Procedures for Employment of Student Workers

Step 1.  Upon establishing a need for a student worker either through attrition or through new need, the supervisor must ensure funds are available to hire the student.  For a research grant, interim funding may be requested to cover the cost of wages if the project has not yet been established.

Step 2.  The supervisor may wish to post the job in the college or by listing on the student employment listing website.  The web address is http://faid.tamu.edu/

then click on instructions for employers to log in.  The supervisor will have to get log in access from the student employment office at 845-0686.

Step 3.  Once a student candidate has been identified, the supervisor should establish the immigration status prior to making a final offer.  A letter of offer may be made that cites the requirement of approved immigration status before the employment offer is final.  

Prospective International Employees:
The Business Office prepares the I-80 if needed for international employees and forwards it to the department head and dean for signature.  The Business Office retains copies of the I-80 and supporting documents (copies of visa, passport, I-94, and I-20 or IAP66) and routes the originals to the Human Resources Immigration Office in Research Park. The remainder of the payroll process may be completed only after the I-80 form has received approval from Immigration Services.
The student cannot be put on payroll, attend orientation, or work until the approved I-80 is sent back to our office.  This procedure normally takes about a week, longer if it is the beginning of a new semester or late in the summer.

Step 4.  The Department will notify Ms. Lisa McKown in the Business Office of the new hire of a student worker in writing immediately upon making the employment offer.
An email, memorandum or letter should contain the following information:
  * The student�s name and SSN#
  * The rate of pay per hour (minimum wage - $5.15/hr.)
  * The effective date and ending date(if there is one)
  * The account number (funding source)
  * The name of the person that will be supervising the student worker
  * The supervisor�s  signature and date

Note:  The hiring supervisor will notify the Business Office in writing of the student�s intentions for employment for each semester. The same purpose can be served by noting the ending date of employment on the hiring letter.

Step 5. The student should be sent to the Business Office to fill out the hiring paper work with Lisa McKown.  The student should bring two forms of ID.  (examples:  Driver�s license, SS card, birth certificate, passport or visa). 

Step 6.  Forms which must be completed by the student:

 Employee Data sheet
 W-4 form
 Employment Eligibility Verification/I9 form
 If male and between 18-25 years old, they must fill out a Selective Service Form.
 A direct deposit form to deposit their paycheck

Step 7.  The student will not have to attend the orientation if they have previously worked on campus and their orientation certification is updated and current in the student employment office.  

Step 8.  If the student has not previously worked on campus, they must attend the brief orientation meeting at the Pavilion.  They will be provided a schedule of the arranged orientation times, and are expected to attend one at their earliest convenience.  They will not be added to the payroll until they attend.   The student will be given a pink and yellow carbon copy of the certification.  The student is to keep the yellow copy and to bring the pink to Lisa McKown in the Business Office.

Step 9.  The new student worker will be provided a pay schedule and a timesheet explaining the timesheet procedures. They are told when and where they can pick up paychecks.  

Step 10.  All corrections on timesheets must be initialed by the supervisor.  The timesheet should be completely filled out before the supervisor signs the timesheet

Step 11.  It is the responsibility of the supervisor to turn in the timesheets on time.  If timesheets are to ever be turned in at some time other than the scheduled time because of University holidays, prior notice will be sent to the departments and supervisors.

Work Study Student Workers: 

The same hiring procedures apply for work student students with the following additions:

The student will need to bring documentation to the Business Office from the Student Financial Aid Office that identifies eligibility and terms for employment as a work study student.

The specific times that the student worked must also be listed with the number of hours on the timesheet. The student and the supervisor must sign the timesheet.

Work study students can not work over 20 hours per week (unless justified by the supervisor and approved by the Student Employment Office).
 
Work study students cannot turn in estimated time (example: during school holidays when time has to be turned in early).  Their hours have to be hours already worked, or being worked the day they turn in the timesheet. Work study students will automatically be terminated after the end of their awarded funds.  If they were awarded work study funds for both semesters of the school year (which most are because financial aid is awarded for the year), then they will be terminated at the end of the spring semester.  If they are granted more funding and wish to work the next year they will have to fill out the necessary hiring paperwork to put them back on payroll, but they will not have to attend the orientation session.

Note:  On work study students the employer only pays 25% of their pay, the other 75% comes from their financial aid granted to them for the work study program.

The student employment office keeps records of how much work study money is left after each pay period, and if the student is running low the office will contact the Business Office.  However, if the student has worked more hours than they have funding for, we must pay the student for all hours worked.  The employer will have to pay the full 100% for any hours worked over their allowance.