Work Study Information for Students

Who is eligible to apply for Work Study approval?

  • Domestic undergraduate and graduate students:
    • Undergraduate students must be registered in a minimum of 1.5 academic credits (or 1.0 academic credits for students with a permanent disability or persistent or prolonged disability and registered with Student Accessibility Services) and graduate students must be registered in full-time studies for the study period applied.
    • Have a complete and error-free full-time OSAP (or applicable provincial/territory student assistance program) application on file even if the assessment indicates no approved OSAP (or equivalent) funds.
    • Have a valid social insurance number.
  • International undergraduate and graduate students:
    • Entering their second year of studies.
    • Undergraduate students must be registered full-time (minimum of 2.0 academic credits) for the study period applied.
    • Graduate students must be registered in full-time studies for the study period applied.

International students do not need a social insurance number to apply, however they must acquire a valid social insurance number once employed. See the hiring department’s payroll administrator for details.

What if I am not eligible?

There are many other work opportunities that exist for students who wish to work both on and off campus. For access to these work opportunities and for help with your own career planning and job search, please contact Co-operative Education & Career Services.

How do I apply for Work Study approval?

  • Submit a Financial Need Assessment Form (NAF). You will not able to apply for positions until you receive Work Study approval from the Awards Office, Student Financial Services.
  • Financial Need Assessment Forms are available two weeks before the start of each semester.
  • Deadline dates to submit the Financial Need Assessment Form are as follows.
    • Third Monday in January for Fall/Winter positions.
    • Third Friday in June for Summer positions.
  • The NAF can be printed from the 'Forms' page.
  • Completed applications can be scanned and emailed to awards@uoguelph.ca.

What happens after I submit my NAF?

Within 5 - 10 working days you will be notified by email of your eligibility to participate in the Work Study Program.

Once you receive the approval email from the Student Awards office, you can review the list of available jobs and apply through Experience Guelph. Please note that it can take 24 hours before your approval is registered with Experience Guelph giving you the access to apply.

How do I apply for jobs?

In order to apply for jobs, you must have an email approval from Student Financial Services to participate in the Work Study program.

Once approved, log in to Experience Guelph using your University of Guelph log in and select “On Campus Employment” from the left-hand menu. At the top of the screen under saved searches is “Work Study” – this will filter for all available Work Study positions.

Work Study positions are not guaranteed and are competitive. As part of your application, you will be required to upload a cover letter, resume and a PDF or JPG image of the email approval you received from Student Awards.

Please note that most supervisors are reviewing applications, requesting interviews, and offering employment as applications come in, regardless of the position closing date. Postings will be closed when all positions are filled. It is best to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

If you have questions about the Experience Guelph system, please contact the Experiential Learning Hub at experience@uoguelph.ca.

What do I need to know once I'm hired?

  1. Students must have a valid social insurance number.
  2. It is recommended that students do not work more than 10-15 hours per week.
  3. Students are not permitted to hold more than one Work Study job at the same time.
  4. Students hired under the Work Study Program are considered employees of the University of Guelph. Any questions concerning hours of work, payroll or personnel issues should be directed to their supervisor.