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St. Cloud State University

St. Cloud State University

Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid
Types of Financial Aid

Employment

Work Study:

Work study is a need-based employment program for both undergraduate and graduate students and is awarded as part of a student's financial aid package. Eligibility is determined using information provided to our office on the FAFSA and the SCSU Financial Aid Application.

The Financial Aid Office will assign students with work study to an on-campus department or refer students to an approved off-campus community partner based on the student’s interests and work experience relative to the department’s need. Most students work an average of 12-15 hours per week. Earnings are paid directly to the student every two weeks. Click here for the payroll schedule.

Please refer to the Work Study Program Guidelines for information about payroll forms, responsibilities, evaluations, and other important employment related information.

University Employment:

University employment positions are on-campus jobs open to all students regardless of financial need. Students are not placed in these positions. If you are interested in university employment, you may contact individual departments or offices on campus regarding position openings.

Off-Campus Employment:

The Student Employment Services Office, located in Centennial Hall 215, serves as a resource to assist students seeking employment while attending college. The office works much like the classified advertising section of newspapers. Students must follow-up with the employer in the posting directly regarding interview and hiring requirements if interested in an open position. Students are not placed into a position that is listed with the Student Employment Services Office.

AmeriCorps

AmeriCorps is a national service program that provides trained, dedicated individuals to help community groups meet pressing local needs. The program based at St. Cloud State University, known as the St. Cloud Corps, places AmeriCorps members at non-profit and governmental agencies in the St. Cloud area. Members engage in service in three focus areas: mentoring at-risk youth, increasing volunteerism/service-learning, and disaster preparedness. For more information:

If you are an AmeriCorps member and are requesting your education award, you may do so at https://my2.americorps.gov/mp/login.do

Graduate Assistantships

One method of financing graduate study is through a graduate assistantship. Such an award assumes the student is doing significant work for the university. The student receives a stipend and up to eight (8) graduate credits per semester of tuition waiver. Regardless of their place of residence, graduate assistants pay in-state tuition and fees.

Assistantships may be funded out of the general university budget, external grants, or work study funds if the student qualifies for work study. The source of funding may affect the student's loan eligibility so s/he should speak with her/his adviser about the source of funds. To learn more about graduate assistantships, contact the School of Graduate Studies.

Will a graduate assistantship affect my financial aid?

Any student receiving a graduate assistantship is eligible to receive tuition waiver to cover up to eight (8) graduate credits each term of the assistantship. This tuition waiver will affect financial aid eligibility. The student's need-based loan eligibility generally is decreased by the same amount as the tuition waiver. If the student's loan already has been processed at the time the Financial Aid Office becomes aware of the tuition assistance, the loan amount may need to be reduced. If an assistantship is funded through the work study program, the student's loan eligibility generally is reduced by the full amount of the assistantship plus the amount of tuition waiver the student will receive. Since this would mean a large reduction in loan eligibility, students who are offered an assistantship funded by work study may want to visit with a financial aid counselor before accepting the assistantship.

Student Employee of the Year

The Student Employee of the Year (SEOTY) program is an opportunity for supervisors to individually recognize student employees (work study or non-work study), who have made outstanding contributions and achievements to the SCSU campus and partnering community agencies through their student employment.

If you would like to nominate a student, please review the eligibility and selection criteria.