Department of Human Resources & Equal Opportunity

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• Overview of Eligibility for Student Employment
• Biweekly Timesheets and Payroll Schedule
• Employee Self-Service
• Administrative Policy - Student Employment

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Comments: Judith S. Karon
Webmaster: Lita C. Wallace
External Access: 36758

Supervisor's Handbook

Index

Types of Student Employment at UMD
Work-Study
Miscellaneous Employment
Eligibility for Student Employment
Work Limitations
Shift Differential
Job Classifications
Student Job Families
Job Descriptions
Pay Rates for College Work-Study
Recommended Salary Ranges
Example of Overall Numbering Scheme for Student Position
Stipends
Posting a Job Vacancy
Hiring Procedures
I-9 Regulations and Procedure
Racial/Ethnic Form
W-4 Forms
Academic Credit for Work-Study

Types of Student Employment

Work-Study

To qualify for Work-Study funding, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year. Every student is encouraged to file for financial aid by completing the FAFSA. The work-study dollars are funded from a combination of federal and/or state (75%) and institutional (25%) funds. Departmental budgets are charged for the institutional share automatically with each payroll.

Both undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at least half time may qualify for a Work-Study award. Undergraduate students with Work-Study earnings in the prior year are automatically re-awarded if they continue to meet the general eligibility requirements for the program. Incoming freshmen students are awarded based on their date of application until freshmen funding for the Work-Study awards runs out. Graduate students are awarded upon request from the student. All students not awarded Work-Study in their initial financial aid offer can request an award at the Student Assistance Center.

Students are notified of their award eligibility in their Financial Aid Award Notice. Students accepting their awards receive a letter explaining the program, and their Work-Study Referral Form, the first time they are awarded Work-Study funding. Whenever possible, the referral forms for students that are re-awarded from a prior year are sent directly to the student’s last known employer. Students are instructed to complete their referral with their employer when they complete or update their payroll documents.

A student with a work-study award may hold more than one work-study position. The student may also hold a miscellaneous student employment position while also working under the Work-Study Program. For a student to work more than one Work-Study position, the student needs to complete a Work-Study Request Form at the Student Assistance Center indicating how their award will be split between their employers. The student will receive a new Work-Study Referral Form for each additional employer at that time, indicating the total amount of their award that the employer will be able to use. The student’s original employer will receive a Change in Work-Study Award Notice from the Office of Financial Aid and Registrar to document the change to the initial award amount.

The original referral form is completed by the student and their employer then submitted to the Business Office with the Personnel Action Document (PAD) and Human Resources Information Form (HRIF) documents for processing. Employers should keep a copy of the student’s referral form for their files. The Business Office forwards the original referral to the Office of Financial Aid and Registrar once they complete the student’s payroll record.

Work-Study awarded students are the only students who may be hired on Work-Study payroll, using sub-object 50. Please note, for the automatic reimbursement payroll process to work as payrolls post, the student must be paid using sub-object 50.

Each student’s earning is limited to the amount of the work-study award stated on the referral (work permit). The referral documents the student’s total award amount, the terms the award is for and the dates the award may be used. Most students’ awards are for both fall and spring semesters. The department should not use more than half the student’s award during fall semester without checking with the Work-Study Coordinator to determine what the student’s fall semester maximum earnings can be; in the rare event the student loses eligibility after fall semester ends.

Departments that wish to allow a student to earn over the total award amount are automatically billed via the payroll system for the amount over the award. Departments are strongly encouraged to contact the Work-Study Coordinator before a student’s award runs out to find out if the student qualifies for additional funding.

NOTE: Work-Study awards may not be used to pay a student holiday or overtime pay. If a student must be paid holiday or overtime pay, use sub-object 20 when entering these types of pay.

Employers can monitor their Work-Study student’s payroll activity via the following EDMS reports:

WS DEPT-MISSING ITEM TYPES: this report identifies your Work-Study student employees whose job records are not properly placed to the student’s Work-Study award. If a student’s Work-Study award is not placed to the correct Job Record, your department account will not automatically be reimbursed as payroll pots.

WS DEPT-MAXIMUM ALLOCATION: this report identifies students that have run out of their Work-Study funding.

WS DEPT-ZERO DISTRIBUTIONS: this report identifies students that were paid with sub-object 50 that do not have a job record payroll distribution previously set up for sub-object 50 pay entry, and student records where their Work-Study award ran out during a prior pay period.

