Work-Study Program Procedures

Work-Study Overview
Creating a Work-Study Job
Work-Study Job Numbers
Work-Study Student Placement

Posting a Work-Study Job
The Interview Process
Scheduling Issues
Utilizing Award Levels
Academic Year Work-Study Earnings Chart
Basic Supervisor Responsibilities
Monitoring Hours Worked
Pay Increases
Evaluations
Terminations
Termination Reason Codes
For More Information

Work-Study Overview

What is Work-Study?
Who awards Work-Study to students?
How does Work-Study work?

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What is Work-Study?

Work-Study is a federally funded financial aid program that is administered by Boston University. The program is designed to provide access to employment opportunities for eligible students. Work-Study helps students meet their educational expenses and gain valuable work experience while helping the University and non-profit organizations meet their staffing needs at a low cost.

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Who awards Work-Study to students?

The Office of Financial Assistance awards Work-Study funding to students as part of their financial aid package. For the academic year, students must apply for Work-Study by checking off the "work" category on the Boston University Financial Aid Application or on the FAFSA form. The Office of Financial Assistance selects as many participants as the program allows, based on students' financial need and current allocation of funds established for the program. Students must submit a Summer Work-Study application to the Work-Study Office in order to request a Summer Work-Study award. Work-Study awards are distributed for each program (academic year and summer) and are not transferable.

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How does Work-Study work?

Boston University departments that hire Work-Study students incur a charge of 30% of the Work-Study students' earnings. The Federal Work-Study Program funds the remaining 70% of the students' earnings. All undergraduate Work-Study students are compensated hourly for the number of hours they work, while graduate students may be compensated for their work on either an hourly or monthly basis, depending on the job. A student's gross earnings are automatically subtracted from his or her Maximum Earnings Level as the student works, until either the student reaches his or her Maximum Earnings Level or the program ends.

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Creating a Work-Study Job

Supervisors may complete the online form: Create a New Work-Study Job. Once electronically submitted, the Work-Study staff will send a confirmation email with the new job number. 

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Work-Study Job Numbers

Each Work-Study Job Listing form has a unique job number. The staff will inform the supervisor or payroll coordinator of the new job number. Job numbers are not specific to students. Supervisors may hire as many students as they wish under the same job number, as long as all of the students have the same job description, supervisor, base pay rate and distribution information.

Supervisors with access to UIS may view their jobs using function SE42.

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Work-Study Student Placement

Work-Study Freshmen Preplacement Program
Automatic Rehire Process
The Work-Study Job Directory and the Studentlink
Support from the Work-Study Office

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Work-Study Freshmen Preplacement Program

Each May, department supervisors are invited to participate in the Work-Study Freshmen Preplacement Program. This program has been designed to enable Work-Study eligible freshmen to be placed in a job before they arrive on campus and to give supervisors assurance of Work-Study support.

Supervisors may decide which of their Work-Study jobs are appropriate for preplacement. Preplacement jobs are usually grades 1, 2, or 3, because many freshmen have limited work experience. The preplacement program has been very successful for closely supervised entry-level jobs with flexible schedules.

Once supervisors have requested a specific number of students to be preplaced within their department, they are expected to hold positions for the number they have requested. The Work-Study staff will attempt to fill as many supervisor requests as possible, based on the number of students who request preplacement and the students' interests and work experience. In August, we will send a confirmation of preplaced students to their respective supervisors, the payroll coordinators, and the student. We will instruct preplaced students to contact their supervisors during the first week of fall classes. At that time, supervisors will finalize each student's work schedule and begin the orientation and training process.

NOTE: The freshmen preplacement program does not allow supervisors to interview students. The Work-Study staff will place students based on the requirements of the job and the students' preferences, work experience, and skills.

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Automatic Rehire Process

The goal of the automatic rehire process is to simplify the academic year and summer placements of eligible returning Work-Study students.

For the summer rehire process, the Work-Study staff sends a report to supervisors in March and April that identifies students who are currently working in their department and who have received a Summer Work-Study award. The accompanying memo asks supervisors to indicate each student whom they do not intend to rehire for the Summer Program. The Work-Study staff then excludes these students from the summer rehire process. The remaining students will be automatically rehired for the Summer into their Spring semester jobs. NOTE: We will assume that supervisors who do not return this report want to rehire all students listed.

For the academic year rehire process, the Work-Study staff sends supervisors a report in April that identifies students who are currently working in their department. The accompanying memo asks supervisors to indicate each student whom they do not intend to rehire for the following Academic Year Program. The Work-Study staff then excludes these students from the rehire process. The remaining students will be automatically rehired for the following academic year into their Spring semester jobs if they receive an Academic Year Work-Study award. NOTE: We will assume that supervisors who do not return this report want to rehire all students listed.

