Work-Study earnings DO NOT post to your student account. When subtracting your financial aid from your bill to plan for payment for the semester, please do not factor the Work-Study funds as a credit. In order to use your Work-Study earnings to make payments to your student account, you should sign up for direct deposit in order to have your paychecks deposited into a checking or savings account. Enroll in online banking on Student Information Online to make payments to your student account. 

Note: Prior to your first day of work, you must  complete certain paperwork, including the I-9 form if you have not previously been employed by Carnegie Mellon. Learn more. 

You can search for Work-Study or Federal Community Service positions on Handshake, Carnegie Mellon's online recruiting system. Within Handshake, you can submit resumes online, sign up for interviews and find contact information for potential employers. Visit the Career & Professional Development website to learn more about finding and applying for Work-Study positions. 

To access Handshake, go to https://cmu.joinhandshake.com/login. You will need to create an account. If you have trouble creating an account or logging in, contact support@joinhandshake.com.

All students interested in participating in Work-Study are responsible for finding and applying for a job. Receiving a Work-Study award does not guarantee you a job.

Work-Study earnings vary depending on the student's work schedule and availability. Students may work a total of 37.5 hours per week but are not allowed to work during their scheduled class time. International students with F1 or J1 visas are allowed by immigration regulations to work on campus for up to 20 hours per week when school is in session and full during Summer and Winter breaks. 

Work-Study students are paid by the hour on a bi-weekly basis. All students must be paid at least minimum wage of $10.00 per hour. For Federal Work-Study and Federal Community Service jobs, the maximum rate per hour is $13 for undergraduates and $17 for graduate students. 

If you applied for financial aid and are eligible for Work-Study, you will be informed of your Work-Study eligibility in your Financial Aid Award Letter. You will be notified via email when your award letter is ready for viewing on Student Information Online. 

Note: It is possible for a student's Work-Study award amount to change before and during the academic year. Changes could be the result of changing financial circumstances, receipt of additional financial aid, or other factors. All questions about Work-Study awards should be directed to The HUB. 

Additional grant funding through the Student Financial Aid Office is not available if you are not eligible for Work-Study. The Undergraduate Research Office supports student research in every field of study and offers the option for students to receive Small Undergraduate Research Grants (SURG). SURG funds may cover research expenses, Summer Fellowships for full-time summer research, and Presentation Awards to support students presenting at academic conferences. View the Undergraduate Research Office website for more information. 

You may also view outside scholarship opportunities on the Fellowships & Scholarships Office website.

To find out if you can use Federal Work-Study earnings to fund research, contact the Undergraduate Research Office. Also be sure to speak with the academic advisor for the department in which you wish to do research to find out about procedures, and also be sure to speak to your own academic advisor.

Carnegie Mellon has partnered with several non-profit organizations in Pittsburgh. These organizations post their jobs as Federal Community Service positions, and are part of the Federal Work-Study program. Off-campus Federal Community Service jobs are also posted in Handshake. You must have Federal Work-Study in order to apply and be hired for a Federal Community Service job.

Local internships and summer jobs are also listed in Handshake.