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Work-Study Program
The Federal Work-Study (FWS) Program provides jobs for students who need earnings to meet a portion of their educational expenses. It is awarded as part of your financial aid package. The work-study allotment is not credited to a student’s account.
Work-study positions are available in various Hilbert departments and offices, such as the offices of the President, Student Life, and the reception area. The college also offers off-campus positions with public or private non-profit agencies and community organizations. Work-study students receive a paycheck every two weeks with normal withholding. Students are limited to 20 hours per week during the academic period and 40 hours per week during all breaks.
The primary benefit to the work-study student is that the income from this type of employment is exempt from the income reported on the subsequent year’s financial aid form. If a student works beyond the dollars offered through work-study, the additional income will have to be reported on the subsequent financial aid form.
The Office of Student Finance coordinates work-study employment opportunities available to students on-campus. Additional information may be obtained by contacting the office at 716-649-7900 or studentfinance@hilbert.edu.
Stafford Loan / Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP)
The Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) is a set of guaranteed federal student loan programs that include the Federal Stafford Loan (subsidized and unsubsidized) and the Federal PLUS (Parent Loan) programs. While students apply for these loans through the college, the source of funds for these programs is from various lending institutions (banks, credit unions).
It’s important to understand the terms "subsidized" and "unsubsidized" when discussing the loan programs. A subsidized loan means the federal government pays the interest to the lender while the student is attending college and during other periods when the borrower is not required to make payments. Once in repayment, students are then responsible for paying the interest on the loan. An unsubsidized loan means that the federal government does not pay the interest on behalf of the student. Instead, the borrower pays all the interest that accrues throughout the life of the loan, including the interest that accrues while the borrower is enrolled as a student. The borrower can pay the interest as it accrues or have it capitalized (added to the principal amount of the loan). Another major difference with the unsubsidized loan is that the expected family contribution (EFC) is not taken into consideration when determining eligibility. This has allowed many students who did not meet the eligibility requirements of a subsidized Federal Stafford Loan due to a large family contribution to apply for a loan under the unsubsidized calculation.
Additional unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loan eligibility is available for independent students and for certain dependent students (whose parents are denied the parent loan).
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG)
The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) Program provides grant funds for exceptionally needy students who have not yet earned a bachelor's or professional degree.
Pell Grants
The Federal Pell Grant Program provides "gift" assistance to undergraduates who have not yet earned a bachelor’s degree. It is an entitlement award which is not dependent upon the availability of funds at a particular institution. The annual amount of a student's Pell Grant depends in part on the amount that Congress appropriates for the program.
Perkins Loan Program
The Perkins Loan Program is a low-interest loan (currently 5%) offered to students with exceptional financial need.
PLUS Program
The Federal PLUS Loan Program is designed for parents of dependent students and allows them to borrow federal money to help pay the cost of attending college.
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Federal Aid