In August, before the start of the Academic Year Program, the Work-Study staff will send supervisors and payroll coordinators a confirming preprinted Student Employee Authorization form (SEA) for all students who have been automatically rehired. The supervisor should review the information on the SEA to make sure it is correct (job number, merit, rate, distribution, check destination, etc.). If information is accurate, nothing needs to be done. If corrections need to be made to the SEA, the supervisor must make any necessary changes and route the SEA to the department's payroll coordinator for signature. The payroll coordinator then forwards the updated SEA to the Student Payroll Office. When the student reports to work in September, he or she can start working immediately; the student will not need to submit any paperwork.

The academic year rehire process is ongoing throughout the month of August as students continue to accept their Work-Study awards with the Office of Financial Assistance.

NOTE: If a supervisor does not receive a preprinted SEA for a student who has returned to work for the academic year, the student has NOT been automatically rehired. In this case, students should come to the Work-Study Office to confirm that they have received a Work-Study award and, if so, to secure the proper paperwork to complete the rehire process.

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The Work-Study Job Directory on the Studentlink

The primary resource for students seeking Work-Study jobs is the Job Directory, available on the Student Link. There is a Job Directory specific to each Fall, Spring, and Summer. Work-Study will send supervisors a reminder to post available positions for each directory.  Work-Study Job Listings are only available to students on these dates . Once students have identified specific positions that interest them, they contact the department supervisors directly, either by phone or in person, to inquire about these positions.

Post a Work-Study Job

Work-Study Job Listings are only available to students on these dates .

On-campus employers may use the Business Link to post a work-study job listing. 

Using the Business Link:

1. Go to the Business Link at www.bu.edu/link .
2. Choose Student Employment .
3. Under Work-Study Job Functions choose Maintain Existing Work-Study Jobs .
4. Enter your mail code or unit and department number.
5. Follow the directions in red to update your job descriptions. Please make sure they accurately reflect the duties, qualifications, and available time slots for the semester.
6. Go back to the selection screen and follow the directions in red to post the jobs in the directory.

If you find you do not have access to this function on the Business Link, you may request permit E500 and E650 from the Data Security Administrator in your department.

Please remove the job listing(s) as soon as the position has been filled. You may hire as many students as needed into each job number.

If you do not have access to the Business Link:

Please print, complete and fax this form to Work-Study. Supervisors should contact Work-Study when they would like the job listing to be removed from the Job Directory.

Supervisors may contact the departmental payroll coordinator if they do not know the job number(s). 

Non-profit, incorporated organizations may send their job listings to wsoffice@bu.edu. More details about the Off-Campus Federal Work-Study Program are available here.

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Support from the Work-Study Office

We encourage supervisors to contact the Work-Study staff with any questions, concerns, or requests for assistance in meeting student staffing needs.

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The Interview Process

Overview
Hiring Paperwork

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Overview

We recommend that supervisors take the time to interview Work-Study students before hiring them; an interview will help both the supervisor and the student make an informed decision about whether the job and the student are a good match for each other. Suggested discussion points during the interview include:

• The student's availability
• The job requirements (skills, time commitment, etc.)
• Departmental policies and protocol that may affect the student's interest in the job (e.g. dress code)
• The training required to perform the job
• Reference information (if required for the job)
• The start date, pay rate, and duration of employment

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Hiring Paperwork

Most students will bring their Student Employee Authorization (SEA) form with them to the interview. Once the supervisor has decided to hire a student, he or she must complete this form and forward it to the payroll coordinator, who will then route it to the Student Payroll Office. If the student has not picked up the SEA form at the Work-Study Office, the supervisor should instruct the student to pick up the form. The student should not begin working until this form has been completed by the supervisor, reviewed and signed by the payroll coordinator, and submitted to the Student Payroll Office.

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Scheduling Issues

Overview
Students' Academic Progress
How many hours per week can Work-Study students work?
Breaks and Time Not Paid

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Overview

Upon hiring students, supervisors should openly discuss their work expectations for the Fall and Spring semesters. Supervisors may not always know what hours will be available to students for the Spring semester until students submit their class schedules in December. However, it is helpful to the student to know approximately how many hours per week the supervisor expects him or her to work throughout the academic year.

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Students' Academic Progress

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How many hours per week can Work-Study students work?

