Financial Aid & Awards
Work Study program

About the Work-Study Program

Overall Goal of the Program

Work-Study is designed to assist full-time Concordia University students, who are in financial need, to pursue their academic goals by providing part-time employment on campus (maximum 200 hours per term).

Job Availability:

Jobs are available during summer, fall and winter semesters of the current academic year. Available jobs are posted on our web site as per our schedule below:

  • Mid May: Jobs starting in the summer term (note some jobs may end in the summer, or continue through to fall and winter)
  • Mid August: Jobs starting in the fall term (note some jobs may end in fall, or continue through to the winter)
  • Mid December: Jobs starting and ending in the winter term

Hourly Rates:

The hourly rates of each job vary according to the complexity of the position:

  • $9.50 per hour for positions which require few special skills and little or no previous training.
  • $10.50 per hour for positions which require some previous training or experience, as well as some mechanical ability or manual dexterity.
  • $11.50 per hour for positions which require training or experience, independent judgement and considerable mental activity.

In order to be eligible to apply for employment in the Work-Study Program, a student must apply for a VALID WORK- STUDY AUTHORIZATION.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

General Eligibility Requirements:

Work-Study authorizations are granted to students who meet the following eligibility criteria:

  1. Financial need as demonstrated through a standardised needs test which is administered by the Financial Aid and Awards Office
  2. Must maintain course load (as described below) at Concordia University for the academic session(s) in which the Work-Study position is available

Undergraduate Students (including Independents):

  • Registration for the Summer session: May to August - 6 credits or more
  • Registration for the Fall session: September to December - 12 credits or more
  • Registration for the Winter session: January to April - 12 credits or more
  • Registration for both Fall and Winter sessions - 24 credits or more

Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma Students:

  • Registration for the Summer Session - 4 Credits or more
  • Registration for the Fall Session - 8 Credits or more
  • Registration for Winter Session - 8 Credits or more

Master and Doctoral Students:

Must have a Full-Time status on record, be registered in at least one course, or have either a Continuing in Program (CIP) or a Time Limit Extension notation on record, for the session in which the Work-Study authorization is applied for.

Independent Students at this level are considered part-time, therefore are not eligible.

Students with Disabilities:

Undergraduate level: Must be registered in at least 6 credits per term for each of the Summer, Fall and Winter semesters and must meet the eligibility requirements as defined by the Department of Aide Financière aux Études OR must be registered with Concordia University's Services for Disabled Students (in this latter case, a letter of recommendation from Services for Disabled Students is required, with specifics).

Graduate level: Must have part-time status for Graduate students who meet the eligibility requirements as defined by the Department of Aide Financière aux Études OR must be registered with Concordia University's Services for Disabled Students (in this latter case, a letter of recommendation from Services for Disabled Students is required, with specifics).

Single Parents are deemed full time:
When a single parent has the primary custody of a child who is under the age of 12 (the child must be under 12 as of September 30, 2008 for Summer Work-Study Authorizations and the child must be under the age of 12 as of September 30, 2009 for Fall and Winter Work-Study Authorizations) and if the parent pursues a minimum of 6 credits in a semester. Single parents with primary custody of a permanently disabled child (who is a student under the age of 21 as of September 30, 2008 for Summer Work-Study Authorizations and the child must be under the age of 21 as of September 30, 2009 for Fall and Winter Work-Study Authorizations) may also be deemed full time if they pursue a minimum of 6 credits in a semester.

International Students: Visa students (International Students) and International Students visiting Concordia University as incoming International Exchange Students applying for Work-Study authorization must meet the general Full-Time requirements, as outlined on page 2, and must pay Differential Fees.

In order for International Students to obtain a SOCIAL INSURANCE CARD from any HRDC office (required for payroll purposes), students NEED A WRITTEN WORK OFFER (letter from employer) and a student visa.

CATEGORIES OF WORK-STUDY PROGRAMS & AUTHORIZATIONS:

The Work-Study Program is funded by three different sources with different eligibility criteria. Consequently, there are three different categories of Work-Study Authorizations with different eligibility restrictions:

  1. CONCORDIA FUNDED PROJECTS (funded solely by Concordia) identified by the letter C in front of the project number. Student Work-Study Authorization must mention: ELIGIBLE FOR PROJECTS WHICH START WITH THE LETTER C

    Open to:
    • Canadian citizens and Permanent Residents
    • All international students
    • Undergraduate and graduate students
  2. QUEBEC-FUNDED PROJECTS (funded by the Department of Aide Financière aux Études of the Québec Ministry of Education -projects identified by the letter Q in front of the project number)

