Work Study
The Work Study Program offers part-time, paid on-campus employment to eligible undergraduate students attending Carleton. The program offers students the opportunity to earn money while leaning, to develop workplace knowledge and skills, and explore how their academic studies translate to career possibilities.
Table of Contents
Eligibility
The following requirements must be met to be eligible for the program:
- Must be applying and receiving student assistance for the fall/winter session
- Example: OSAP/loans, government student aid/loans from another province
- Must demonstrate financial need as determined by the Awards Office
- Must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
- A limited number of international students may also participate in the program, subject to the availability of funds.
- Must be in an undergraduate degree program and remain registered in a 60% course load (1.5 credits per term)
- a 40% course load (1.0 credit per term) for students with disabilities registered with the Paul Menton Centre.
- Must be making satisfactory academic progress.
Application
Students must apply to participate in the Work Study Program each year and be approved by the Awards Office before they can be hired. Funding and space in the program is limited and applications are assessed on a first-come-first-served basis.
- The application opens on September 1 for the upcoming school year.
It is important for you to complete and submit your application as soon as possible. Incomplete applications will not be considered. The Work Study Application can be found on Carleton Central:
- Under “Student Services”, Awards and Financial Assistance>Undergraduate Online Application Forms>Other financial aid applications (e.g. OSAP Summer Extension Form, Work Study etc.)
Note:
The application for 2024-2025 is now closed.
The application for the 2025-2026 academic year will open September 1, 2025.
Student approval communication process
Please monitor the status of your application on Carleton Central and check your Carleton email regularly for information regarding your Work Study application.
Students who are approved to participate in the program will be instructed to retrieve and print their Certificate of Approval from Carleton Central.
Applying to Work Study positions
Students who have been approved to participate in the program will be able to view and apply to Work Study Jobs posted on the “mySuccess” portal via Carleton Central. Only students with a valid Certificate of Approval will be given access to view Work Study Jobs at the student dashboard Work Study side menu.
Career Services offers resume review sessions to provide feedback on resumes and help you get your resume ready to apply for Work Study positions.
Types of Jobs Available
Jobs include working in the library and academic departments and in various areas within student services. Work Study job postings are limited to internal Carleton employers. You may even work in an area related to your field of study.
Amount of Money you can Earn
As a participant in the Work Study Program, you may work up to a maximum of 192 hours and earn up to a maximum of $3,450 for the fall/winter session.
- The work study hourly wage is $17.20/hour plus vacation pay.
Other Jobs at Carleton
Visit the Career Services website for more information.
Information for Employers
The Work Study Program is a financial aid program funded by Carleton University. It is intended to supplement the resources of undergraduate students who are in financial need and have the fewest financial options by providing part-time employment with the university. It is important to note that approval to participate in the program rests with the student and not with the potential employer.
- Students must apply to participate in the Work Study program each year and be approved by the Awards Office before they can be hired as a work study student.
The Awards Office works in partnership with Career Services to administer the Work Study job posting process. If your department is considering hiring a work study student for the Fall/Winter session, please see CUHire, Career Services’ online employer portal for general information on how the program works and posting a position. Job postings are limited to internal Carleton employers. Given the volume of positions for the Work Study program, we reserve the right to limit the number of positions posted. There is no guarantee that all positions will be filled.
- Only those students who have been approved to participate in the Work Study program will be given access to view and apply to Work Study positions posted on the mySuccess portal via Carleton Central.
Work Study FAQ
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No – All of the approved Work Study positions are with Carleton University employers. Part of the advantage of a Work Study position is not having to leave campus and commute to an off-campus location. This can help you make the most of the time you spend on campus.
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Yes, but you must do the following:
- Inform your current employer that you will be leaving and starting work within another unit.
- Get a summary of the number of hours you have already worked.
- Bring this summary to the Awards Office. We will need to adjust your profile and have you fill out some additional paperwork before you can be paid at your new job.
- Start working with your new unit.
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Work study applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Must be in an undergraduate degree program and
- registered in a 60% course load (1.5 credits per term) OR
- registered a 40% course load (1.0 credit per term) for students with disabilities registered with the Paul Menton Centre.
- Must be applying and receiving government student assistance such as OSAP or student aid/loans from another province (excluding visa students who are not eligible to apply for government assistance)
- Must demonstrate financial need as determined by the Awards Office.
- Must be in an undergraduate degree program and
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- As a participant in the Work Study Program, you may work up to a maximum of 192 hours and earn up to a maximum of $3,450 for the fall/winter session.
- The work study hourly wage is $17.20/hour plus vacation pay.
- As a participant in the Work Study Program, you may work up to a maximum of 192 hours and earn up to a maximum of $3,450 for the fall/winter session.
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Every year, there are more employers who want to hire Work Study students than there are students who are approved for the program. We have a limited fund for Work Study and unfortunately, cannot fund everyone. You must be approved for the program before you can work in a Work Study job.
In this case, your best course of action would be to visit Career Services and explore other part-time employment opportunities.
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The Work Study program is a financial aid program funded by Carleton University. Through this program, you can earn extra money through valuable work experience while in school. If you do not have sufficient student loan funds to pay all your education-related costs, you may be eligible to participate in Work Study.
Don’t forget that while you’re in school, your first priority is your school work. If you’re wondering if you can balance your academic and work life, consider attending one of the skill development workshops that focus on note-taking, time management or balancing work, school and life offered by the Centre for Student Academic Support .
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Jobs include working in the library, academic departments, and various areas within student services. You may even work in an area related to your field of study.
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The Work Study application form is available on Carleton Central.
- Awards & Financial Assistance > Undergraduate Online Application Forms > Other Financial Aid Applications: Work Study
- The form will be available on September 1st. The application will close once the program is full.
- It is important for you to complete and submit the application as soon as possible.
- Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Note: Space in the program is limited and applications are assessed on a first-come-first-served basis. We will close the program early if we have allocated all the available funding before the application deadline.
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Applications will be assessed throughout the month of September and you will be advised if you have been approved or not by email (check your Carleton email account). You may also monitor the status of your application on Carleton Central.
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Although the Awards Office will not be able to fund you working for the university through the Work Study Program, Carleton University offers many different areas for students to seek part-time employment opportunities. Check Career Services’ online job boards on mySuccess (login via Carleton Central) to view and apply for internships and seasonal, part-time, and other job opportunities. As well, some departments will post jobs on their office door/bulletin board. If there is a department/service area where you are interested in working, inquire directly to them to see if they are hiring.