During the "normal" academic year schedule, students may not work over 20 hours per week on Work-Study, and it is highly recommended that freshmen do not work over 12 hours a week. When classes are not in session (after completion of exams, intersession period, etc.), students may ask to work extra hours. Supervisors may approve this request but must ensure that students' award balances can accommodate additional hours. During periods in which classes are not in session, students may work a maximum of 40 hours per week on Work-Study with approval from their supervisor.

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Breaks and Time Not Paid

Students who work six or more consecutive hours must take a half-hour unpaid break. According to the federal regulations governing the Work-Study Program, Work-Study students may only be paid for hours that they have actually worked. That is, students cannot receive any paid breaks, holidays, sick days or vacation days. However, students will be paid for all hours they are scheduled to work during the first three days of a jury duty assignment.

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Utilizing Award Levels

Overview
Monitoring Students' Work-Study Award Balances

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Overview

The Office of Financial Assistance notifies students of their Maximum Earnings Level, or Work-Study award amount. The Work-Study award is issued on the assumption that the student will use the allocated amount throughout the entire Academic Year or Summer Program.

The student's Student Employment Authorization form, which he or she submits to the supervisor upon being hired, indicates the student's Maximum Earnings Level. Taking into consideration the student's Maximum Earnings Level and pay rate, the supervisor should determine how many hours per week the student will be able to work without exceeding the Work-Study award amount. Generally, students accept a position at the beginning of the Fall semester and expect to continue employment through the Spring semester, but the supervisor should discuss the duration of employment during the initial interview. Supervisors should also discuss with the student whether he or she will be working in a second Work-Study job.

The Work-Study Earnings Chart (see next section) will help the supervisor determine how many hours per week a student will be able to work given his or her Maximum Earnings Level and hourly pay rate. The Work-Study staff mails Earnings Charts to all on-campus supervisors in late August for the Academic Year Program and in mid-April for the Summer Program.

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Monitoring Students' Work-Study Award Balances

Periodically during the program (Academic Year or Summer), the supervisor should review current award balances for each of their Work-Study students. To do this, supervisors should access the UIS Galaxy mainframe system, enter the function "SE33", and input the student's Social Security or Universal ID number and current semester period (e.g. Fall 01). The award balance appears toward the top right section of the screen. NOTE: Supervisors who do not have this on-line capability may contact their departmental payroll coordinator for assistance or Data Security Administrator to request access to on-line Galaxy functions.

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Academic Year Work-Study Earnings Chart

Click here to access the Earnings Chart.

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Basic Supervisor Responsibilities

Work-Study students are expected to work in a productive manner. That is, the term "Work-Study" does not mean "study at work"! Supervisors are responsible for:

• orienting the student in detail to his or her role in the department and the standards of behavior expected of employees
• training the student in skills and procedures necessary to perform tasks
• providing adequate supervision of student work
• keeping communication lines open, clear, and constructive
• setting a good example
• treating students in accord with their rights, which are the same as all employees' as defined by applicable state, federal, and University regulations
• ensuring that the student is performing the tasks that are defined in the job description
• providing a work space that is free from hazards
• monitoring the student's work assignments and verifying the hours the student has worked
• monitoring the student's Work-Study award balance

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Monitoring Hours Worked

Supervisors are responsible for signing student time sheets before routing them to the payroll coordinators. Supervisors must monitor students' work hours and ensure that students have accurately indicated the hours on their time sheets. If a supervisor is not present at all times when students are working, the supervisor should establish a system that will allow him or her to verify the student's arrival and departure times. One approach is to implement a daily log in/log out record for student workers. In addition, supervisors should be able to verify that the student performed the work expected of him or her during each shift.

At times, students are asked to complete time sheets in "anticipation of hours worked," usually due to an upcoming holiday or early payroll deadline notice from the Student Payroll Office. Supervisors should ensure that students actually work the hours they've recorded in advance. If a student reports hours incorrectly, it is the supervisor's responsibility to speak with him or her about this discrepancy.

NOTE: Supervisors should report any fraudulent indication of hours worked to the Work-Study Manager immediately.

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Pay Increases

Merit Increases
Off-Cycle Increases
Promotions

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Merit Increases

Please see below for a summary of the student merit increase schedule. Students will automatically receive this merit pay if they return to work in the same department and continue to maintain satisfactory job performance standards.

