Work-Study for Off-Campus Employers
This webpage provides information on the Work-Study process for off-campus employers. For information on posting a job, hiring a student, and policies and procedures relating to employment, visit Recruit An Aggie on the Career Center website.
How Does Work-Study Benefit Employers?
Through this program, community organizations join UC Davis in providing important training and work experience for UC Davis students at a reduced cost to the employer with the student’s salary partially subsidized by the Federal Government. For-profit companies pay only 50% (+surcharge) of the eligible employee’s wages. Government agencies and non-profit employers pay only 75% (+surcharge) of the eligible employee’s wages.
Agencies with qualified tutoring or family literacy programs may be eligible for a 100% reimbursement. Your organization employs the students and processes all hiring and payroll paperwork for your student employees. Your organization will then bill UC Davis for its share of the student’s wages on a bi-weekly or monthly basis. In addition, your organization can post positions on the University Job Web site to announce the job opportunities your organization has to offer for FREE! Your organization can screen and select the candidates you hire and will also assign and direct students’ work activities.
What are the Qualifications to Participate?
Organizations participating in the Work-Study Program must meet these requirements:
- Eligible non-profit employers must be a public or private non-profit, tax-exempt organization as certified by the IRS.
- Not involve Work-Study students in partisan or non-partisan political activity associated with a candidate or with a contending faction or group in an election for public or party office, any lobbying on the federal, state, or local level or the construction, operation, or maintenance of any facility used or to be used for sectarian instruction or as a place of worship.
- Not to displace regular employees, impair existing contracts for services, or fill vacant positions because the employer's regular employees are on strike.
- Students may only perform work that is in the public interest.
- Work-Study offers for undergraduate students can be used between July 1 and June 30.
- Community Service employees can earn Work-Study from July 1 through June 15.
- Students awarded Work-Study will not be paid retroactively. Their start date must not precede the student's Work-Study effective date (which will be displayed when the form is approved).
- Employers are responsible for ensuring the student and supervisor acknowledge their rights and responsibilities prior to beginning their Work-Study employment.
Establishing a Work-Study Agreement and Application
In order to participate in this program, the University and the organization must enter into a Work-Study Program Agreement. If the organization meets the qualifications and is interested in being considered for this program, a Work-Study Application must be submitted. For more information on how to start a contract to employ Work-Study students, contact the Work-Study Manager by phone at 530-752-2294 or via email.
Hiring Process
- When the contract has been approved by the Work-Study Manager, employers can begin posting their job on the Career Center website at Handshake. Employers can request Work-Study on behalf of a student using the online request form.
- A wage rate must be indicated in the job posting. The University does not dictate wage rates. Hourly rates should be set according to minimum wage laws, skills, and abilities needed to perform the job and comparable wages to other non-Work-Study employees in the same position. Employers must at least pay Work-Study employees the higher of any applicable federal, state, or local minimum wage. The Work-Study Manager may contact you to discuss wage rates that are not comparable to similar positions.
- The hiring process is to be completed before, or on the day of the first day of employment.
Invoicing Process
- Once the Work-Study Manager receives approval that the student's purchase order has been processed, an invoice template will be created and emailed to the employer.
- In order to be reimbursed for Work-Study hourly wages, an invoice, timesheet, and pay stub must be submitted to the Work-Study Manager.
Notes on Tutoring Jobs
For those organizations hiring tutors, tutoring sessions can take place in a school setting or another location such as a public library or community center. The primary focus of the tutoring must be helping students gain reading and math skills.
Reading tutors can work with elementary school children and math tutors can be used for programs up to the ninth grade. A family literacy program’s focus should be on literacy education for children or their caregivers. Literacy activities designed to have children and their caregivers interact may also be eligible.
Hiring an Undergraduate Student
Federal and Institutional Work-Study for Undergraduate Students
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 effective date (which will be displayed when the form is approved). Employers are responsible for ensuring the student and supervisor acknowledge their rights and responsibilities prior to 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 (see details below)
- 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.
- An invoice template will be created and sent to the employer for use for the academic year.
Work-Study Request Instructions
The Work-Study Employment Request Form is used by off-campus 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
- Employer information.
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.
Process workflow
- The employer 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 Manager for review. If the student is eligible and there are Work-Study funds available, the Work-Study offer will be added to the student’s financial aid record. The form will then be routed back to the original submitter and student for certification.
- 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.
- The Work-study Manager will send completed students invoice templates for monthly submission.
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”.
Time Reporting and Non-eligible Hours
Timesheets
- For each pay period, submit timesheets, invoices, and pay stubs for reimbursement to the Work-Study Manager.
- After all hours worked have been posted to the timesheet, it must be signed by the authorized supervisor and the student.
- It is the supervisor’s responsibility to obtain the student’s signature, review for accuracy, sign, and date each timesheet.
- Timesheets without signatures cannot be processed.
- Time records should show total hours worked each day. Time should be calculated to the nearest quarter hours (.25, .50, .75).
- The supervisor must initial any corrections to the timesheet.
- Employers should make copies of the timesheets for their records.
- Incomplete timesheets will result in a delay in processing.
Non-eligible Hours for Work-Study
- Hours worked prior to the effective eligibility date listed on the signed eligibility form.
- 100% of any time resulting in the exceeding of the Work-Study award amount.
- Holiday, sick leave, overtime, and vacation, if worked sufficient hours to become eligible.
- Hours submitted after the June payroll deadline each year.
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 employer of the change made to the funds. The employer is responsible for ensuring that the new fund balance is not exceeded.