Work-Study for On-Campus Employers
This webpage provides information on the Work-Study process for on-campus employers. For information on posting a job, hiring a student, and policies and procedures relating to employment, please Recruit An Aggie on the Career Center website.
Hiring an Undergraduate Student
On-campus undergraduate work-study funding for the 2024-25 award year has been exhausted. Requests received after December 10, 2024, will not be considered.
Federal and Institutional Work-Study for Undergraduate Students
Student Eligibility
In addition to at least $1,000 in financial need a student must:
- Have a FAFSA on file and be a U.S. citizen, a national, permanent resident of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands or the Northern Mariana Islands; or living in the U.S. with the intention of becoming a citizen or permanent resident
- Or have a California Dream Act Application (CADAA) on file and meet Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) requirements
- Be enrolled, or accepted for enrollment at UC Davis, and be in regular attendance in an undergraduate program
- Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) in coursework while under the program
- Not owe a refund on a federal or state educational grant
- Not be in default on a state or federal educational loan
- Have a Student Aid Index (SAI) of $25,000 or less
If you receive a message that a student is not eligible for Work-Study, they may not be meeting one or more of these requirements.
For undergraduates, the funding period is July 1 through June 30. Students awarded Work-Study will not be paid retroactively. Their start date must not precede the student's Work-Study Service Channel Form effective date (which will be entered when the form is requested). Departments are responsible for ensuring the Position Pool IDs have been entered into UC Path prior to any of your employees beginning their Work-Study employment.
- Update the job vacancy to reflect the new fiscal year work period
- Request the Work-Study Eligibility Certificate from the student employee (Students can print the Certificate from their MyAwards)
- Verify student can produce required employment eligibility documentation:
- Submit a Work-Study Employment Request Form:
The Work-Study Employment Request Form is used by UC Davis Employers to request Work-Study for undergraduate students. You will receive an email confirmation after a request has been submitted to our office. On the form, you will provide:
- Student’s name
- Student ID Number
- Title Code
- Pay Rate
- Departmental information
- The Work-Study Manager will confirm that the student is eligible for Work-Study and that all verification requirements have been met.
- Once the request has been approved, the requestor will need to acknowledge rights and responsibilities in order to complete the Job Hire in the UCPath section and then download the Work-Study Service Channel Form.
- Once the Work-Study Service Channel Form has been downloaded:
- Send the form to Service Channel and ensure Service Channel enters Work-Study Position Pool ID on the student's position in UCPath.
- For TRS Users: It is recommended that the Work-Study appointment and distribution line should be under 50% (i.e., 24%).
- It is recommended that the non-Work-Study appointment and distribution line should be at 1%.
- Ensure the student and supervisor read and understand their rights and responsibilities.
- Send the form to Service Channel and ensure Service Channel enters Work-Study Position Pool ID on the student's position in UCPath.
Process workflow
- The Department will submit a request for work-study for one or more students.
- The submission will create a work-study request form for each student, which will be routed to the Work-Study Coordinator for review. If the student is eligible and there are work-study funds available, the work-study award will be added to the student’s financial aid record. The form will then be routed back to the original submitter.
- The Department will then send the Work-Study Employment Request Form (PDF), available to download from the work-study form, to their service channel for completing the student hire. The service channel staff will need to add the Position Pool ID (provided on the Form) to the student Employee’s Position in UCPath.
- Once the form has been completed, an email will be sent to the student employee and the supervisor/employer letting them know of their work-study rights and responsibilities.
Please note: Work-Study funds will not be available to use until the last step in this Process workflow is completed and the “Work-Study Manager Complete” stage of the workflow shows as “Complete”.
Hiring a Graduate Student Researcher
Federal Work-Study for Graduate Student Researchers (GSR)
For graduate students, the Work-Study award period is October 1 through June 30. Students awarded Work-Study will not be paid retroactively. Their begin date must not precede the student's Work-Study Service Channel Form effective date (which will be entered when the form is requested). Departments are responsible for ensuring the Position Pool IDs have been entered into UC Path prior to any of your employees beginning their Work-Study employment.
