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On-Campus Work-Study Regulatory Training

On-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)
    • One Work-Study offer is given to a student for the Fall and Spring terms to use during either or both semesters. A Summer Work-Study offer is separate from a Fall Spring Work-Study offer, and they do not impact one another.
    • Unused Work-Study offers do not carry over into summer or following terms and unused Work-Study offers do not impact future Work-Study eligibility.
  • Funded by a combination of federal, state, and institutional funding and is subject to regulations imposed by all three
  • A way for students to help defray costs of higher education, allowing students to earn a paycheck and minimize borrowing, while offering supervisors a chance to employ student workers and only be responsible for paying 35% of their earnings
  • Flexible jobs designed by supervisors who understand school work comes first and want students to grow professionally.

Employers will:

  • Be required to participate in a 35% wage match using nonfederal funds
    • After you hire a Work-Study student in JobX, forward the JobX hiring message to your HR team to complete the Connect Carolina hiring record for the student. The JobX hiring message will provide the student award type and corresponding chartfield string to use, Work Study award allotment, and the mandatory start and end dates of employment.
    • The Office of Scholarships and Student Aid (OSSA) will pay 100% of students up-front wages per pay period. DO NOT split funding sources for the student. Solely list the chartfield string funding source provided on the JobX hiring message at 100% when completing the Connect Carolina hire.
    • After monthly reconciliation, OSSA creates invoices for the required wage match through the CBM system
      • Learn more about CBM:
      • CBM will process all pending invoices on the 14th of the month
        • Departmental business officers will have until the 22nd to adjust billing to non-default funding source (if needed). The CBM bill is the required 35% wage match and should be paid with nonfederal funds.
  • Be required to utilize the JobX system to hire Work-Study students at the start of each term
    • JobX is the only valid way to hire a Work-Study student. A new hire record is required in JobX for each Fall Spring term, and each summer term.
    • New and returning students both must apply and be hired in JobX at the start of each new term due to new financial aid packages. Each term and Work-Study offer operates independently.
    • You must provide the JobX hiring message at the start of each term to your HR team for a new Connect Carolina hire record. Students hired without JobX authorization will have earned wages charged directly to the hiring department.
  • 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.

Employment can be:

  • On-campus with offices, departments, professional schools, auxiliary services, etc.
  • Off-campus with approved non-profit community agencies
  • Remote, in-person, or with a hybrid schedule based on the supervisor’s preference
  • Assigned an hourly wage rate set by the employer and paid bi-weekly via direct deposit
    • The average packaging amount for a Fall Spring Work-Study offer is $3,500 for NC residents and Covenant students, for non-NC residents it is $3,800.
  • 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 date following summer Work-Study operations and must stop on/before the last day of the last payroll date for Fall-only positions and students who are not enrolled in the Spring term. Follow the program calendar for exact dates.
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 HR Representative/Shared Services Center and do so prior to the anticipated first day of work
  • Once your HR Representative/Shared Services Center has approved the student, the student is cleared for employment with the University, Students may begin work on the first day listed in our program calendar if all steps are complete. Please do not let your students begin work before this time!

Students will receive bi-weekly paychecks for hours worked approximately 12 days after the end of the pay period. Around 14 days after the end of the pay period, wage disbursement information is sent to the WS team and reconciliation of earnings begins.

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

Documentation and Termination

  • Hired WS students must complete all required payroll forms with the hiring department’s HR Representative/Shared Services Center & submit their employment verification form to their supervisor before they can begin working
  • Hired WS students are housed under the hiring department’s number for payroll purposes but the WS chartfield string is used as the funding source
  • Required payroll forms include NC-4, W-4, Direct Payroll Deposit Authorization, and Electronic I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification
  • All WS employees must use Kronos Time Information Management (TIM) System and complete TIM training before their first workday
  • WS students & supervisors are required to approve work hours on a biweekly basis before the department TIM Administrator performs the final sign-off; pay periods and dates can be found on the SHRA Biweekly Schedule
  • Complete WS training and provide all requested documentation to HR prior to beginning work
  • Establish a work schedule with supervisor
  • Report to work on time and complete tasks on time/as assigned
  • Notify the supervisor of any absence or derivation from the established schedule due to illness, emergencies, or valid academic conflicts (e.g. office hours, advising appointments)
  • Refrain from prohibited activities: studying on the job, misreporting hours worked, working over limits, failing to perform job duties, etc.
  • Refrain from discouraged activities: personal calls, texts, e-mails, & social media updates
    • Unless it is a required job duty assigned by the supervisor
  • Notify the supervisor of any changes to their WS award
  • Do not discriminate based on race, color, gender, national origin, age, religion, creed, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and other protected areas
  • Verify that any new WS job does not replace an existing position
  • Ensure the student is properly hired through JobX and processed with departmental HR
  • Collect & retain certification that the student-employee completed mandatory WS training and any department-specific training
  • Ensure that WS students do not engage in work before the hiring/payroll process is complete with HR
  • Keep accurate records of all hours worked by the WS student and ensuring overages do not occur
  • Ensure a primary and/or secondary supervisor is available to students for sign-in, sign-out, supervision, instruction and emergency assistance any time a student is working
  • Provide sufficient training to empower students to accomplish the requirements of the position
  • Present and clarifying job expectations and departmental requirements
  • Treat the student as a professional staff member and encouraging open and honest communication with the WS student
  • Provide ample work to ensure students are busy and not engaging in prohibited activities (e.g. studying) during their shift
  • Provide regular feedback regarding job performance and formal evaluations at least once per semester
  • Ensure that the WS student remains in compliance with federal, state, institutional, and program regulations

Students who fail to meet job duties can be removed from their positions at the Supervisor’s discretion if the following conditions are met:

  • Documentation of the student’s performance issue(s) and attempts to correct the issue(s) must occur before students are terminated.  This should involve meeting with the student to discuss expectations of the position and how the student is not meeting them as well as a performance improvement plan

You must consult with your departmental HR to ensure you have followed all required protocols for termination and the student must be notified in writing/email of their termination prior to any action being taken

Supervisors terminating an employee should complete the termination request form found here and review the training regarding termination procedures under supervisor resources. Students are at-will employees.

While uncommon, WS employees can be removed from, leave, or change positions during the academic year

Most disciplinary issues result from three factors:

  1. Lack of supervision & guidance (especially regarding expectations)
  2. Attendance issues
  3. Unclear communication

To combat these issues, we recommend the following solutions:

  1. Clearly document and discuss each student’s assigned duties and expectations with them at the beginning of the year.  If those items vary over time, make sure to document the changes & review the information with the student.
  2. Create a mutually agreed upon work schedule and operating policy/procedure for each student worker.  Have a procedure in place to amend the schedule, should the need arise.
  3. Have designated staff on hand to help supervise and work with WS employees at all times, including when the primary supervisor is not available (e.g. ill, in meetings).
  4. Schedule regular meetings/communication with each WS student; just 5 minutes once a week can prevent major issues.
  5. Complete required semesterly evaluations to provide students with performance feedback