How do I apply for work study?
The Office of Financial Aid provides all eligible full time undergraduate students with the opportunity to participate in the Work Study Student Employment Program with either the Federal Work Study (FWS) award or the Institutional Work Study (IWS) award.
Students interested in applying for a work study position must first accept their financial aid work study award, which is part of their award package, via Hornet Hub. Once the award is accepted they are then automatically enrolled in the Work4SU Canvas Organization which provides the tools necessary to navigate the Work Study Student Employment Program such as a student manual, instructions for applying to jobs and the link to the available positions.
What’s the difference between Federal and Institutional Work Study?
Federal Work study is a federal-based financial aid program. In order to qualify for federal work study, students must complete the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) and demonstrate financial need.
Institutional Work study is an SU institutional-based student employment program and is offered to those full time undergraduates who are not eligible for federal work study.
The programs offered do not differ, only the funding source does.
We encourage every student to submit a FAFSA so the Financial Aid Office can determine which program the student is eligible for.
What is the pay rate, and how many hours may I work?
Student employees are awarded $2000 per year as part of their financial aid award package and earn $8.20 per hour. Students are encouraged to work between 7-9 hours per week once hired. This allows the students to budget their work study award throughout the term(s) and reserve time for their studies.
Students are allowed to earn up to $1000 per term. Funds not earned in the fall term are not carried over to the spring term. Students may earn no more than half of their annual award per term.
Can work study funds be credited automatically toward my student account?
Unlike other types of financial aid, work study earnings are not applied directly to your student account. You will receive the funds, via a paycheck, as you earn them based on hours worked to use at your discretion.
Can my work study award change during the academic year?
Yes. The work study award amount is subject to change if you receive additional resources, such as an outside scholarship or grant. When your work study award changes, you will receive a revised award notification from the Office of Financial Aid.
What if I don’t earn the amount that I have been awarded in work study?
Any portion of your award that remains unearned at the end of the academic year will be forfeited, as it cannot be transferred to a subsequent semester or academic year.
How does my supervisor initiate my hire with HR?
Students are required to apply for available positions of interest via the jobs link which is located on the Work4SU Canvas Organization page.
Once your application is submitted, it is up to the supervisor of that position to extend the job offer. Students are encouraged to complete their paperwork for hire after applying to jobs to expedite the process.
Once a job offer is accepted and all paperwork for hire is completed the student will be hired by the University and therefore eligible to begin working.
What documentation will I need in order to be hired for my work study student employment position?
You will be required to complete the I-9 Employment Eligibility Form and provide original identification documents as listed on the I-9 Acceptable Documents Form. In addition, you will be required to complete a Work Study Student Employment Contract, Federal Tax Form, Virginia State Tax Form and Direct Deposit Form. The forms are available on the Work4SU Canvas Organization with instructions for completion.
For my I-9 Form, are copies of my ID’s acceptable?
No, the I-9 form is a federal document which requires Human Resources to review original ID’s only. If you arrive with copies, you will not be hired and therefore prohibited to work until you can provide the proper identification.
What is the payroll cycle?
Payday is every other Friday, with the exception of when it falls on a holiday or if the University is closed, then it will be on the preceding day. Hours worked are paid 2 weeks in arrears, which means that you work for 2 weeks and then get paid for those hours 2 weeks later. Please see the link below for updated payroll schedules.
https://suorg.instructure.com/courses/12/pages/payroll-schedules
How do I log the hours I work?
Student employees are required to enter hours worked via Time Entry, a web based system for hourly employees, which is located in Hornet Hub.
Students are encouraged to submit timecards on a weekly basis.
Failure to meet payroll deadlines will result in delayed payment.
Detailed information regarding all aspects of payroll and other pertinent payroll information is provided on the Student Manual and Helpful Links page in the Work4SU Canvas organization.