Work Study

Students are generally eligible for work study by: 

• Completing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and has demonstrated financial need*
• Enrolled at least half time per semester
• Maintain good academic standing
  • Undergraduate: 2.0 GPA
  • Graduate: 3.0 GPA

  *income changes, year in school, household size, etc can impact your need.

CU Denver students who are eligible for work study are automatically sent an email detailing their eligibility. This email can be shared with prospective employer indicating initial eligibility. 

There are many reasons a student may be denied work study and may be unique to your situation. Here are some of the following reasons a student may be denied a work study award:

• You have not been employed or been offered employment with an on-campus employer or an eligible off-campus employer
• You have not completed a FAFSA or required additional documentation
• You have not demonstrated financial need
• You do not have room in your financial aid package, better known as your Cost of Attendance
  • additionally, you may have not selected the checkbox on the Work Study Authorization form allowing the Student Employment office to reduce or cancel loan offerings to make room in your financial aid package. 
• You did not meet GPA requirements
• You are not enrolled a minimum of half time

Please note, we do not share the reason for denial with your employer. 

If you have any specific questions on why you may have been denied that is not answered in the list above, please reach out to Student Employment.

Yes, it is recommended to apply and be offered a position before applying for a work study award. Students are notified of their work study eligibility via email prior to a job being secured. 

You may search for jobs on Handshake. Once a job is secured, you can work with your employer to complete a Work Study Authorization Form to finalize a work study award as part of your financial aid package. 

Work study is wages earned through work. You will be paid directly through payroll for the hours you have worked. You can use these funds to help cover education expenses, housing and food, etc. 

Students are paid according their the Payroll Calendar which can be accessed here! 

Handshake is CU Denver's platform for searching and posting student employment jobs. Students can create a profile and begin finding all sorts of jobs! 

Handshake is managed by the Career Center at Lynx Connect. Please reach out to their office for additional help with Handshake.

Generally yes, students who have already been awarded work study can request additional funds. However, work study award increases are only possible if work study allocations remain for the university. There is no guarantee that if you request additional funds that you will receive more. 

To request additional funds, please complete a Work Study Increase request form which can be found on this page.

For the 2025-2026 year, work study will cover 100% of earned wages. Departments do not need to account for 25.5% at this time. This is subject to change in future fiscal years. 

100% of wages earned after a student's work study award is exhausted is the responsibility of the employing department.