Section 5


Definition of a Student Employee 

An eligible student employee is described as an undergraduate or graduate, admitted for enrollment as a regular certificate/degree-seeking student at Colorado State University, carrying at least one Registrar’s credit per term during the academic year. The student must be registered by the census date for each term. (GUEST students are not eligible). The student must be able to demonstrate eligibility to work by completing Form I-9. 

Graduate students who are “continuously registered” or undergrads who are on Planned Leave may be employed as student employees, but are subject to withholdings for the Student Employee Retirement Plan (Refer to Section 1 of the Human Resources Manual).  

Continuous Registration must be completed before the census date for both fall and spring terms in order for the graduate student to be employed as a student employee. The application for Planned Leave – Undergraduates must be submitted no later than 12:00 pm the Thursday prior to the start of classes each term. During the summer, students are not required to register for credits if they were registered the prior spring and are registered for the coming fall or are admitted for fall. 

Employment Policy and Eligibility  

Eligibility to participate in the Colorado State University Student Employment Program is established annually, based on a student meeting the eligibility requirements.  If a student no longer meets eligibility requirements, that student must stop working immediately. 

Students must be: 

  • Admitted to a degree-seeking program (cannot be GUEST or INTO) at CSU – Fort Collins. 
    • School of Public Health Graduate students are considered degree seeking at CSU and can work on student hourly assignments (not work-study as their financial aid is not awarded directly by CSU). 
    • Teacher Licensure are also considered degree seeking for student employment purposes, as they can have financial aid/work-study per Title IV regulation (they can be both student hourly and work-study). 
  • Authorized to work in the United States 
    • International Students – On-campus employment 
      • F-1 Student Visa: May be employed on a limited basis (not to exceed 20 hours per week during the academic year) provided that working does not have a negative effect on their academic work. 
      • J-1 Exchange Student Visa: May be employed on a limited basis provided they have the approval of their sponsor. 
    • International Students – Off-campus Employment 
      • International students at CSU with employment eligibility questions, should contact International Student Services, Laurel Hall, Fort Collins, CO 80523, Phone: (970) 491-5917 
    • Please note that CSU is not able to employ a non-US citizen working in their home country (please contact HR for additional information). 
  • At least half-time for work-study (6 credits undergraduate and 5 credits graduate) and enrolled in at least one credit for student hourly positions 
    • Students can be enrolled in Planned Leave and remain a student hourly as long as they plan to attend again the following semester. 
  • Awarded a work-study award to work in a work-study job 

Remote Hires: Student employees can work remotely.  However, the employer must still have a way of monitoring the student’s performance during remote work to make sure the student is actually working, and to make sure the student is still doing quality work.  

If an employee does not meet the eligibility requirements stated above, he or she must be hired as an employee type other than a student, such as: non-student hourly, state classified or administrative professional. 

Since departments may directly hire student employees, it is essential that department personnel fully comply with the University’s nondiscrimination policy outlined in Section 1 of the Human Resources Manual. Please note that student employees are at-will employees. If a department has a student employee sign an employment contract, they may be negating a student’s at-will status; employment contracts for students are not advised and exceed departmental authority.  If an employer wishes to have student employees sign an employment contract, they must contact the Office of the General Counsel.  

Types of Student Employment 

There are three (3) types of student employment at Colorado State University that have different eligibility requirements and various funding sources. Regardless of the type of employment, or working on or off-campus, all student employees are part-time employees; hired and working under applicable federal and state labor laws, as well as CSU policies.  

Need-Based Work-Study 

Need-based work-study is awarded to degree-seeking students, enrolled at least half-time, based upon documentation of financial need and the availability of funds.  Students must first have completed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine their eligibility (additional documentation may be requested).  If eligible, students may receive need-based work-study as part of their financial aid awards package; if not, students may request consideration for an award by completing the “Request Work-Study” option RAMweb by early May. 

Funding sources include: 

  • State of Colorado Work-Study Program 
    • Colorado work-study is only available to qualifying undergraduate (seeking their first bachelor’s) Colorado residents. 
    • State work-study recipients are funded seventy percent by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education and thirty percent from the University employer. 
    • State work-study students whose match is being paid out of federal funds or projects need to be identified when hired. 
  • Federal Work-Study Program 

Federal work-study is available to qualifying undergraduate and graduate resident and non-resident students. 

    • As part of the Federal Work-Study Program, students have the option to participate in Community Service Work-Study, which provides opportunities for students to work in local community service or governmental agencies off-campus, or as Literacy/Math Tutors in local elementary schools. 
    • Federal work-study recipients are funded seventy percent by the Department of Education and thirty percent by the University employer. 

No-Need Work-Study 

The no-need work-study program (formerly referred to as Merit work-study prior to the 2017-2018 academic  

year) provides degree-seeking students, enrolled at least half-time, without financial need, an opportunity to  

be employed in work-study jobs.  No-need work-study is applied for via the “Request Work-Study” application on a student’s RAMweb, beginning in early May for the following academic year; applications may take up to 2 weeks to be reviewed. The type of work-study a student will receive is determined by fund requirements and availability. Funds are limited, and not all students will be eligible; thus, not all applications will result in an award. 

