FAQ - Campus Employment
Please refer to the Campus Employment Supervisor Handbook & Resources for more detailed information about the following topics.
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- Who is eligible to work on campus?
- Important details about Federal work study
- What types of jobs are available?
- How can students find jobs?
- Can work study be used for off-campus employment?
- How much are students paid?
- Does my department have a budget?
- Special Restrictions on Work Hours
- What paperwork must students complete before they begin working?
- If a student is under age 18, does s/he need “working papers”?
- How do students get paid for the work they perform?
- Are work study earnings deducted from the fee bill?
- What happens to a work study job if a student withdraws from school or enrolls less than full-time?
- Can students use work study if they participate in the Study Abroad Program?
- Can students be paid through work study for internship work?
- Can athletes work for their teams and coaches?
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Q: Who is eligible to work on campus?
Only students awarded Federal Work-Study (FWS) will be permitted to work on campus. Exceptions to employing FWS students include Professional Readiness Employment Program (PREP) positions and offices/departments with specialized or critical institutional need: ambassadors, van drivers, scribes, lifeguards, tutors, teacher assistants, game operations assistants, skate sharpeners, Tangerine student workers, and Radio Station student workers. Students graduating in 2020-2022, who are not FWS eligible but currently work, will be grandfathered in based on their employment status until their graduation.
Federal Work study is a need-based financial aid work program. Funds are limited and are awarded based on financial need and in order of application filing date to eligible full-time students whose FAFSA has been received by the Federal Processor by the on-time deadline of March 1st. Students may only earn up to the limit of their work study awards for a given term or academic year.
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Important details about Federal Work-Study:
- Students who do not plan to work until the spring semester should notify Campus Employment in the fall to avoid having their funding removed for non-use.
- Students may not earn more than their Federal Work-Study award amount, and once they have depleted those funds, their employment will end.
- Federal Work study earnings are taxable income and specified on an annual W-2 form. They must be reported on the following year’s FAFSA.
Q: What types of jobs are available?
There are a wide variety of jobs, including administrative support, information technology, library services, admissions ambassadors, athletics, tutoring, dining service, and maintenance. All positions are considered temporary and are subject to renewal each academic year. Most positions are located on-campus.
Students who are currently enrolled in a matriculated UC undergraduate or graduate on-ground program are eligible to be employed through Campus Employment.
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Q: How can students find jobs?
The Campus Employment Applicant Portal has been redesigned to allow students to be eligible for more than one job at a time. In this model, students are not directly applying for specific positions, although they can see the open position descriptions and indicate preference for their top three. Positions are now part of a competitive application process, and supervisors will filter and search the pool of applications and find applicants that fit their criteria, thereby widening an applicant’s range and appeal to more supervisors at any given time. Students may search and apply online for positions by department at the following link:
Campus Employment Opportunities
Supervisors will select students for phone or personal interviews given the information provided in the job application, so students should ensure applications are complete and free of errors.
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Q: Can work study funds be used for off-campus employment?
Students with Federal Work-Study awards may elect to earn those awards working off-campus. These community service positions must be in the public interest. Employers include pre-qualified non-profit, federal, state or municipal agencies. Work-Study students who choose off-campus employment must contact Campus Employment prior to beginning work. Each off-campus employment opportunity requires prior approval.
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Q: How much are students paid?
Campus employees receive the prevailing minimum wage according to New York State Minimum Wage requirements; as minimum wage is raised, this rate will change accordingly.
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Q: Does my department have a budget?
Yes. Each department has been assigned a budget by the Financial Affairs Office. This budget has to be shared by all supervisors employing students within that department.
Note that budgeting for graduate assistants is separate from the departmental budget and is NOT included in that total. Graduate assistant positions are budgeted for and approved through a different process (additional information provided on the Student Employment home website).
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International Students: Per United States Citizenship and Immigration Services regulations, failure to comply with the following policy is a violation of the student’s visa status that could ultimately result in deportation:
- During the fall and spring semesters, international students who are eligible for employment in the US may not work more than twenty (20) hours per pay week, in all jobs combined.
- During semester and summer breaks, if the student is eligible and intends to register for courses for the next semester, an international student may work full time, up to, but not more than, forty (40) hours per pay week, in all jobs combined (providing departmental budget allows).
Minors under 18 years of age: Student employees under 18 years of age, who are matriculated Utica College students, are subject to the College policy regarding work schedules. For summer employees who are still enrolled in high school, state law restricts not only the total number of hours per week but also the time of day and total number of hours per day. These non-UC students also need to submit a Statement of Age (“working papers”) prior to beginning work. Contact the Office of Student Employment for more information.
Q: What paperwork must students complete before they begin working?
I-9 Form (Employment Eligibility Verification) – Student workers must ensure that Student Employment received the Federal I-9 form prior to beginning work. The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 requires employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of ALL EMPLOYEES. Before students are allowed to begin working at UC, they must present ORIGINAL, UNEXPIRED documents showing identity and employment eligibility. If you cannot present the necessary documents, you will not be authorized to begin work. From the following list, students must provide either one unexpired document from List A OR one unexpired document from List B AND one document from List C.
