Boston University students with Work-Study awards may choose to work off-campus in an approved non-profit agency. The Work-Study Job Listings include jobs from off-campus agencies that currently employ Boston University students. Students may seek job opportunities at non profit agencies other than those listed in the job directory, but the placement must be approved in advance by the Work-Study Manager.

Boston University fully supports community service-based programs and will provide assistance to eligible students who are interested in securing jobs that benefit the community. Community services include, but are not limited to: health care, child care, tutoring programs, literacy programs, public recreational development, neighborhood improvement, and support services to the disabled and the elderly.

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Securing an Off-Campus Job

At the beginning of the semester, you may come to the Work-Study Office to pick up an Off-Campus Authorization form and a Form W4 (if you have not previously completed a W4 for Boston University). The most comprehensive and up-to-date way to look for available Work-Study positions is to view the positions on the Student Link.

The off-campus supervisor who has agreed to hire you should complete the Off-Campus Authorization form and return it to the Work-Study Office before you begin working. Once the Work-Study Manager has approved your off-campus placement, an approval letter will be sent or faxed to the supervisor to notify him or her that you have been approved to start working. Approval usually takes two or three working days from the time the completed Off-Campus Authorization form is received by the Work-Study Office.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Each off-campus placement must be approved in writing by the Work-Study Manager before a student can begin working at that agency.

All off-campus agencies that employ Boston University Work-Study students must have a current Work Agreement Contract in place before students may begin employment. If the agency has not previously worked with Boston University, part of the approval process will involve establishing a Work Agreement Contract. If the agency's contract with Boston University is two years old or older, the appropriate agency representative must sign an updated contract before your placement is approved for that agency.

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Getting Paid

The current minimum pay rate for off-campus Work-Study employment is $7.50 an hour. Students working off-campus will be paid weekly by Boston University based on off-campus time sheets submitted. Students should not receive any payment directly from the agency.

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Maximum Earnings Level

Your Maximum Earnings Level (Work-Study award amount) is indicated on your Off-Campus Authorization form. You may earn only up to that amount. Please note that adjustments to your financial aid package could affect your award amount and thus affect your work status.

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Time Sheets

Time sheets for the current semester and payment procedures will be mailed to the supervisor within seven days of a placement approval date. For each week a student works, the supervisor must submit a completed time sheet to the Student Payroll Office by noon the following Monday, so that the student may be paid the following Friday. Please note that holidays may necessitate early payroll deadlines. Supervisors will receive a copy of the Early Payroll Deadline schedule when they receive the time sheets. Time sheets may be hand-delivered, faxed to 617/353-9200, or mailed to the Student Payroll Office (881 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA, 02215). If the supervisor faxes the time sheets, he or she should not send the original by mail. Only the preprinted Boston University off-campus student time sheet, provided by the Work-Study Office, will be accepted for payment for an off-campus position. If you are experiencing difficulty with this process, please contact us immediately.

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Paychecks

Paychecks may be picked up at the Student Payroll Office on Fridays. Students also have the option of direct deposit, in which paychecks are directly deposited into the student's checking or savings account. To take advantage of this option, students should pick up a direct deposit form at the Student Payroll Office. During the summer, we require a summer mailing address for all off-campus students, as all paychecks are mailed.

Work-Study students may work up to twenty hours per week when classes are in session. During breaks and summer sessions, students may work up to forty hours per week.

All Work-Study students who work off-campus will have FICA (Social Security tax and Medicare) withheld from their checks each week.

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Deadlines

You must be placed in a Work-Study position by the following dates:

• third week in October for fall semester



• third week in February for spring semester



• third week in June for the summer program

Students who are not placed in a position within the above time frames will have their Work-Study awards canceled. If you would like to use your Work-Study award but are having difficulty finding a position by the above deadlines, please contact the Work-Study Manager at 617/353-3596. If you do not wish to utilize your Work-Study award for the fall semester or for the first Summer session, you must complete and submit a deferral form to the the Work-Study Office before the deadline to obtain a job, or your award will be canceled.

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Tutoring Programs

Boston University offers a variety of tutoring program options for work-study students.  If you are interested in working as a reading or math tutor in a Boston-area school, or have identified an off-campus agency involved in tutoring, contact the Work-Study Office, and we will work with you in order to locate or finalize this placement.

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Contact Us

The Work-Study staff wants to help you make the most of your Work-Study job. Feel free to contact us to ask for guidance or offer suggestions on how we may better serve you.

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Revised 3/02