WS DEPT-HSA ADJUSTMENTS: this report shows all Historical Salary Adjustments (HSA) that posted with that payroll including your department’s 75% Work-Study reimbursement and any earnings charged back to sub-object 20 via the payroll system.
If you identify a pay entry error or a payroll that did not get reimbursed because the student’s record appears on the Missing Item Type report, contact the Work-Study Coordinator to request that the payroll be updated and reimbursed manually with an HSA. Only the Work-Study Coordinator has access to process HSA’s that involve sub-object 50 for the Duluth campus.

Employers should monitor payrolls s they occur, and need to submit any requests for payroll corrections and updates within the fiscal year end deadlines each year. The Office of Financial Aid and Registrar cannot retroactively reimburse your department once the fiscal year deadlines have passed and Work-Study reports have been submitted to the U.S. Department of Education and the MN Offices of Higher Education.

Miscellaneous Employment

Job posting and hiring procedures are the same for miscellaneous employment.

Eligibility for Student Employment

To be eligible for student employment, a student must be registered for a minimum number of credits each semester, as follows:

• 6 credits per semester (at least half-time)

• 3 credits in graduate school (or thesis only)

• 6 credits as a non-degree-seeking student (eligible for miscellaneous employment but not eligible for work-study)

• 6 credits total during the May and/or summer terms

Students must be enrolled to receive work-study funds. Students enrolled for a minimum of 6 credits spring semester, and who will return fall semester, may be employed under miscellaneous employment during the summer term without summer enrollment.

Students who graduate, leave school, or who fail to meet registration requirements shall lose eligibility for student employment. Student employees who lose student employment eligibility must be terminated from student employment immediately.

Work Limitations

Federal and State regulations state that college work-study students may never work more than 40 hours per week. Institutional Policy states that student employees may never work more than 40 hours per week.

Federal and State regulational as well as Institutional Policy state that students cannot work during scheduled class time. To assure that students are not working during a scheduled class period, we recommend that hiring departments ask students to bring a copy of their course registration when setting up their work schedule.

Work-study students cannot be used to replace civil service bargaining and non-bargaining unit employees.

Total earnings per student as stated on the Referral (work permit) must be observed. The employer is encouraged to carefully monitor the student's earnings because excess earnings may jeopardize the student's other financial aid. If a student's earnings go beyond the work-study award, excess earnings will be charged to the employer's account.

Work-Study award terms and eligible pay period dates are indicated on the student's Work-Study Referral form. Students with awards for fall and spring semesters are intended to be earned evenly over the course of the academic year; half of the award earned in fall semester, half earned in spring semester.

Students that did not earn half their award during fall semester can make up the earnings during spring semester.

Exceptions can be made on a case by case basis if a student and their employer wish to use more than half of an academic year award during fall semester. Employers can submit a written request for such an exception to:

Work-Study Coordinator
Office of Financial Aid & Registrar
184 DadB

or fax it to 218-726-8219

Include the student's name and Student ID# in the request. You do not need to provide an explanation for the request.

The Office of Student Employment and the Department of Student Financial Aid will closely monitor overawards. Although there is an overaward tolerance when Stafford Loans are not involved, it will not be permissible for students to earn over their allocated awards.

Federal regulations permit payment of work-study students only for hours actually worked. If the University is officially closed for emergency reasons, such as severe weather or for official holidays, work-study students cannot be paid on work-study payroll even if scheduled to work.

Students hired under miscellaneous employment do not have maximum earnings imposed.

Student employees paid on an hourly rate who are required to work on any official University holiday shall be paid at the rate of time and one-half for the hours worked. Student employees paid an hourly rate, who are not required to work or cannot work because their department is closed on any official University holiday, are not paid for the holiday.

Shift Differential

Student employees who are assigned to work regularly scheduled shifts of at least six hours in duration are eligible for a shift differential of $.60 per hour. These work shifts must begin before 6:00 a.m. or end on or after 7:00 p.m.

Job Classifications

The purpose of a job classification system is to recognize differences in job skills and job responsibilities and to establish a system of equitable pay for student employees. The Twin Cities Office of Human Resources has implemented a new job classification and compensation system called STUDENT BROADBANDING. This new simplified system replaced the old 240 student job classifications and pay rates with 11 job families and one broad pay band.

The new system enables hiring departments to design student positions that meet their unique needs in a timely manner. It provides guidelines and consulting services rather than rigid rules.

Job Descriptions

All jobs, whether work-study or miscellaneous student employment, must be entered into the official online employment system. The job descriptions should be generic, describing jobs, not individual employees.

Pay Rates for College Work-Study

Student earnings are determined by a set hourly wage and the number of hours worked. If employers have questions about hourly wages, they are advised to contact the UMD Department of Human Resources and Equal Opportunity/Student Employment.

