In preparation for Summer 2026, Federal Work Study (FWS) awards will not be offered for the summer term. The Office of Student Financial Aid team would like to share this update early in the event it affects your staffing plans and hiring decisions.
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How did we get here?
While the adjusted funding split implemented two years ago continues to yield positive outcomes, UW-Madison’s FWS allocation is used at a fast pace. Additionally, we continue to navigate the Workday transition and the significant learning curve this has presented to all of us.
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What happens next?
Campus employers will be required to fully fund their student hourly appointments across 7 pay periods: payroll #12 (05/17/2026 – 05/30/2026) through payroll #18 (08/09/2026-08/22/2026). Beginning August 23th, eligible UW–Madison students will be able to immediately earn Federal Work Study again. The anticipated spending split for 2026-27 is 60% employer/40% federal funding.
In the coming months, the OSFA team will share any essential Workday process updates for student employees, along with guidance on any areas where HR support may be needed.
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Are there exceptions?
Yes, eligible students who could earn Federal Work Study over the summer can connect with the Office of Student Financial Aid (finaid@finaid.wisc.edu). The OSFA team will review to see if an exception can be offered for the summer term.
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We continue to be extremely grateful to you all as campus partners in helping us growth and engage with the FWS program. Despite the budget challenges, fully utilizing our federal work study allocation each year is a meaningful achievement and helps secure ongoing renewal of these funds. Given this consistent level of spending, we do not anticipate offering summer federal work study in the foreseeable future. Should that trend shift, we will reassess and share updates accordingly.