Calculator Inputs
Enter school costs, aid, and work limits to estimate likely work-study eligibility.
Example Data Table
This sample shows how a likely eligible case can look when unmet need, work hours, and award cap stay aligned.
| COA | Contribution | Grants + Scholarships | Loans + Other | Unmet Need | Requested Award | Hourly Wage | Weeks | Max Hours/Week | Estimated Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $32,000 | $3,000 | $16,000 | $4,000 | $9,000 | $4,000 | $15.00 | 30 | 12 | Likely Eligible |
Formula Used
- Unmet Need = Max(0, Cost of Attendance − Student Contribution − Grants − Scholarships − Loans − Other Resources)
- Hour Capacity Award = Hourly Wage × Work Weeks × Maximum Hours per Week
- Recommended Work-Study = Minimum of Unmet Need, Requested Award, Hour Capacity Award, and Institutional Award Cap
- Annual Hours Needed = Recommended Work-Study ÷ Hourly Wage
- Weekly Hours Needed = Annual Hours Needed ÷ Work Weeks
- Need Coverage Ratio = Recommended Work-Study ÷ Unmet Need × 100
The screening result also checks aid filing, academic progress, citizenship eligibility, and enrollment level before assigning a final status.
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter the annual cost of attendance for the student.
- Add the student contribution amount, such as SAI or EFC planning value.
- Enter grants, scholarships, loans, and any other counted resources.
- Provide the requested work-study award and realistic hourly wage.
- Enter the number of work weeks and maximum weekly hours available.
- Set an institutional cap and unmet need threshold if your school uses them.
- Select enrollment status and confirm filing, progress, and eligibility checks.
- Press the calculate button to see the result, metrics, and chart above the form.
- Use the CSV and PDF buttons to export the displayed estimate.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is this an official financial aid decision?
No. It is an estimate. Colleges make final work-study awards using school policy, available funds, federal rules, and professional judgment.
2. Why can I have unmet need but still not qualify?
Work-study usually also depends on filing status, academic progress, enrollment level, and citizenship eligibility. Funding limits may also reduce or block an award.
3. Should loans be included in this estimate?
Yes, if your school counts accepted loans when packaging aid. If not, set loans to zero and compare both scenarios.
4. What does the institutional cap do?
It limits the estimated award, even when unmet need is higher. Many schools set annual caps to spread campus job funding across more students.
5. Why does the requested award matter?
A request above your need, hour capacity, or school cap may trigger a review result. The estimate keeps the recommended award within those limits.
6. What if I do not know my hourly wage yet?
Use a realistic campus wage estimate. Then test higher and lower values to see how your possible award and weekly hours change.
7. Can graduate students use this calculator?
Yes, as a planning tool. Some schools package graduate work-study differently, so confirm campus-specific policies before relying on the estimate.
8. What does review needed mean?
It means major screening checks passed, but the award may need manual adjustment because of hours, request size, or an institutional limit.