LIST A
Documents that Establish both Identity and Employment Eligibility
- U.S. Passport or U.S. Passport Card
- Permanent Resident Card or Alien Registration Receipt Card (Form I-551)
- Foreign passport that contains a temporary with I-551 stamp or temporary I-551 printed notation on a machine-readable immigrant visa.
- Employment Authorization Document that contains a photograph (Form I-766)
- In the case of a nonimmigrant alien authorized to work for a specific employer incident to status, a foreign passport with a Form I-94 or Form I-94A, bearing the same name as the passport and containing an endorsement of the alien’s non-immigrant status, as long as the period of endorsement has not yet expired and the proposed employment is not in conflict with any restrictions or limitations identified on the form
- Passport from the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) or the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) with Form I-94 or Form I-94A indicating nonimmigrant admission under the Compact of Free Association Between the United States and the FSM or RMI.
OR
LIST B
Documents that Establish Identity
- Driver’s license or ID card issued by a State or outlying possession of the United States provided it contains a photograph or information such as name, date of birth, gender, height, eye color, and address
- ID card issued by federal, state or local government agencies or entities provided it contains a photograph or information such as name, date of birth, gender, height, eye color, and address
- School ID card with a photograph
- Voter’s registration card
- U.S. Military Card or draft record
- Military dependent’s ID card
- U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Card
- Native American tribal document
- Driver’s license issued by a Canadian government authority
- For persons under age 18 who are unable to present a document listed above:
- School record or report card
- Clinic, doctor or hospital record
- Day-care or nursery school record
AND
LIST C
Documents that Establish Employment Eligibility
- Social Security Account Number card other than one that specifies on the face that the issuance of the card does not authorize employment in the United States
- Certification of Birth Abroad issued by the Department of State (Form FS-545)
- Certification of Report of Birth issued by the Department of State (Form DS-1350)
- Original or certified copy of a birth certificate issued by the state, county, municipal authority or territory of the United States bearing an official seal
- Native American tribal document
- U.S. Citizen ID Card (Form I-197)
- Identification Card for use of Resident Citizen in the United States (Form I-179)
- Employment authorization document issued by the Department of Homeland Security
- NY State IT-2104 and Federal W-4 Forms (income tax forms) – Students are also required to complete (tax) forms prior to beginning work.
- Direct Deposit form (for students wishing electronic fund transfers of pay directly into their bank accounts) – Students are also advised to complete direct deposit forms prior to beginning work.
- For International Students: International student workers must complete their pre-employment paperwork in the Office of International Education. Contact Stacy Phelps at slphelps@utica.edu to set up an appointment.
Q: If a student is under age 18, does s/he need “working papers”?
According to New York State law, UC students under the age of 18 do not need working papers to secure a job. Summer employees under 18 years of age who are not UC students will need “working papers” (officially known as a Statement of Age) before starting work. These students may obtain working papers from their local high schools by presenting a written promise of employment signed by the prospective employer as well as a document which shows age (e.g., birth certificate, passport, driver’s license, or resident alien card).
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Q: How do students get paid for the work they perform?
Student must be authorized to work by completing a job acceptance prior to the employees’ start date. Once the student completes the job acceptance, they may start working and all hours may be entered and approved online according to the established payroll deadlines for that academic year. Only students who have completed all their pre-employment paperwork will receive a job acceptance which will allow them to enter hours in the system and receive payment. Students will receive payment for hours worked one week after the end of the payroll period in which they worked. They may have funds electronically deposited into their bank accounts or pick up their checks in the Office of Student Financial Services (with 2 forms of ID).
Checks must be cashed within 60 days of issue date or they are no longer valid.
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Q: Are work-study earnings deducted from the fee bill?
No. All work study funds must be earned. Students must secure a work study job and work to receive a bi-weekly paycheck, however students may assign a percentage or all of their earnings to be applied to tuition. Forms may be found in the Center for Career and Professional Development and on the Campus Employment website.
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Q: What happens to a work study job if a student withdraws from school or enrolls less than full-time?
To remain eligible for work study, students must be enrolled full-time by the end of each semester’s Add-Drop period. Students who do not meet the enrollment requirements will lose their Federal Work-Study Awards and will be terminated from their work study positions. If they withdraw from school, students must notify their employers and stop work immediately.
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Q: Can students use work study if they participate in the Study Abroad Program?
No. Students studying abroad cannot earn work study during the time they are out of the country. If a student has work study for the entire academic year, but is studying abroad for a single semester, the financial aid package or payroll award will be adjusted so work study eligibility will be maintained only for the semester in which the student is enrolled in classes at Utica College.
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Q: Can students be paid through work study for intern work?
No. Students may not be paid for internship work through work study if they are receiving academic credit for that work.
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Q: Can athletes work for their teams and coaches?
No. Students currently playing on a UC team (on the playing roster) are not permitted to work directly for their coaches. Working in athletics for a coach in a non-related sport is allowed.