receiving work-study funds. So MSU Denver’s Financial Aid Office must identify work-study students after they’ve completed the FAFSA, further delaying awards.
Understanding the work-study process
To receive work-study aid, students need to complete a few steps:
- Submit FAFSA as soon as possible.
- Express interest when prompted by Financial Aid via email.
- Confirm award status in the Student Hub and secure a job within the three payroll cycles.
- Complete hiring documents after securing an on-campus or approved off-campus position.
Financial Aid reviews applications in the order in which they are received, awarding funds based on financial need, work-study eligibility and available space in each student’s financial-aid package, until funds are exhausted. Students receiving awards and those placed on the waitlist are notified of their status via email or text. Waitlist students will also be notified as funds become available, at which point they can secure an eligible work-study job and finalize hiring paperwork.
Supervisors receive notifications from Financial Aid when work-study award evaluations begin and from HR when their work-study student has completed onboarding and is ready to begin. Work-study is part of a student’s financial-aid package, so specific work-study eligibility and award amounts can be shared only with the student.
Fiscal managers are notified when students begin and must identify alternative funding sources in the event allocated work-study funds are exhausted. Supervisors should continue to work with fiscal managers to keep track of work-study balances. New, automated notifications are expected by spring to help keep everyone appropriately informed.
Supervisors must extend continuing work-study students in Workday twice per year. Detailed instructions are sent to the HR Student Supervisor email list and the Student Supervisor Resource Group. To be added to the HR Student Supervisor list or for additional information, please contact Student Employment.
Updates and improvements to streamline work-study
In response to the challenges, MSU Denver is rolling out several enhancements:
- Enhanced Award Verification: Financial Aid now confirms work-study funding before a supervisor extends a job offer, ensuring quicker onboarding.
- Workday Reporting for Supervisors: A new tool is slated to debut in spring to help supervisors monitor their students’ work-study balances and bring transparency to award usage.
- System Integration with Banner and Workday: Collaboration with external experts is underway to automate reconciliation, reducing errors and the need for manual tracking.
- Automated Notifications: Development is underway on Workday alerts that will notify students and supervisors when an award is activated or when the student approaches 50% of their award usage.
MSU Denver’s Financial Aid and HR teams are working with Information Technology Services to implement these solutions and enhance the overall process, providing clearer timelines and more consistent updates.
What students and supervisors need to know
For students:
- Start early. Complete the FAFSA and any outstanding requirement you may have on time.
- Check your Student Hub for award details.
- Apply for and secure a student job and work with Human Resources to complete onboarding documents quickly.
- Keep an eye on your email and text messages if you’re on the waitlist, as funds may become available.
For supervisors:
- Encourage students to complete the FAFSA.
- If the waitlist is open, you need to complete the waitlist on time.
- Use the Workday dashboard to track your students’ work-study usage and stay informed about award timelines and balances.
- Review MSU Denver’s Work Study and Student Employment pages for up-to-date information and keep an eye out for important emails with instructions and deadlines from HR and Financial Aid.
Looking ahead
The federal FAFSA for 2025-26 will be available by Dec. 1, with MSU Denver’s FAFSA deadline likely pushed to July 1, which could again impact work-study timelines. Huynh emphasized that MSU Denver will keep refining processes to make the work-study experience as smooth as possible for all involved.
For more information or support, contact Financial Aid or Student Employment at MSU Denver and stay tuned to the Work Study webpage for ongoing updates.
For additional information or questions, employees and students are encouraged to contact:
- [email protected] for questions regarding work-study award amount or waitlist status.
- [email protected] for help finding a work-study-eligible job or with questions about hiring and onboarding.
