Hiring Process Basic Steps
Accept Federal Work-Study and Submit FWS/CWO Acknowledgement & Background Requirement
Accept Federal Work-Study on your Financial Aid Offer through the MySanDiego Portal. Complete and submit the FWS/CWO Acknowledgement and Background Requirement to the USD Office of Financial Aid within three weeks of the date you receive notification of their financial aid Award.
Search for a Position
Information about Federal Work-Study Job Opportunities will be posted the first week of August. You're encouraged to apply for open positions prior to arriving on campus. Continuing students may work in the department in which they worked the prior year, if requested by the supervisor.
Complete the Onboarding Process
Secure a Federal Work-Study position and complete the onboarding process. If you're employed at USD for the first time (or have not worked on campus within the last 12 months), you must successfully complete a background check and the onboarding process via Workday. You must complete all required new hire steps before you begin working or you risk having your assignment be terminated.
You will not be paid until all required information has been received by the Student Employment Center. Your supervisor will know when you are ready to work after they receive the FWS authorization email from the Student Employment Center.
In addition, you must have all financial aid requirements completed and processed. If you have any questions regarding your financial aid, contact us using the Torero Hub question form.
Very Important
You may not work prior to the first day of class, September 3, 2025.
To view and apply for a Federal Work-Study position, please visit Federal Work-Study Online Job Board
New Hires
If you have not worked within the last 12 months, a background check and new hire documents must be completed prior to beginning work.
Continuing/Previously Employed Students
From the supervisor perspective, "continuing/previously employed students" are defined as:
- Student employees that you have previously hired and wish to return to your department, or
- Students who you wish to hire who have worked on campus within the last 12 months.
Supervisors must notify the Student Employment Center of any students they would like to rehire for the upcoming academic year using the 2025-26 FWS Continuing/Previously Employed Students Form. The Student Employment Center will verify the student's eligibility and process the assignment through Workday. Both the supervisor and you will receive a series of emails asking to review and complete tasks in Workday prior to the assignment being activated. You are unable to begin working until all requirements are complete and you have received an authorization email from the SEC.