- Submit a Work-Study Employment Request Form (see details below)
- The Work-Study Manager will confirm that the student is eligible for Work-Study and that all requirements have been met.
- Once the request has been approved, the requestor will need to acknowledge rights and responsibilities in order to complete the Job Hire in the UCPath section and then download the Work-Study Service Channel Form.
- Once the Work-Study Service Channel Form has been downloaded:
- Send the form to the Service Channel and ensure the Service Channel enters the Work-Study Position Pool ID on the student's position in UCPath.
- Ensure the student and supervisor read and understand their rights and responsibilities.
- Department is responsible for ensuring the student and supervisor sign the mandatory Work-Study GSR Monthly Time Record and the supervisor sends it to workstudy@ucdavis.edu on a monthly basis to comply with federal regulations by the 15th of the following month.
- For guidance as to how to calculate the GSR appointment percentages contact Graduate Studies.
Additional Information
- Work-Study earnings are taxable.
- Work-Study payments are not to precede the effective date on the Work-Study Service Channel Form.
- Graduate (GSR) Work-Study positions are to conduct research that the University would fund regardless of the availability of Federal Work-Study monies.
- Work-Study monies cannot be used to pay students for writing a thesis/dissertation or for doing research that is only for the purpose of completing a graduate degree.
- Graduate Work-Study is awarded to the department at $5,016 per unit.
- It is University Policy to balance ledgers on a monthly basis.
- The total amount paid to the student is deducted from the Work-Study award (not just the 75% paid by Work-Study).
- Work-study pays for 75% of “actual” earnings, limited by award amount.
GSR Work-Study Request Instructions
The Work-Study Employment Request Form is used by UC Davis Employers to request the Work-Study Eligibility Form for Graduate Student Researchers. You will receive an email confirmation after a request has been submitted to our office. On the form, you will provide:
- Student's name
- Student ID (not the Social Security number)
- Student's email
- Title code
- Quarter/unit information
- Other awards (including award amounts).
Student Eligibility
Eligible students must:
- Complete Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) annually
- Be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident.
- Be identified as eligible for Graduate Work-Study by your academic department.
- Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).
- Work with academic Program Coordinator to inquire about being hired and awarded a Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) Work-Study position. Academic program staff, in conjunction with faculty, hire the GSRs and notify students when Work-Study awards are posted online.
Process Workflow
- The Department will submit a request for work-study for one or more students, including how many "work-study units" the student will be requesting each term (fall, winter and spring) and any other awards including Block Grant, TA, etc.
- The submission will create a work-study request form for each student which will be routed to the Work-Study Coordinator for review. If the student is eligible the work-study award will be added to the student’s financial aid record. The form will then be routed back to the original submitter.
- The Department will need to send the Work-Study Employment Request Form (PDF), available to download from the work-study form, to their service channel for updating the students UCPath record. The service channel staff will need to add the Position Pool ID (provided on the Form) to the student’s Position in UCPath.
- Once the form has been completed, an email will be sent to the student employee and the supervisor/employer letting them know of their work-study rights and responsibilities.
Additional Resources
GSR Work-Study Mandatory Timesheet
Learning-Aligned Employment Program (LAEP) - defunded for 2024-25
Learning-Aligned Employment Program for Undergraduate Students
The Learning-Aligned Employment Program (LAEP) subsidizes 100% of undergraduate student employment wages to provide staff and faculty the means to hire students with financial need in research jobs. UC Davis began piloting the program in 2022.
- The State of California is in a budget shortfall for 2024-25 and 2025-26. The May Revision of the budget called for a cut to many one-time programs which included the Learning Aligned Employment Program (LAEP). Therefore, LAEP aid for the 2024-25 aid year is not available and will not be offered in the foreseeable future. LAEP is no longer funding 2023-24 employment as of July 1, 2024.
