Hiring student employees

A student employee is a part-time employee who is concurrently enrolled at UMass Dartmouth with the primary goal of achieving a degree. Both undergraduate and graduate students must be registered in a degree (not certificate) program. Thus, the employment is interim or temporary in nature and is incidental to the pursuit of obtaining a degree.

Federal Work-Study (FWS) is part of a student’s financial aid package. Eligibility for campus-based financial aid, including FWS, is based on the information filed on the student’s financial aid application (FAFSA). The amount of the student’s FWS award depends on the student’s financial need and available funds.

If necessary, the Financial Aid Office may adjust or cancel a student’s FWS award at any time during the academic year in order to meet these criteria.

If a student earns more than the amount of his or her FWS award, the excess amount will be paid in full by the employing department. You may opt to continue employing the student by preparing a non-work-study hiring form, paying through departmental funds.

You can calculate FWS hours using this formula: 

amount of semester work award ÷ pay rate ÷ number of weeks in semester = average number of hours to work each week

The deadline to submit Federal Work-Study hiring requests is October 1 for the fall semester, and the Friday before spring break for the spring semester.

Positions may be on-campus or off-campus. Federal Work-Study-eligible students may work at off-campus agencies or organizations while working through the Community Service Learning Program (CSLP); see below for more details.

Seven percent of the Federal Work-Study money allocated to UMass Dartmouth must be spent in community service jobs on- or off-campus, which provide a direct or indirect service to the community outside of the university. Your assistance is appreciated to ensure our compliance with this requirement.

CSLP jobs must be designed to improve the quality of life for community residents, particularly low-income individuals, or to solve problems related to their needs. These services include:

• Fields such as health care, literacy training, education (including tutorial services), welfare, social service, public safety, crime prevention and control, recreation, rural development, and community improvement.
• Support services for students with disabilities (including students with disabilities who are enrolled at UMass Dartmouth).
• Activities in which the FWS student serves as a mentor for tutoring. 
• Work in service opportunities or youth corps.

All student job placements need to be posted on Corsair Jobs via the JobX site for approval by the Office of Student Employment. 

After the hiring request has been approved, the supervisor and the student employee will receive an autogenerated notification via email. This is NOT a notification to begin work! If this is the student's first job on campus, they will need to submit an I-9 form in person with proof(s) of identification. Once complete, their placement will be forwarded to payroll to be assigned an employee ID. The position must also get budgetary approval from the department that posted the job. A second email message to begin work and access to HR Direct will be sent when the hiring process is complete.

The hiring process for international students can be lengthy if they arrive to the US and need to apply for and be issued a social security number (this can take between 2-4 weeks). International students need to submit a significant amount of tax documentation that MUST include the issued social security number and proof of identity. Supervisors need to understand that the overall hiring process for an international student could take anywhere from 4-8 weeks when establishing a start date for their placement.

All hiring periods end with the fiscal year on June 30, and a new placement must be submitted for the hiring period beginning July 1 (unless the position is grant funded; then crossing fiscal periods is allowed). A Change Form cannot be used in this instance. You will need to submit two placements for any student working from June through August: one form for the period through June 30 and a second beginning July 1. The recommended policy is to hire only enrolled students for the summer employment period.

Federal Work Study And Non-Work Study

• Level 1-  $15.00 - $15.99
• Level 2 - $16.00 - $16.99
• Level 3 - $17.00 - $17.99
• Level 4 - $18.00 - $18.99  

Technical/Specialized Skills 

• Level 5 - $19.00 - $19.99
• Level 6 - $20.00 - $20.99
• Level 7 - $21.00 - $21.99 
• Level 8 - $22.00 - $22.99 

Level 1 - Entry level, no experience needed. Requires direct supervision.

Level 2 - Previous experience or knowledge needed. Can work with moderate supervision.

Level 3 - Proficiency, specialized knowledge or experience needed. Can work independently with little supervision.

Level 4 - Demands highly specialized skill and/or knowledge. Can work independently with little supervision.

• No student may work more than eight hours per day or twenty hours per week when school is in session for one or any combination of departments. There are no exceptions. The eight hours per day or twenty hour per week limit applies during the academic year employment periods. The average student works four to six hours per week, depending on the requirements of the position.
• When school is not in session, students may work eight hours per day or forty hours per week (maximum).
• Students employed through Federal Work-Study (FWS) are allowed to work more than one job, but only one job through FWS. 
• Students may not begin work until their hiring placement is processed and they have been notified of their access to HR Direct.
• Stipend-based positions: These positions have hours associated with them, even though they are not based on hourly wages. A stipend is payment for work performed, and therefore must be viewed as part of the 20-hour limit for when school is in session, and, for international students, as considered by Department of Homeland Security regulations. Undergraduate students are not eligible for stipend positions.

The Student Employment Office recommends that you interview qualified candidates before hiring. This is an opportunity to inform each applicant about the position, including:

• job description; duties and expectations
• salary, hours, schedule
• department policies (dress code, time and attendance, confidentiality, reliability)

Remind students that the failure to adhere to department and university policies may result in dismissal. Be certain that the duration of the employment you advertise accurately reflects your department's commitment to retain the student employee. Be prepared to provide the proper training and supervision necessary for adequate job performance.

Once you have made the decision to hire a student applicant, Corsair Jobs streamlines the hiring process by providing the student with the forms he or she will need to complete. Note that some forms will also require your electronic signature and/or approval.

Remember that students will not be paid for their work until all required forms are completed and submitted to the Student Employment Office. It is illegal for students to work before their hiring form has been submitted and processed.