Metropolitan State University of Denver has expanded an important financial-aid program that provides valuable work experience to hundreds of students.
The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships will award work-study funds this fall to more than 800 students, nearly double the number who received awards last year. The expansion means more first-year and transfer students will receive opportunities to earn money for college and work experience for future careers. 
The Financial Aid Office was able to offer awards to more students thanks to a strategic, data-driven approach to administering the program. The amount of available funds — $3.4 million — was the same as last year. However, the Financial Aid team found that very few of the 434 students who received flat $10,000 annual awards used the entire amount.
Data showed that most students were using less than $8,000, so the Financial Aid team made the strategic decision to reduce individual awards for continuing students up to that amount as financial aid offers allow for 2024-25. New undergraduates will be eligible for up to $6,000 per academic year as their financial-aid offers allow.
The adjustment allows MSU Denver to issue awards to as many eligible students as possible, said Kerline Eglaus, Ed.D., executive director of Financial Aid and Scholarships.
“A lot of our employees who hire work-study students asked us to make more opportunities available for new and transfer students,” Eglaus said. “We heard that feedback and agreed. We want to make sure we give all of our students a fair shot at eligibility and gaining work experience.”
It’s also important for departments to ensure they have the available budget to pay students hourly if they want to continue employment once work-study funds are depleted.
“It’s important to remember that work-study is a financial-aid program intended to give students hands-on learning experiences that prepare them for future careers,” Eglaus said, adding that the program should not be used to fill personnel gaps or considered as a condition for establishing a student-employee position.
The Financial Aid Office will begin reviewing offers Sept. 23 to see if students who received awards have begun working and have been paid from their work-study award. Awards will be canceled for those students who haven’t begun work by that date and redistributed to students on the work-study waiting list.
What students need to do:
- Newly awarded work-study students can search for a work-study job on the Student Employment webpage. They may also explore opportunities by attending the Student Employment Job Fair on Aug. 27.
- Continuing students who were awarded work-study can check their work-study offers by logging in to their Student Hub and checking their financial-aid offers for 2024-25. They should collaborate with their student-employment supervisors to complete the necessary paperwork to start working using their work-study financial aid.
- All students who have been awarded financial-aid work-study need to be employed in a work-study role and be paid from their work-study award no later than Sept. 23.
What department employers need to know:
- It is essential to complete all Human Resources requirements by the outlined deadline. Workday data changes must be submitted by Monday.
- At any point during the semester, if a student’s financial-aid eligibility changes, the work-study award may be adjusted or canceled. Work-study supervisors should actively monitor the work-study award with their work-study-awarded student(s) and its amount to ensure the smooth operation of the program.
Where to find help and have your questions answered:
- HR Partners Student Employment can be reached at [email protected] for any hiring and onboarding paperwork and processes.
- Financial Aid can be reached at [email protected] for general financial-aid inquiries including work-study eligibility.
- Payroll Services can be reached at [email protected] for any payroll issues or questions about direct deposit, W-4s or W-2s.
- Other helpful resources are the Work Study webpage and the Student Employment Webpage.