• $0.30/hour for working both semesters of the academic year
• $0.15/hour for working one semester of the academic year
• $0.20/hour for full-time summer employment (average of 26+ hours a week)
• $0.10/hour for part-time summer employment (average of 25 or fewer hours a week)

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Off-Cycle Increases

Supervisors who wish to increase a student's pay rate due to exceptional performance, increased responsibility, or other reasons, must submit a Student Employee Authorization (SEA) form and justification memo to the Work-Study Office. The specified "action" on the SEA form should be "Rate Change," and the form should also include the student's name, ID number, job number, the amount of the increase, and the student's total hourly rate after the increase. The supervisor should either e-mail the justification memo to the Work-Study Office (wsoffice@bu.edu) or attach the memo to the SEA form. The justification memo should briefly explain the reason for the increase. Before considering this off-cycle increase, supervisors should keep in mind that the student will receive this pay increase plus any merit increases he or she has accrued.

NOTE: For pay increases that would exceed the base pay rate of the job grade above the student's current job grade, we suggest terminating the student from his or her current job and hiring the student into a similar but higher-grade job. Please see the explanation of "Promotions" (below) for more details on this distinction.

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Promotions

Supervisors may also grant a Work-Study student a promotion, which is the equivalent of an increase in grade level. Supervisors should promote a student if:

1. the off-cycle increase they wish to give the student exceeds the base rate of the job grade above the student's current job grade, and/or
2. the student's job responsibilities increase substantially.

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Evaluations

The Work-Study staff encourages supervisors to give students ongoing feedback about their work performance. In addition, supervisors are expected to formally evaluate students' work performance at least once per program (Academic Year and/or Summer). The Work-Study staff mails evaluation forms to supervisors in April for the academic year and in August for the summer program. Supervisors should complete the student job evaluation form(s), discuss the evaluation(s) with the student(s), and return the form(s) to the Work-Study Office, where they will be reviewed and become part of each student's employment record. Supervisors should fill out an evaluation form for all students who worked with them for at least two months during the program, whether or not the students are working with them at the time of the evaluation.

We will also request that students complete a confidential evaluation of their work experience in your department. These evaluations accompany the supervisor evaluations, and we ask that you distribute them to your student(s) so that they may complete and return them directly to the Work-Study Office.

The evaluation process also provides an opportunity for supervisors to discuss with students whether they will return to the job for the next program (Academic Year and/or Summer).

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Terminations

Overview
Termination Paperwork Procedure
Gross Misconduct

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Overview

Supervisors may terminate a student due to poor attendance, lack of skills, or other reason(s). In most cases, supervisors should discuss the performance issue(s) with a student and allow the student a reasonable time frame to improve his or her work performance before deciding to terminate the student. We also recommend that the supervisor issue the student a written notification that reviews the specific problem area(s). Ideally, the supervisor will notice an improvement after speaking with the student. However, if the student has been informed of the concern(s) and subsequently fails to improve, terminating the student may be the only available recourse.

Supervisors may refer terminated students to the Work-Study Manager to seek assistance in finding another job. When referring a terminated student to the Work-Study Manager, the supervisor should notify the Work-Study Manager of the student's name and the details of the termination so that the student may receive appropriate assistance.

NOTE: Terminations are not always a result of misconduct. For example, a student may find a career- or academic-related job opportunity, decide to study abroad, or leave the job for other reasons unrelated to work performance.

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Termination Paperwork Procedure

The supervisor must complete a Student Employee Authorization form for any student termination. Supervisors must indicate on the form the student's name, ID number, job number, and date and reason code for the termination. If the reason for the termination is "Other," the supervisor should indicate the reason in the space provided (see "Termination Reason Codes" in the next section). If the reason for termination is negative, we request that supervisors either complete and return a performance evaluation form, which is available at the Work-Study Office, or contact the Work-Study Manager to discuss the termination.

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Gross Misconduct

In cases of "gross misconduct," supervisors should notify the Work-Study Manager of the circumstances immediately. Examples of gross misconduct include-but are not limited to-time sheet fraudulence, violations of University information technology policies, or harassment. Cases of gross misconduct often warrant immediate termination and, potentially, further disciplinary action, depending on the circumstances. The Work-Study Manager will assist you in handling such situations in accordance with Federal Work-Study and University guidelines.

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Termination Reason Codes

01  Misconduct
02  Poor Performance
03  Unsatisfactory Skills
04  Unsatisfactory Attendance
48  Job Dissatisfaction
49  Seek Another Job
50  Abandoned Job
52  Other
80  School/Work Conflict
81  Graduation
82  Withdrawn/Not Enrolled
83  Work-Study Award Reached
84  Job End-Date Reached
85  Non-Full-Time F1/J1 Visa
86  End of Semester

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For More Information

For more information about Work-Study program procedures, please refer to the Supervisor Handbook for Work-Study and Student Employees or contact the Work-Study staff.

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