Salary ranges are decided by the hiring authority with guidelines provided by Human Resources/Student Employment. This allows for flexibility to establish position and pay rates within job families; transfer control and accountability to hiring authorities; and provides maximum flexibility in giving salary increases to recognize merit, market or other compensable factors. Within each job family, a one (1), two (2), or three (3) will be assigned to denote the level of the position.

(1) Entry Level: Job duties typically require little or no previous training or experience; few if any specific skills are required; the necessary skills may be learned "on the job" within a short time; the work is usually routine in nature. Position is typically closely supervised.

(2) Intermediate Level: Job duties typically require previous training or experience; related course work and specific skills are often required and even though student has some training, an additional period of training may be required; the positions require greater responsibility than entry level. Positions may or may not be closely supervised and lead worker status may occur within this level.

(3) Advanced Level: Job duties typically require advanced education and/or technical skills; a high level of responsibility, training, experience and competence; the student receives general supervision/direction.

Example of Overall Numbering Scheme for Student Position

Department hires a student as an office assistant. Tasks performed are typically second level student support services, working as a receptionist at the main desk in residence hall settings, counseling residents on personal, social and academic matters.

Student undergraduate academic classifications, titles and numbers will remain the same as follows:

Student status

Stipends

Stipends are not an allowable form of payment for student employees. Each student employee must be paid an hourly rate. Work-study regulations require each position to have an assigned hourly pay rate and time sheet reflecting actual hours worked.

Posting a Job Vacancy

https://employment.umn.edu/

Hiring Procedures

Work-Study

Enter a Job Requisition in the online Employment system. Submit the requisition to the Employment Team for review and posting on the website. All college work-study positions must be approved by the Office of Student Employment which will review your requisition for the appropriateness of classification, pay rate, and other pertinent information.
You must have a College Work-Study Guidelines Agreement on file in our office. The Office of Student Employment will prepare and mail this agreement to all on-campus departments hiring college work-study students. This form is kept on file and does not have to be done on an annual basis. The only time a new agreement needs to be signed is when there is a new department head.
When a decision to hire has been made, contact the Human Resource Department for instructions on closing out the online requisition. Complete the Student Payroll Documentation and necessary hiring documents and forward to:
Business Office, 209 Darland Administration Building
• Student Payroll Document
• Human Resources Information and Racial/Ethnic Group Identification Form
• Work Study Referral Form
• I-9 document
• W-4

Miscellaneous Employment

Job posting and hiring procedures are the same for miscellaneous employment.

Announcements of all local vacancies shall be posted on the official website of the Office of Student Employment. Contact the Office of Student Employment, 726-7161, for posting and closing of positions.

I-9 Regulations and Procedure

I-9 Employment Authorization Requirements

The 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act requires all U.S. employers to verify the identity and work authorization or eligibility of all individuals, whether U.S. citizens or not.  The University of Minnesota uses I-9 eXpress—a web-based employment eligibility service—to enter, verify, document, and ensure employment eligibility for all new employees.  All new employees, including student employees, must complete an I-9 form (online) within the first three (3) days of employment. 

For more information on I-9 Employment Authorization Requirements, go to:
http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/payroll/international/i9/

Racial/Ethnic Form (on reverse side of HRIF Form)

The federal government requires this form for all employees. A new form is required every two years. Either the student or the employer can complete this form. Students cannot be paid until this form is on file with the payroll office in Minneapolis. Screen 29 will show if a Racial/Ethnic form is on file.

W-4 Forms

Information provided on a W-4 form instructs Minneapolis Payroll of the appropriate and desired tax withholding for a particular student employee. This form needs to be completed only once when the student is first employed at this institution. The University attorneys have advised that we are not to assist students in completing this form. We are not tax consultants and could be held liable if an error is made. Have the student contact their parents' tax consultant, accountant, or the IRS. Note: If student files exempt status, they must complete a new form prior to February 15th each year.

Academic Credit for Work-Study

The fact that a student may receive academic credit from the work performed on a job does not automatically disqualify the job under college work-study, nor does it mean the student should receive any less pay; however, there are certain restrictions. If a student must complete an internship or practicum as part of his or her degree requirement and is not paid for doing so, the internship or practicum does not qualify under college work-study.

However, if students completing such a requirement are normally paid, a student may be employed under college work-study. A student may not be paid for receiving instruction in a classroom, laboratory or other academic setting. If a job is normally a paid position and an otherwise college work-study eligible job, a student could simultaneously receive academic credit and pay for the work performed. It is even possible for one student to be getting only credit, while a student co-worker receives both credit and pay. A student would not normally be paid from college work-study funds for such positions as student teaching because students are not normally paid for such work, and therefore they would not be "otherwise college work-study eligible positions."