Managing an FWS Position
Monitoring Earnings, Hours and Revisions
- Permissible Work Hours
- Winter Intersession
- Summer Session
- Holidays and University Closures
- Last Day of Employment
- One Federal Work-Study Assignment Rule
- Exceeding Award Amounts
- Financial Aid Awards and FWS Revisions
- Hourly Rate
- Pay Rate Increases
- Progressive Discipline and Termination
- Absences
- Injuries
- Breaks
- Tax Withholding Guidelines for Student Employees
- Employee Benefits
- Retirement Savings Plans
Permissible Work Hours
For work-study students and all student employees, total hours worked cannot exceed 28 hours per week when classes are in session, whether classes are being delivered in an in-person or online format.
There are permissible work periods where students can work up to 40 hours per week. Supervisors and students will be informed by the Student Financial Services when these permissible periods occur. These periods may include:
- Breaks such as Thanksgiving or Spring breaks where the University is not officially closed but classes are not in session
- Winter break (after the fall semester ends) if the student will be returning for spring and is not attending Winter Intersession classes
- Summer semesters in certain cases (see the Summer Session section for more information)
It is recommended that supervisors permit students to work as many hours as they choose, taking into consideration the work demands of the department/agency and the guidelines outlined above. Should your work-study reach their allocation, contact Student Financial Services to determine if the student’s allocation can be increased. If it cannot, you may request another work-study student for the remainder of the semester.
Graduate Assistants
Please note that previously established work standards for students in graduate assistantships can be found on the Policies website for graduate assistants. Generally speaking, graduate assistants should be assigned no more than an average of 20 hours of work per week and may be employed in another on-campus position, in addition to the assistantship, for no more than 100 hours per regular semester.
International Students
Specific restrictions apply to international students on F-1 and J-1 visas. They must be continuing students in good standing with the University, and federal regulations specifically limit employment to 20 hours per week on-campus while school is in session, 40 hours per week on-campus otherwise, regardless of the position type. For questions regarding the employment of international students, contact the WVU Office of International Students & Scholars Services.
Winter Intersession
Students enrolled in the Winter Intersession must adhere to the 28 hour a week policy. Students not enrolled in Winter Intersession classes may work up to 40 hours a week as long as they will be returning for the spring semester.
Summer Session
Please note that work-study funding is limited, so there may not be FWS funding available for the summer semester.
Part-Time Summer Work-Study
If a student is enrolled for summer in 4 credit hours or more for graduate students or 7 credit hours or more for undergraduate students, they are limited to no more than 28 hours per week. This is considered “part-time summer work-study,” and is rarely offered. Usually only full-time work-study is available in summer.
Full-Time Summer Work-Study
Full-time work-study is for students who are not enrolled or are enrolled half-time or less (in the summer session, this is 3 credit hours or less for graduate students, 6 credit hours or less for undergraduate students). They can work up to 40 hours per week. If a student is enrolled half-time or less this may impact tax withholdings. For more information, see the section on Tax Withholding Guidelines for Student Employees.
Holidays and University Closures
Students are not permitted to work during University holidays (which can be found on the Holiday Schedule website) or when the University is closed. University closures include emergency closures such as snow days when both classes are canceled and University employees (except for emergency/essential personnel) are told not to report to work.
Last Day of Employment
The last day of employment during a semester is the last day of finals. Please visit the Academic Calendar website for the University’s current academic calendar. There are some exceptions for winter break and winter intersession. See the Permissible Work Hours and Winter Intersession sections above for more information.
One Federal Work-Study Assignment Rule
Students may only be employed in one FWS position at any given time. Students may choose to change positions. However, the student should be discouraged from making more than one position change during the academic year. Student Financial Services may limit the number of position-changes a student may pursue.
If the student would like to take another FWS position, their current supervisor will need to complete the FWS release form located on our FWS Supervisor Forms webpage. This form must be submitted before a student can become employed in another FWS position.
Exceeding Award Amounts
The student cannot earn more than their initial FWS allocation. Supervisors and students are notified of the FWS award offer at the time of hiring.
It is the student’s and the supervisor's responsibility to maintain a record of student’s total gross earnings. The student must stop working once his/her eligible full allotment has been earned. Any earnings above the student's eligible award amount will result in a charge to the employing department/agency. If student has additional eligibility for Federal Work-Study funds and if funds are available, the award may be increased. For questions, contact the WVU Hub.
Supervisors must keep a sign in sheet as a backup for timecard records. Click here to download a spreadsheet of an example timesheet.
To assist supervisors with monitoring hours and work-study allotment used, we have also created an earnings worksheet. Click here to download the earnings tracking spreadsheet.
Financial Aid Awards and FWS Revisions
A student's work-study allotment may be revised at any time during the academic year to compensate for other types of aid or a change in aid eligibility. Student Financial Services will issue a revised award notification to the student and send a notice to his/her supervisor regarding the change. If current earnings exceed the student’s current earnings, any overages are the responsibility of the department/agency.
Hourly Rate
Current position hourly starting rates are:
| Position | Rate |
|---|---|
| On-Campus Positions | $10.00 per hour |
| Community Partner Positions | $11.00 per hour |
Pay Rate Increases
A supervisor may consider a student for a merit pay rate increase by completing a Pay Rate Increase Form available on our FWS Supervisor Forms webpage. If approved, the supervisor will receive a confirmation email from Student Financial Services. It is the supervisor’s responsibility to notify the student of this change in pay rate.