- See our quick guide for setting up work-study for research employment! Undergraduate students and staff/faculty may want to consider Federal or Institutional Work-Study to fund research employment for the 2024-25 aid year. Eligible students can receive up to $4,000 in work-study aid to subsidize student employment costs. More aid may be available on exception. Work-study subsidizes 75% of a student’s wage and the hiring department is responsible for funding the remaining 25%.
- The Undergraduate Research Center can also provide support in identifying research funding for students and faculty. We highly recommend reviewing this Undergraduate Research Program Information sheet for other funding opportunities.
When will Work-Study appear on the ledger?
Work-Study splits will not appear on your ledger until the award has been approved by the Work-Study Manager and the Position Pool ID (PPID) is effective in UCPath. To ensure accuracy check your ledgers monthly to catch any discrepancies and make corrections quickly.
Account Reconciliation and Discrepancy Process
- Departments are responsible for the monthly ledger and account review to ensure that Work-Study funds are appropriately expended and split. The appropriate split for undergraduate students is 75% Work-Study and 25% departmental funding.
- When a discrepancy is found by the department, they work with the Work-Study Manager to identify the problem. Before a Direct Retro (DR) or Salary Cost Transfer (SCT) is processed, the department must contact the Work-Study Manager for permission to process the DR/SCT in UCPath.
- When a discrepancy is found by the Funds Manager, they will notify the Work-Study Manager to contact the department with the identified problem.
- If the departmental staff can resolve the problem, they must do so in a timely fashion. If they cannot, they need to call Payroll Services to obtain assistance in resolving the UCPath problem.
Each year during the spring quarter, departments will receive the deadline for reconciling year-end discrepancies. This deadline is non-negotiable due to the aid year close-out process. Therefore, DRs/SCTs will not be processed after the deadline. It is imperative for each department to assure monthly reconciliation of their accounts and alert the Work-Study Manager of any discrepancies before the deadline.
Transfers of Work-Study funds
Departments transferring funds involving Work-Study accounts should process the DR/SCT in UCPath. Note: You must obtain approval from the Work-Study Manager before processing the DR/SCT. Approvals for transfers are not guaranteed if you did not follow the process outlined on the Work-Study Employment Request Form. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the department to ensure Work-Study is charged correctly and in a timely manner.
Verification
Students whose financial aid applications are selected for verification will not have their Work-Study awards processed until verification of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or California Dream Act Application (CADAA) information has been processed. These students are notified of verification requirements and need to submit the necessary paperwork to Financial Aid and Scholarships before Work-Study can be awarded. Advise your students to submit the necessary paperwork as quickly as possible. The Work-Study award will not be retroactive to July 1, but only to the date that verification is completed and Work-Study can be accepted. If the student does not meet the posted verification deadline, it is possible that Work-Study eligibility will be lost.
Changes That May Affect Work-Study Eligibility
Work-Study funding is subject to change based on changes to the student’s financial aid eligibility such as not meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) or changes in student’s Student Aid Index (SAI) or financial need. In addition, if the student participates in the Planned Education Leave Program (PELP), reduces course units, withdraws, or is dismissed from school, they will no longer be eligible for Work-Study funds. The student should also notify Financial Aid and Scholarships of any changes in enrollment. Once the Work-Study Manager is notified, an email will be sent to the department of the change made to the award. The department should check for the new award limits in UCPath using Cognos report 208.
Time Reporting and Non-eligible Hours
The hiring department is required to have all undergraduate Work-Study students report their time in the Time Reporting System (TRS) and all hours must be approved by their supervisor online.
Hours that cannot be charged to Work-Study include:
- 100% of any time exceeding the Work-Study amount
- Holiday, sick leave, overtime, and vacation, if worked sufficient hours to become eligible
- Hours submitted after the established June 30 payroll deadline each year
For these hours, a department must use non-Work-Study funding to pay the student.