
Earn money and gain experience working on campus
Federal Work Study
- Must complete a FAFSA by November 15 priority date.
- Awards based on eligibility and availability of funds.
- Earn up to $3,000 per academic year through bi-weekly paychecks.
- Earned money can be used for educational, living, or other expenses.
- For award to last the entire academic year, it is recommended students work 10 to 15 hours per week.
- Graduate, Law, and International students do not qualify.
Departmental Positions
- All students qualify for these positions.
- Positions are paid bi-weekly.
- Money earned can be used for educational, living, or other expenses.

2021 Student Employee of the Year: Madison Dean
When Madison Dean began working for Information Technology Services in 2019 she ran the close-up camera at Washburn football games, but dreamed of one being on the other side of the camera as a news anchor. Over the last two years Dean has worked her way up from camera operator to covering other sports to most recently producer of Washburn Sports Video. With that experience she quickly realized her passion for sports and producing and now plans to pursue a job in sports production.
This year she was awarded the 2021 Student Employee of the Year for her work with the crew. When she was presented with the award her coworkers spoke highly of how dependable she is and how much they enjoy working with her.
“Madison is a natural leader,” Dale Rusche, Dean’s supervisor and production coordinator, said. “She pushes to create high quality products while keeping her projects moving forward on time. She has excellent communication skills and takes time to mentor her fellow students. In short, Madison is a hard-worker and Information Technology Services is extremely lucky to have her.”
Dean, a Seaman High School alum, will graduate from Washburn this fall with a degree in Mass Media, with a concentration in journalism. The experience with ITS has given her the experience to pursue sports production jobs in the future.
“I owe everything to Washburn,” Dean said. “Seriously, the mass media department is amazing. It has set me up for success in every way possible. Having all the opportunities, scholarships, and being able to come to ITS and getting to work at games and stuff has also prepared me for all of this. Everything I’ve done here has led up to this moment and I can’t thank Washburn enough for all the opportunities.”

Learning in the Community program
One of the most popular federal work study positions at Washburn is with Learning in the Community (LinC): The Center for Community and Civic Engagement’s Community Corps program. Each year, LinC places over 100 students with community-based sites where individuals can engage in work that matches their academic, professional and/or personal interests and approximately 50 of those students are LinC Community Corps members.
LinC fosters relationships with a variety of non-profit organizations and local schools to ensure that they have student employee positions that fit most, if not all, of the available majors at Washburn University. If you use federal work study with LinC, you have an opportunity to get an added academic accomplishment on your transcript for your community-based work through the Community Service Washburn Transformational Experience program.
In other words, if you are looking for a federal work study position where you can get real world, hands-on experience in your field (or explore a field you think you are interested in) while making a difference in the community and be recognized academically for your work, LinC is the place to be!
For more information about the unique opportunities available within your major and/or area of interest, contact Kristine Hart.

Student Spotlight: A LinC Success Story
A sophomore from Palo Alto, California, Patty Hernandez-Lopez epitomizes what it means to be a student employee and a LinC Bonner Scholar at Washburn. Having already earned her CNA at Washburn Tech, Patty who is a first-generation Ichabod Success student, has taken advantage of Washburn's student employment opportunities with the LinC program to get hands-on, paid experience before applying to Washburn's School of Nursing.
“I think I’ve always had it in my mind that I was going to be a nurse because when I was younger my mom had a lot of medical issues,” she said. “She had a brain aneurism and had two leg surgeries and a history of blood clots so ever since I was like 8 years old I knew I wanted to be a nurse.”
For the past year Patty, has worked at the Pine Ridge Family Health Center, helping the center expand its outreach in the community. This past spring and summer she organized and ran an HPV clinic through Pine Ridge. She also works to translate the center’s materials from English to Spanish to improve the accessibility of the services. Kristine Hart, Patty's on-campus supervisor, states, "after only one year with the program, I have seen Patty really start to become more outgoing and she is constantly taking on new challenges and opportunities with her site."
Her experience working through LinC, which places students in off-campus organizations and non-profits, has helped mold her plans after graduation. Patty stated that after graduation her plan is to either work at a hospital or a smaller clinic, similar to Pine Ridge, where she can help low income communities.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Federal work study is a student financial aid program for eligible undergraduate students with unmet financial need. With federal work study, students can get a job on campus and earn money through working. Paychecks can be used for educational, living, and/or other expenses. Funds are not directly applied to tuition, fees, or remaining balances.
**It is important that you complete FAFSA as early as possible. The FAFSA is available for the next academic year on October 1. The earlier it’s completed, the more need-based aid you may receive. **
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GET IN TOUCH WITH Financial Aid
Financial Aid Office
1700 SW College Ave.
Topeka, KS 66621
Phone & Email
Ph: 785-670-1151
Fax: 785-670-1079
financialaid@washburn.edu