Sample email to supervisor:
"A pay rate increase request for (student name) has been approved by Shared Services.
Effective (effective date), student’s rate of pay will be (pay rate). Please
notify the student of the pay rate change. If you have any questions, contact
the WVU Hub at 304-293-1988."
Progressive Discipline and Termination
Progressive discipline is a process for dealing with job-related behavior that does not meet expected and communicated performance standards. The primary purpose for progressive discipline is to assist the employee to understand that a performance problem or opportunity for improvement exists. The process features increasingly formal efforts to provide feedback to the employee to correct the area of concern. These efforts can include verbal warnings, written warnings, or termination.
The goal of progressive discipline is not to punish an employee, but rather to improve employee performance. Progressive discipline is most successful when it assists an individual to become an effectively performing member of the organization.
If a supervisor would like to discuss disciplinary options, contact WVU Employee Relations.
A student's employment may be terminated for several reasons and is not always related to performance. Possible situations include, but are not limited to:
- A student must be terminated when the award allocation is earned. If the student continues to work after the award allocation has been reached the department/agency will be charged for the overage;
- The student’s employment may be terminated at the student's request;
- The student may be terminated when their performance is unacceptable based on an objective assessment and after progressive discipline has been implemented;
- The student may be terminated for recording time fraudulently, which includes misrepresenting hours worked or clocking in and/or out from an unauthorized location. Notify Student Financial Services if you believe the student is recording time fraudulently.
With the exception of the student working the full award allocation, if termination is requested either by the student or supervisor, the Federal Work-Study Release Form (available on our FWS Supervisor Forms webpage) must be completed. This allows Student Financial Services staff to keep track of students working, will inform Shared Services that a student should no longer be listed as employed, and is required to be completed before a student can become employed in another Federal Work-Study position.
Absences
A student employee must notify the supervisor no later than the beginning of the scheduled work period when they are unable to work. In the case of an extended absence, the anticipated duration should be reported to the supervisor as soon as possible. The supervisor is responsible for authorizing all absences; however, supervisors are urged to consider that the academic demands of the student should take priority.
Injuries
A student employee is covered during working hours by Worker's Compensation for work-related injury/illness. Immediately report any work-related accident or illness or Worker’s Compensation questions to WVU Human Resources.
Breaks
A student working a consecutive four-hour period should receive a 15-minute break with pay. A student working a six to eight-hour period is entitled to two 15-minute breaks with pay and no less than a 30-minute lunch break without pay. Paid breaks may not be taken at the beginning or end of the work period and are not cumulative. The breaks should also be taken when they will not place an undue burden on the department/agency.
Tax Withholding Guidelines for Student Employees
If a student is enrolled half-time or less, this may impact tax withholdings. Their supervisor should provide the information below regarding tax withholdings. For more information on IRS student worker tax withholding guidelines, see the IRS Student FICA website.
Question 1: Are you an International Student considered a Non-Resident Alien (NRA) for income-tax purposes?
- YES: You are not subject to Social Security or Medicare tax withholding on income paid for work, regardless of the number of credit hours you are enrolled for the current semester.
- NO: You are either a U.S. citizen or are considered a Resident Alien (RA) for income tax purposes therefore you are subject to Social Security and Medicare tax withholding on income paid for work unless an exemption applies under the Student FICA rules. See Question 2.
- UNSURE: You are an International Student but do know if you are considered an NRA or an RA for income tax purposes. Please contact Tax Services for assistance.
Question 2: Are you a student employed by WVU in a student employee position (not a regular employee)?
- YES: You are potentially exempt from Social Security and Medicare tax withholding on income paid for work depending upon the number of credit hours you are enrolled for during the current semester. See Question 3.
- NO: You are employed by WVU in a non-student worker position therefore you are subject to Social Security and Medicare tax withholding on income paid for work regardless of the number of credit hours you are enrolled for during the current semester.
Question 3: Are you a student employed by WVU in a student worker position who is enrolled at least half-time or greater during the current semester?
- YES: You are not subject to Social Security or Medicare tax withholding on income paid for work. You are considered exempt.
- NO: You are subject to Social Security or Medicare tax withholding on income paid for work. You are considered non-exempt.
| Semesters | Undergraduate Enrollment | Graduate Enrollment |
|---|---|---|
| Fall and Spring |
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| Summer |
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Employee Benefits
A student employee is not eligible to receive other employment benefits such as paid holidays, vacation, sick leave, unemployment insurance, or permanent status.
Retirement Savings Plans
A 403(b) Tax Deferred Retirement Savings Plan is available to employees, including those employees not otherwise entitled to benefits. Should a student employee wish to enroll, an “Enrollment Form” for a selected vendor, either TIAA-CREF or Great West, is required. In addition, a “Non-Benefit Eligible Salary Reduction Agreement,” where the student employee will indicate the amount to be contributed each pay, is required. Both forms are available on the WVU Talent and Culture Forms website. If a student does not have access to a computer, they are responsible for informing the department or the Division of Human Resources so that a solution may be determined.