Federal & College Work Study

Student employment is a vital component of both the student experience and the college’s overall staffing model. All college departments are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity. As a department, student employment offers a flexible and affordable option to help you meet the needs of the campus, community, and our students.

FAQ for Campus Supervisors

What is Student Employment?

Student employment at Columbus State is composed of two main classifications:

College Work Study (CO-WS) – Commonly known as a “regular” student employee. The student must be enrolled at Columbus State in three or more credit hours while pursuing a degree or certificate. CO-WS positions and wages are funded through the hiring department.

Federal Work Study (FWS) – The student must be enrolled at Columbus State in six or more financial aid-eligible credit hours at all times while pursuing a degree or certificate. FWS positions and subsequent wages are funded through the student’s FWS award, as a part of their financial aid package, and therefore hired at no cost to the department. A limited number of students at Columbus State are awarded FWS each year.

What is the process to hire a student?

For a quick reference, view the Workday Manager Student Hiring Process Quick Reference Guide.

All student employee hiring is handled through Career Services. The following forms may be needed to initiate a Job Requisition and Job Posting.

SE Job Description: Documents the position and department information, job duties, and qualifications. Please note, only staff/administration designated as Hiring Managers may submit Student Employment Job Description forms. Does not need submitted with every Posting Request, but at least every 2 years or as needed with position updates.
SE Posting Request: Collects additional details on recruiting needs, schedule/work hours, and funds. Submitted each time a new posting is requested.
College Work Study Approval: Used only when Requesting a Classification Change to College Work Study or Requesting a College Work Study Job Requisition and Posting. This form requires Vice President Approval. Contact Student Employment for this form.

Positions may be requested at any time of the year, with late summer/early autumn being the peak hiring time. The Student Employment team will review all incoming requests on a variety of factors including:

Is the position appropriate for the Student Employment classification?
Is the pay rate commensurate with the duties detailed in the posting?
Has enough detail been provided in the description of job duties to accurately represent the position?
and if Federal Work Study, is there remaining Federal Work Study funding to potentially support such a position?

Once both forms are received and approved by Student Employment, the requisition and posting will be created in Workday. Hiring Managers will then receive an automated notification when the position is posted.

Student Employment staff review incoming applications for Student Employment/Federal Work Study eligibility, while the Hiring Manager reviews for position fit and any minimal or preferred qualifications above student employment eligibility. The Hiring Manager decides which applicants to interview and schedules directly with the applicant. You will indicate your hiring selections directly through Workday.

Managing a Student Worker

The Hiring Manager’s Guide to Student Employment includes detailed information about supervising students, but some of the most important points to keep in mind are:

Students may work no more than 8 hours in a day and 20 hours in a week. There is an exception during designated academic breaks (e.g., weeks between semesters) that students may work 30 hours per week.
Student eligibility is not guaranteed from term-to-term, as a student’s enrollment level or eligibility for Financial Aid may change. Students may also lose eligibility during the term.
Be sure to have regular conversations about your student employee’s academic plans so you may plan accordingly for the next semester.
Notify Student Employment staff as soon as possible when a student employee has resigned or their position is otherwise ended. The Separation form is on CougarConnect.
Student Employment is more than happy to answer any questions you may have. The guidelines around employing students are not always the same as with employing staff, and we recognize the details of a student’s eligibility can sometimes be complex.

Relevant Guides, Forms, and Policies

The documents below will assist you in learning more about posting a position, training and daily supervision of student employees, as well as related policies and procedures.

Workday Manager Student Hiring Process Quick Reference Guide
This quick reference guide (QRG) will guide managers on hiring a student using Workday, including accessing the applicant pool, reviewing applicants, interviews, and selection of candidates.

FAQ for Campus Supervisors
This FAQ provides an overview of student eligibility, hiring and onboarding proceses, scheduling expectations, guidelines for supervising student employees and more.

SE Job Description Template
Documents the position and department information, job duties, and qualifications. Must be updated every 2 years or as needed with position updates.

SE Posting Request Template
Collects additional details on recruiting needs, schedule/work hours, and funds. Required for each new posting.

Federal Work Study Schedule Examples
This document outlines several examples of semester scheduling for FWS students. Identifies average hours per week to ensure the FWS award lasts the academic year.

Report SE Separations Here
To help us ensure consistent reporting of Student Employee separations, please complete this short form when a student employee has completed their employment.

Onboarding Checklist for New Student Employees
Student Employment has compiled this checklist to help managers ensure their newly hired student employees are prepared to make a successful start.

Student Employee Coaching Conversation Log
This tool can be utilized to document coaching conversations, including the coaching topic/area, desired outcome, action plan to achieve, and timeline for improvement and follow up. View this completed sample for reference:
https://connect.cscc.edu/organization/studentemployment/documents/view/2296033

Campus Policies

Academics Department

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