Student Employment

Who is a student employee?

Student employees are classified as OPS (Other Personal Services), or temporary, at-will employees and their primary purpose for being at the University is to obtain a degree or certification. These positions are used to accomplish short term or intermittent tasks.

What are the requirements to be classified as a student employee?

In order to be hired at the University in a student classified position, the individual must be enrolled for credit at UWF or another educational institution.

What types of positions may a student employee hold?

Students can hold positions as Student Assistants, which are hourly positions and are classified and paid in accordance with the Pay Grades set for the classification as listed in the OPS Student Pay Plan.

For students who qualify based upon need, federal aid programs are available, whereby the student is assigned an on-campus job. These positions are typically paid Florida minimum wage and can vary on the number of hours dependent upon the award. More information on Federal Work Study positions can be obtained through the Financial Aid office.

The Graduate School also awards graduate assistantships, which are state-classified university positions supported with university or grant funds and made available through the individual college in which the individual's program of study is housed. Graduate assistantship positions hold the requirement of service to the University. This service obligation is usually instructional or research related. For these purposes, the graduate assistant may support one or more faculty.

What are the classifications for student positions?

The OPS Student Classification System should be used as a guide in determining the proper classification for all student positions. Departments should pick the classification that most closely describes the duties for which the student is being hired. Once the proper classification has been determined, departments should refer to the OPS Student Pay Plans to ensure the hourly rate being offered falls within the approved range.

Are there restrictions on how many hours a student employee is permitted to work?

Student employees at the University may not work 1.0 FTE (full-time), between all jobs combined, and still hold a student position. It is the departments responsibility to ensure that the student they intend to hire does not exceed a recommended combined FTE of .725, which equates to 29 hours per work week. If a student employee exceeds a FTE of .75 between all jobs combined, benefits may be triggered. When a student employee is offered benefits through People First and accepts them, the department is required to pay the employer portion of the premiums.

Hiring departments can utilize Information Navigator Report OHR000099 (List all Positions for an Employee) to verify the student's current positions. This will provide all positions for which a student currently holds. Future dated appointments will not show up on this report. Therefore, if the combined FTE is approaching the .725 threshold, it is recommended that the department contact HR to review the record.

What eligibility requirements must be met in order to work as a student employee in the summer?

Students who are currently employed in a student position prior to the start of the summer semester may continue to work during the summer if they were enrolled in the spring and are expected to enroll in the fall.

Furthermore, if a department wishes to hire a student to begin working in the summer semester, they may do so as long as the individual was an enrolled for credit student at UWF in the spring semester. Departments may also hire one pay period prior to the semester start, if required for training purposes, not to exceed two (2) weeks.

If a student graduated in the spring and is planning to start a new program in the fall, are they eligible to be employed as a student employee in the summer?

No, if the student graduated in the spring and will be starting a new program in the fall, they are no longer considered a student at the University. Therefore, the department would need to convert them to an OPS Staff position if summer employment is being offered. All requirements to be hired into an OPS Staff position must be met prior to being permitted to work in any capacity.

What are the international student employment eligibility requirements?

There are additional requirements that need to be met in order for international students to be able to work on campus. International students must be cleared by the International Affairs Office and must have applied for, and received, a Social Security card before they can begin employment. Additional information can be found on the International Student Hiring Process page of the Human Resources webpage.