Many undergraduate students have an academic year work component as part of their financial aid package, referred to as Federal Work-Study or Campus Employment. For Work-Study or Campus Employment, earnings of approximately $2,950 are expected, representing 10-12 hours/week during the academic year.
Brown University offers a work component to eligible students as part of their financial aid package. Students are not required to work or to earn the full amount of their work award. Instead, the work offer provides a student the opportunity to work and earn funds that they can use towards their daily expenses. It is not expected that these earned funds will be paid back to Brown to cover tuition, fees or other billed educational fees. Students who are able to cover their personal and book expenses by other means, and therefore do not earn any or all of their employment opportunity, are not penalized in any way. Federal Work-Study or Campus Employment is a work opportunity—not a requirement.
The Federal Work-Study or Campus Employment portion of the offer will not appear as a credit on the billing statement from the University. These funds are paid directly to working students. While eligible students receive an offer up to $2,950, the actual amount of money each student will earn depends on the number of hours worked each week and the wage rate paid by the employer. Students who work receive a biweekly paycheck from the Brown Payroll Office.
Brown University employs students in various administrative and academic departments. University Human Resources oversees and manages student employment. Please visit the University Human Resources website for information on student work rules and guidelines, as well as information on applying for a job and getting paid.
The current minimum hourly wage rate paid to students is $13.00/hour (as of 01/01/2023). Since pay rates vary depending on the type of job and skills required, many students earn hourly rates that are higher than the minimum. Having a job on campus should not adversely affect academic or personal activities. The recommendation is that students work no more than 8 to 12 hours a week.
The Federal Work-Study Program was established by the Higher Education Act of 1965. The intent is to encourage and promote the employment of students in order to help them meet their educational costs. Eligibility for Federal Work-Study (FWS) is determined from the information students provide on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Brown University receives an annual allocation of FWS funds from the U.S. Department of Education. These funds are used to help subsidize the wages of students with a Federal Work-Study offer. Therefore, the wages earned by students who have a Federal Work-Study offer are paid by a combination of federal funds and University funds. Students with Campus Employment in their financial aid offer are paid entirely with University funds.
If you have any questions or concerns specific to your Federal Work-Study or Campus Employment offer, or other components of your financial aid offer, please email us at Financial_Aid@brown.edu or call 401-863-2721.
All other Student Employment inquiries may be directed to University Human Resources at Student_Employment@Brown.edu or 401-863-9922.