Work Study

If you qualify and you are enrolled in at least 6 credits that count toward your declared RRCC major, you can work up to 20 hours a weeks and will be paid every two weeks. You must have a FAFSA or CASFA on file and be awarded work-study for both the previous aid year and the upcoming aid year.

In addition to financial and other benefits, work-study employment may provide you with valuable experience, an introduction to what may become a lifelong career, and networking opportunities that may lead to future employment.

• Get a job that understands school is your first priority on campus and works around your class schedule!
• Start building your resume with relevant work experience NOW! 
• Make connections in your field that can lead to employment opportunities in the future!

Contact the Financial Aid Office to find out if you are eligible for work-study.

Funding for work-study comes from both the federal and state governments, and you don't necessarily have to have financial need to qualify for work-study.

If you are eligible for the work-study program, you may be offered a fixed dollar amount that represents the maximum you may earn for the aid year. Your earnings cannot exceed this amount unless adjustments are made through the RRCC Financial Aid Office.

Who is Eligible for Work-Study?

To be eligible for work-study, you must:

• Be authorized to work in the United States.
• Be enrolled in at least six credits that count toward your declared eligible degree or certificate program.
• Have earned the equivalent of a high school diploma or GED.
• Be in good standing in accordance with RRCC’s Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards.
• Not be in default on a federal student loan or owe a repayment on a federal grant from any school.
• Have submitted the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), or the Colorado Application for State Financial Aid (CAFSA) and have been determined to be eligible for either need-based work-study or non-need-based work-study.

How You Can Apply for Work-Study

First complete the FAFSA or the CASFA financial aid application. The Financial Aid Office should receive your application within one week after you submit it online.

Once RRCC receives your completed FAFSA, we will email you if we need any additional information from you.  Once you have an RRCC/CCCS student email address, we can only use that email account to contact you.

After your file is complete, we will be able to add work-study to your financial aid file. Work-study is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so we recommend you apply before the April 15th priority deadline for each school year.

NOTE:  The Financial Aid Office can ad a work-study offer to your file so that you can let a potential supervisor know how much you can earn before you are hired for a work-study position. In order to accept work-study funds, you must be hired for a work-study position. You can find student job postings here: https://www.schooljobs.com/careers/rrcc/transferjobs. 

Need-Based Work-Study Eligibility

Need-based work-study requires that you have unmet financial need once the estimated cost of attendance (COA) and Student Aid Index (SAI) from the FAFSA or CASFA are taken into consideration. The Financial Financial Aid Office will determine whether you are eligible for need-based work-study.  On occasion, a Financial Aid Advisor can make an adjustment to your COA and/or SAI which may change your eligibility.  Federal work-study does not count as income on your future FAFSA.

No-Need Work-Study Eligibility

To qualify for non-need-based work-study, you must be a Colorado resident, meet the other general eligibility requirements, and have only non-need-based financial aid. No-need work-study policies and procedures are the same as those for need-based work-study awards.  Ask Financial Aid about your eligibility for no-need work-study.

Amount of the Award

Work-study offers are made according to a standard budget as a portion of the financial aid package.
The amount of the work-study offer is determined by several criteria, including: the total allocation that the school has received from the federal and State governments, your budget and unmet need, and other financial aid you receive. You and your supervisor are responsible for monitoring your available work-study award, and distributing work hours evenly throughout the semester.  It is sometimes possible for the Financial Aid Office to add to your original offer if funds are available. 

Work-Study Position Availability

You can apply for positions here: RRCC work study and Student hourly job listings. If you see an available position that interests you, apply for the position following the instructions in the job posting. If you are offered a position after interviewing, your potential supervisor will complete a requisition form with Financial Aid in order to hire you and update your work-study offer to accepted status.

If you are hired, a completed “Hire Packet” must be filed with Human Resources (HR) prior to your first day of work. Be sure to be attentive to your student email so that you can complete the requirements from HR in a timely manner.

Off-Campus Work-Study Opportunities

Some off-campus positions provide opportunities to work with various community service agencies. Other employment possibilities involve working with local elementary schools as a reading or math tutor in the America Reads and America Counts programs. These opportunities are listed along with our other work-study positions here: https://www.schooljobs.com/careers/rrcc/transferjobs. 

Semester Break Employment

To qualify to work during class breaks, you must: 1) be enrolled in 6 credits during the current and upcoming semester 2) must be meeting SAP 3) must have enough eligibility remaining on your work-study award.  You may work up to a maximum 28 hours per week during school breaks.  During regular school weeks, you may only work up to a maximum of 20 hours per week. 

Summer Employment

To qualify to earn summer work-study, you must be a continuing student enrolled in at least 6 credits during the prior spring, current summer, and upcoming fall semesters.  You must have a FAFSA on file and be awarded work-study for both the previous aid year and the upcoming aid year.

Work-Study Pay Scale

You can expect pay that is:

• Competitive with similar employment opportunities within the Colorado Community College System.
• Based on your job description.

Work Study Pay Schedule

Like other hourly employees of RRCC, you will be paid every two weeks. Your supervisor should have a copy of the payroll schedule, also available from Human Resources. 

You and your supervisor are responsible for keeping track of the hours you work. You should both keep a record of the actual time worked so there is no disagreement as to the time submitted for each pay period.

Time Sheets

Time sheets are completed online. Instructions for logging in, filling them out, and submitting them are emailed to you from HR once you are approved to start working. You cannot earn more than your total work-study award and under no circumstances can you earn overtime pay or sick pay. By electronically signing your time sheet, you and your supervisor are verifying the claimed hours throughout that pay period. You will not be paid for doing homework, attending classes, or for hours not worked due to illness or school closure.

Termination of Work-Study Students

A supervisor has the right not to hire you or may terminate you for just cause. Your supervisor must give you sufficient warning of possible termination so that there will be no question as to why you were terminated.

Student Responsibilities

Work-study positions are just like any off-campus job.  You are expected to adhere to the following strong work ethics that are traditional at Red Rocks Community College:

• Be punctual and dependable.
• Contact your supervisor when you are not able to be at work.
• Have a positive work attitude.
• Have a professional appearance.
• Contribute to the position.
• Work confidentially (respect the privacy of other students’ records).
• Abide by all established institutional and office policies and procedures.

The college has no obligation to continue your employment if you fail to meet work schedules or abide by the expected performance standards. 

For questions regarding work-study, please contact the Financial Aid Office

Student Hourly

Any enrolled RRCC student can seek student-hourly employment on campus, regardless of their financial aid eligibility. You are not required to apply for financial aid to qualify for student hourly funds, but you typically must be enrolled at least half time. For more information on student hourly positions, contact Human Resources: https://www.rrcc.edu/human-resources.