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Off-Campus Work-Study Regulatory Training

Off-Campus Work-Study Regulatory Training

work-study programs

Work-Study is:

  • Combined of two programs (Federal Work-Study and Carolina Works)
    • Federal work-study is a Title IV financial aid program that provides part-time employment opportunities to students who demonstrate financial need
    • Carolina works mirrors the Federal Work-Study program through use of institutional funding for students with demonstrated financial need to create additional work opportunities
  • Offered to students annually based on their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
    • Students indicate interest in the program on their FAFSA
    • It can also be requested by students who have demonstrated need if funds are available, even if they originally said no to the interest question
  • Funded by a combination of federal, state, and institutional funding and is subject to regulations imposed by all three
  • A way to help defray costs of higher education, allowing them to earn a paycheck and minimize borrowing

Employers will:

  • Be advised during the hiring process if your students position is Federal Work-Study or Carolina Works
    • The hiring message will include the correct chartfield string for wage match
  • Be required to participate in a 35% wage match
    • Off-Campus organizations will pay the students 100% of earnings upfront and submit monthly invoices to Thomas Harper via a completed off-campus workbook.
      • We will send monthly reminders to submit the invoices, supervisors who continuously do not submit invoices in a timely manner may be removed from the program.
      • Failure to provide completed and correct workbooks may result in off-campus agencies not receiving reimbursement.
      • At the time of your site visit, the workbook excel template will be explained for complete transparency.
  • Be required to have positions approved by OSSA and be posted in the JobX database to ensure eligibility
    • Positions need to provide students with opportunities to develop professional skill sets and correspond with academic, professional, and personal interests.
    • Students hired without authorization will have earned wages charged directly to the hiring department.

Employment can be:

  • On-campus with offices, departments, professional schools, auxiliary services, etc.
  • Off-campus with approved non-profit community agencies
  • Remote or in-person based on the supervisor preference
  • Assigned an hourly wage rate set by the employer and paid bi-weekly via direct deposit
  • Changed due to a student receiving undeclared funding
    • If an amount needs to be revised you will be notified
  • Changed due to nearing their maximum award offer limit
    • Notifications will be sent to student and supervisor
    • Earnings in excess of the award amount are the responsibility of the hiring department

Eligibility Information

Time Period: Information:
Fall Semester Work may begin on the first day of the first payroll following summer work-study operations and must stop on/before the last day of fall exams for Fall-only positions and students who are not enrolled in the Spring term
Winter Break Work between semesters is ONLY ALLOWED for students enrolled in both Fall & Spring classes who are employed in a WS position for Fall & Spring
Spring Semester Work may start on the first day of spring classes for Spring-only students and must stop on/before the last day of spring exams for all Fall & Spring and Spring-only positions
Summer Terms FWS funding is not available for Summer

CWS program funding remaining at the end of Spring can be used to fund a summer work-study program.  Notifications are released in mid Spring if funding is available

Student Breaks Students may work during intra-semester breaks provided a registered supervisor is present when student is working
University Holidays Work IS NOT permitted during university holidays when departments are closed.

If the department is open and a registered WS Supervisor is present, students can work during university holidays on a voluntary basis

Well-Being Days Students may work during Well-Being Days provided a registered supervisor is present when student is working. Supervisors and students are recommended to discuss and agree upon a work schedule during Well-Being days.
  • Only (a) full-time, permanent, faculty and staff, (b) approved nonprofit community service partners, and (c) part-time employees with an employment expiration date later than the end of the student’s employment term may supervise students through the WS program
  • Graduate students and temporary employees are not eligible to be WS Supervisors
  • The primary supervisor must be registered on JobX as the position manager.  An unlimited number of other supervisors can register as secondary supervisors
  • We strongly recommend having a one or more secondary supervisors for times when the primary supervisor is unavailable (e.g. ill, in meetings, on vacation).  If the primary supervisor is absent and no secondary supervisor is listed, students can not work
  • If a WS supervisor leaves, we must be notified to be able to communicate with the department and update Jobx. Notify WS by email right away and have the new supervisor complete the new supervisor request form
  • Students may hold only one WS position at a time but may be simultaneously employed in other non-WS positions
  • Students are part-time employees and are not permitted to work more than 20 hours per week. 10-12 hours per week is average
  • Driving is not permissible as part of a work-study job– this includes state vehicles and personal vehicles
  • Studying is strictly prohibited while on the job: work-study is not a form of paid study time
  • Students are required to document their attendance, usually through a sign-in/sign-out protocol involving the TIM system.  Supervisors are required to verify that the student was working during recorded times

Classification and Compensation

In compliance with federal regulations, OSSA has established a Job Classification System (JCS) to assist supervisors with determining equitable compensation based on job requirements

  • The JCS differentiates among knowledge, skill level, ability, and recognizes the wide array of job responsibilities
  • The JCS permits supervisors to equitably classify students based on the level of complexity of the job and qualifications of the individual student across the entire WS program
  • We have embedded a tool on the job posting page to help you determine a fair compensation rate for your WS student. Simply select the options that are most representative of your WS student, and we will use that information to suggest a fair compensation rate.
Level: Description:
Level 1 ($7.25-$10) No experience/previous training required;

Position performs routine tasks with minimal responsibility; Position may require demonstrated ability to successfully interact with the public;

Student employee works in a well-supervised setting/takes little-to-no independent action

Level 2 ($10.05-13.00) Little or moderate experience, technical knowledge, or previous training is necessary;

Special instruction may be necessary for some aspects of position; Student employee must demonstrate ability to learn new tasks and work independently with moderate/limited supervision

Level 3 ($13.05-16.00) Moderate to substantial experience, technical knowledge, or previous training/certification necessary; Student employee possess high level of competency with specialized skill and readily demonstrates independent judgment, decision-making ability, and/or the ability to work responsibly with little-to-no direct supervision;

Previous work experience at a lower level within the same department may be required

Level 4 ($16.05-$18.00) Level 3 scope plus position requires an individual who possesses substantial experience, advanced technical knowledge, and previous training/certification; Student may be expected to manage technologies/equipment, research, analyses, publications, instruction, or other special projects or activities of significant scope ;

Student may work with extremely limited supervision on a regular basis

  • We strongly recommend that you set up the appointment between the student and your management or HR Representative and do so prior to the anticipated first day of work.
  • Once the proper onboarding training and set up has been completed:
    • Students may begin work on the first day listed in our program calendar.
    • Please do not let your students begin work before this time! Employment before this date will not be reimbursed to the employer.

The WS team will contact students and their supervisors if one of the following conditions is true:

  • A student’s total earnings is within $550 of their FWS award
  • A student’s total earnings have exceeded their FWS award