Student Employment

An Undergraduate Student Work Authorization Form is required to initiate hiring action for all undergraduate student positions. Supervisors should follow the guidelines listed to complete the Undergraduate Student Work Authorization Form.

1. Complete information concerning the semester, year, department name, and account number. Indicate "Federal Work Study" or "Institutional" funding on the appropriate portion of the form.
2. Complete the line requesting the title and hourly wage of the new positions. Only one form is required to request several student positions with the same job description and title.
3. Complete information concerning the total number of open positions and other recruiting information.
4. If you know the name of the student you wish to hire, please indicate the student’s name on the bottom of the Undergraduate Student Work Authorization Form. Always indicate the number of hours per week.
5. A job description for each vacant position must be attached to the Undergraduate Student Work Authorization Form or must be on file in the Office of Human Resources.
6. Obtain approval signatures from the department supervisor or chairperson.
7. Academic departments must obtain approval of the vice president.
8. Non-grant-funded undergraduate student work authorizations established at minimum wage (Level I) do not require the approval at the vice-presidential level.
9. Positions above minimum wage (Level I) must have the approval of the appropriate vice president. Grant-funded positions must be approved by the Controller Services.
10. Departments must ensure that funds are available in their student work budgets before requesting student positions.

Student work authorizations sent in the fall of an academic year will carry over for the spring semester. Students hired in the fall are placed on payroll for fall and spring. Therefore, no new student authorization is required for spring except for new positions. You will need to advise the Office of Human Resources of any vacant or new positions in your department. Include in your memo the names of students who are not returning so they can be removed from payroll. No action is necessary for those students returning from the fall semester.

All students are removed from payroll at the end of the spring semester of each academic year. New authorization forms are required for the summer session. Students eligible for Federal Work Study in the fall or spring semesters are not automatically eligible for the summer session. Students who wish to work during the summer must contact the Office of Financial Aid to establish their eligibility for the summer session.

Student applicants are further categorized into two funding categories: Federal work study and institutional funds (non-college work study). This categorization of applicants is necessary due to the division of departmental student work accounts into these funding sources.

In addition to the Undergraduate Student Work Authorization Form, each student must complete the Federal Work Study Employment Agreement or Institutional Student Employment Agreement, as appropriate.  Payroll action required prior to the beginning of employment is the responsibility of the Office of Human Resources, provided all necessary paperwork has been completed. Department supervisors should ensure that hiring, termination and transfer actions are reported to the HR office in a timely fashion to enable proper payment to the student.

Efficient operation of the Student Placement Program at Trinity University requires that personnel policies address specific student issues. Policies have been designed to meet the needs of both students and supervisors, as well as to ensure that employment decisions are made on an equitable basis.

• Undergraduate student employees generally are limited to ten (10) hours of work per week during the fall and spring semesters. Occasionally, student employees are allowed to work up to twenty (20) hours per week. Students who have graduated are not eligible for undergraduate student employment.
• Undergraduate students may be employed in more than one department at the same time. In addition, the student may be paid different wages in each position. Bi-weekly payroll checks will be paid in one lump sum, and each department will be charged proportionately for the wages earned during that pay period.
• Grant and contract facilities located on the Trinity University campus which receive federal funding will be offered the employment of undergraduate federal work study students at thirty percent (30) percent of the established wage for the position. This procedure is a requirement of existing federal regulations.
• No student shall be employed in a classified staff or contract staff position. Any exception to this policy requires approval of the President of the University or the Vice President of Finance & Administration.

Graduate assistantships are authorized on a semester basis. Graduate assistantships are established using a Graduate Student Financial Assistance Form:

1. Complete information concerning the department, program and term.
2. Complete information concerning the student’s name and social security number.
3. Complete remaining blanks concerning the type of award, total amount, monthly payments, tuition payments and accounts charged.
4. Obtain approval from the chairperson of the department.
5. Forward authorization form to the Vice President for Academic Affairs for final approval.
6. Forward authorization form to Sponsored Projects Accounting in the Business Office for approval, if grant funds are used.

For additional information, refer to the Student Employment Procedures Guide, available from the Office of Human Resources.