    Open to:
    • Canadian citizens and permanent residents who pay Quebec tuition fees AND have applied for Quebec student aid for the term(s) in which they are employed (This is a requirement from the funding source)
    • Undergraduate and graduate students
    Student Work-Study Authorization must mention: QUEBEC OR CONCORDIA FUNDED PROJECTS ONLY: ELIGIBLE FOR PROJECTS WHICH START WITH THE LETTER Q OR C

    Students in this category are Quebec resident students who pay Quebec tuition fees AND have applied for Quebec student aid for the term(s) in which they are employed (this is a requirement from the funding source).
  3. INTERNATIONAL FUNDED PROJECTS (funded by La Direction des Affaires Étudiantes et de la Coopération du Ministère de l'Education - projects identified by the letter I in front of the project number)

    Open to:
    • International students paying Differential Fees only International students paying Quebec tuition fees are not in this category (this is a requirement from the funding source)
    Student Work-Study Authorization must mention: INTERNATIONAL OR CONCORDIA FUNDED PROJECTS ONLY: ELIGIBLE FOR PROJECTS WHICH START WITH THE LETTER I OR C

    Students in this category are all International Students (Visa students) who pay differential fees. International Students paying Quebec tuition fees are not in this category (this is a requirement from the funding source).

    International Students who wish to work on campus must have a S.I.N. card and a valid study permit.

Please note that Eligibility criteria for items 2 and 3 are set by the Quebec Ministry of Education, not the Financial Aid & Awards Office.

HOW TO APPLY FOR A WORK-STUDY AUTHORIZATION:

Students are required to apply for a Work-Study Authorization by filling out an application form available at: MY CONCORDIA PORTAL. Simply log in to your file at http://www.myconcordia.ca/. On the menu to the left, choose 'Financial.' Once the 'Financial' menu comes up, click on 'Financial Aid and Awards.' Then select 'Web Applications.'

If you need to make corrections on your application, please go back to your application and follow the instructions.

(Submission of an application does not guarantee employment)

Students are required to apply for a Work-Study Authorization every academic year.

RECEIVING YOUR WORK-STUDY AUTHORIZATION:

Once your web application is opened and your registration information verified, you will receive an e-mail advising you if your lease or other documents have been received.

The lease requirement is a signed copy of your current lease (pages 1-4) which has not expired. Expired leases require a copy of the renewal of lease notification or a letter of attestation to the fact that you are still residing at the same address.

When all documentation is in the possession of the Work-Study Program, your application will be reassessed, automatically calculated and you will receive an e-mail confirmation of your acceptance into the Work-Study program.**

Initial receipt of your web application, follow up for missing documents and acceptance will take place within a two week time period.

**Students who do not meet registration or other requirements will be notified within three days.

Work-Study applications that are incomplete or lacking supporting documentation will not be processed.

Please be advised that once your financial need assessment is completed, you will be notified of your eligibility on MY CONCORDIA PORTAL. Simply log in to your file at http://www.myconcordia.ca/. On the menu to the left, choose 'Financial.' Once the 'Financial' menu comes up, click on 'Financial Aid and Awards.' Then select 'Work-Study Authorization' from the list in order to see the status of your application.

SEARCHING AND APPLYING FOR WORK-STUDY JOBS

Students are required to have a valid Work-Study Authorization before applying for jobs.

Students who have received a valid Work-Study Authorization apply directly to the hiring department for employment.

Available jobs will be posted on the web site (faao.concordia.ca/workstudy). Beside each job is a contact name and telephone number. When you contact an employer to set up a job interview, ask what documents you should have in your possession at the time of the interview.

Please ensure you are applying for the type of job that you have a valid Work-Study Authorization for (Concordia, Quebec or International).

Students may work either part or all of the summer, fall and winter terms for a maximum of 200 hours per term (students can work for more than one Work-Study employer as long as the total hours per term do not exceed 200 hours). The hourly wage is set between $9.50 and $11.50.

  1. Check the posting of available jobs on the web site: http://financialaid.concordia.ca/workstudy (refer to the Job Posting Schedule in General Information)
  2.  Contact the Project Supervisor listed on the posting for further information on the job.
  3. Please bring your class schedule when you go to the interview.

IMPORTANT:

The confirmation of your eligibility is based on your registration at the time of the assessment of your application. Please be advised that we will verify your registration at the time of your hiring and during the period of your employment. If you withdraw (DNE) from enough courses to change your status to a part-time student (check definitions of full-time student status on page 2), consequently, you will lose your eligibility to work.

Further Information:

For further information or documentation, please contact the Financial Aid and Awards Office at:

Telephone: (514) 848 - 2424 ext-7850
Email: workstudy@faao.concordia.ca

Our mailing address is:

Financial Aid and Awards Office
Room LB-085
Concordia University
1455 de Maisonneuve Boulevard West
Montreal, Quebec
H3G 1M8