Hiring and Release of a Work-Study Student

Important Updates

The 2024-25 FAFSA and CADAA applications will open in December 2023. Visit FAFSA Simplification for details.
UC Davis students who are victims of the Maui Fires may be eligible for funding. Visit Basic Needs for details.
If you have been selected for verification, please complete the requirements as soon as possible. For details, visit Verification.
For California Middle Class Scholarship updates, please visit MCS.

Steps to Employ a Work-Study Student

Have a Work-Study Contract in place (see Steps to Participating in the Work-Study Program)
Post the Position. Contact Internship and Career Center to post positions on Handshake. Interested students will contact your organization directly to apply.
Verify Work-Study. Before you interview a student, verify that the student is eligible for Work-Study by requesting the student's Work-Study Eligibility Certificate. The student can retrieve the certificate by logging into their MyAwards account. A Work-Study award is a specific amount of money that a student can earn during employment. UC Davis Financial Aid and Scholarships is responsible for determining a student’s financial need and eligibility for a Work-Study award.
Work-Study is awarded to students on an annual basis. Students can use their awards in the fiscal period from July 1 to June 30.
Submit the Hire Request Form that is sent once a Work-Study contract is in place. The Work-Study Manager must receive the signed Work-Study Eligibility Form. Once the form has been received, the Work-Study Manager will email the invoice template to the person responsible for payroll. Work-Study cannot pay wages prior to the effective eligibility date listed on the Work-Study Employment Eligibility Form.
Set up a Hiring Appointment. Once you select a student(s), be sure to schedule a hiring appointment with your HR department.

To determine how many hours a student can be paid under a Work-Study award take the award amount and divide it by the pay rate. Example: If a student has an award of $3,000 and an hourly pay rate of $10, they can work 300 hours through Work-Study. Once a student has utilized their full Work-Study award, employers may continue employing the student without Work-Study program reimbursement.
While school is in session, we strongly recommend students not be scheduled more than 19 hours a week so that school can be their primary focus. However, a student may work up to 40 hours a week when school is not in session. Working more than 19 hours a week could obligate the employer to pay fringe benefits, see below “Hours that cannot be paid by Work-Study funds.” A standard work week begins midnight Sunday and ends 11:59 p.m. the following Saturday.
A student may not work during scheduled class hours.
For each pay period, submit timesheets, invoices, and pay stubs for reimbursement to the Work-Study Manager. It is the supervisor’s responsibility to obtain the student’s signature, review for accuracy, sign, and date each timesheet.

If an organization finds it necessary to discharge a student before the end of the employment period, the reason for release must be discussed with the student and the Work-Study Manager. If the work performed by the student is unsatisfactory, this should be clearly communicated before and during work periods. Worksite rules and then University policies (as necessary) should be applied when performance is unsatisfactory. The student’s timesheet should indicate clearly the last day worked.