Federal Work-Study at Otis College Expands Off-Campus Jobs Aligned with Students’ Studies

Access and opportunities are expanding across Los Angeles for Otis students.

Federal Work-Study (FWS) has long supported Otis College students through paid jobs that build their professional experience while helping them offset educational costs. A need-based financial aid program, FWS allows students to earn money through part-time employment while enrolled in school, with an emphasis on work related to a student’s course of study.

Otis students supported by FWS have worked in on-campus jobs in various departments and also with several external community organizations, including Armory Center for the Arts, Inglewood Open Studios, Inner-City Arts, Pulse Arts, Rediscover Center, Side Street Projects, and Venice Arts, among others.

Over the past few years, Otis has seen significant growth in both the scale and reach of its Federal Work-Study program. During this period, several offices, including Interdisciplinary Studies, Student Employment, Financial Aid, and Payroll, have worked together to manage program operations and expand the number of students participating in paid roles.

Student and Alumni Success

Camila Diaz, a current Illustration senior and Career Peer Ambassador, interned at the Armory Center for the Arts through FWS during the 2024–2025 year. In fall 2025, Diaz was hired by the organization and later promoted to a part-time staff role as Artist Assistant.

"The Federal Work-Study program is wonderful for Otis students who want to discover a career path aligned with their creative goals in the industry while being compensated for their valuable work,” says Diaz. “When I interned at the Armory, I was introduced to so many avenues that promoted arts education accessibility, which inspired me to enroll in the Art and Design Education minor at Otis to continue my journey as an educator."

“The program was a great opportunity for me,” says alum Albert Valdez ('10 BFA Fine Arts). Valdez started working at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) as an Otis FWS student and has continued to work there post-graduation. Valdez is now the Manager of Mobile Programs at LACMA.

“It allowed me to work at an art institution I cared deeply about while being paid for my services,” says Valdez. “It gave me the chance to prove myself and opened the door to a career in museum education that I would not have otherwise had access to."

Funding and Student Participation

Changes in Federal Work-Study participation at Otis have occurred alongside adjustments in funding allocations. During the 2024–2025 academic year, Financial Aid requested and received $75,000 in earmarked funding for off-campus FWS roles. Student participation successfully increased over 20 percent during this time.

Participation has continued to rise into the 2025–2026 academic year with growth fueled by an increase in funding. Student participants in FWS increased by 53 percent, with more than 140 student employees supported through the program.

Due to campus-wide awareness efforts and increased funding, partnerships with off-campus employers have also blossomed. The number of students placed in community-based FWS internships in 2025 nearly doubled from the previous year. In addition, some students have begun exploring how the College’s new Internship Equity Fund can be a supplemental resource to FWS funding.

College-Wide Support

An important development in Otis’s FWS program has been the implementation of a transportation reimbursement policy for off-campus roles, which compensates students for reasonable travel time associated with community service employment.

Travel reimbursements went into effect during the 2024–2025 academic year.

To keep students up-to-date and increase awareness of the FWS program, the College hosts a fall event designed to introduce students to available FWS roles and to meet with potential off-campus partners.

Federal Work-Study at Otis College continues to support students through paid opportunities relevant to their studies thanks to valuable partnerships with arts, education, and community-based organizations across Los Angeles.

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