Types include: 

  • Colorado No-Need Work-Study – Colorado no-need work-study is available to undergraduate, Colorado residents. 
  • Institutional No-Need Work-Study – Institutional no-need work-study is available to undergraduate and graduate, domestic and international, resident and non-resident students. 

“Renewing” Work-Study 

Students that complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and had a paid work-study award (of any kind) in the previous year, should be packaged with a work-study award for the next academic year (providing funding is still available at the time of packaging, and they meet eligibility requirements).  Students that are FAFSA filers should be checking their CSU email and RAMWeb to make sure they do not have any outstanding requirements that could hold the packaging of financial aid.   Students that are non-FAFSA filers with a paid work-study award from the previous year should have their work-study “renewed” for the next (based on funding and providing they meet eligibility requirements).  

Additional Work-Study Information 

  • Work-study is not a grant or guaranteed award; the student must work, with an approved employer, to earn the funds.  
  •  Work-study earnings will be issued on a year-end W2, and for those students filing taxes, these earnings must be reported on federal and state income tax returns.   
  • Work-study awards typically range from $1,600 to $4,000 per academic year. 
    • Increases to need-based work-study can be requested to the Office of Financial Aid ([email protected]) if the student has met, or is close to meeting their semester award.  The student should contact the Office of Financial Aid to determine eligibility and fund availability. 
  • A student can only be employed at one (1) work-study job at a time. 
  • Hiring departments should confirm that the student has a valid work-study award; the student is able to show proof of the award through their RAMweb. 
  • Employing departments and the student should monitor work-study earnings to ensure earnings do not exceed the work-study academic year limit. Once a student’s limit is exceeded, the employer will be charged a hundred percent for all earnings. Work-study funds cannot be used to pay overtime. 
  • Work-study students may not earn more than fifty percent of their academic award before the spring semester starts. 
  • Work-study students cannot work during their scheduled class time. 
  • Reinstating a declined work-study award is contingent on availability of funds. 

Summer Work-Study 

The summer work-study program supports employment opportunities for students with financial need to work in critical-need areas of the University and earn wages to help with educational expenses. The summer work-study program is extremely limited in funding and thus limited to ONLY critical-need areas as defined by an area “facilitating individual student enrollment and retention”; examples include: Admissions, Registrar, Office of Financial Aid, Access Center, Advocacy Offices, Academic Advancement, CASA, Women’s Programs, Resources for Disabled Students and HR/Payroll. The Office of Financial Aid will email departments, who meet the critical-need definition, in mid/late March for their summer work-study position eligibility and with the policy/procedure.  

  • Summer is considered a header to the academic year and eligible students must show financial need (via the FAFSA), be eligible for Federal Student Aid, and plan on being enrolled at least half-time for the next fall semester. Eligibility will be determined by the Office of Financial Aid and be part of the summer work-study procedure provided to eligible departments. 

Campus Student Hourly 

Campus student hourly positions are available to Colorado State University students throughout campus.  Any qualifying undergraduate or graduate student who is enrolled in at least one (1) credit and admitted to a degree-seeking program is eligible to work in a campus hourly employment position.   

Volunteer vs Employee:  Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), when an employer-employee relationship exists, and the employee is engaged in work that is subject to the FLSA, the employee must be paid at least the Federal minimum wage (in Colorado, the state minimum wage rate trumps the Federal minimum wage rate). Additionally, an individual shall not be considered a volunteer if the individual is  

otherwise employed by the same public agency to perform the same type of services as those for which the individual proposes to volunteer; the phrase “same type of services” means similar or identical services.  

Payroll 

Student employees are paid bi-weekly; pay period schedules can be viewed at the HR Payroll Processing Scheduling page. Direct deposit to the students’ checking or savings account is required for all new employees. Pay advices are available online, for all university employees, through the university’s Administrative Applications and Resources (AAR) page; employees should select the Employee Self-Service option. Additional information regarding payroll can be found on the Human Resource Services Payroll website.  

Documenting Hours 

Time clock hours must be submitted when due, in order for the student to be paid. An accurate daily record of actual time worked must be maintained.  At the end of the pay period, the employee and the supervisor must certify total hours worked by approving time clock hours. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure the time is completed accurately and in a timely manner.  If the time clock hours are not submitted correctly and approved, the student will not be paid on time; late time entry and approval will result in late pay.  

TimeClock Plus: Colorado State University utilizes TimeClock Plus for timesheets for both non-student and student hourly employees.   

Breaks/Meals: Break or meal periods for students employed at Colorado State University are not mandatory. It is recommended that employers implement a policy for best practice, allowing breaks and/or meals as necessary.  The length and frequency of such periods are up to employer’s discretion.  Generally, a break period (10-20 minutes) is paid and taken on the premises; a meal period (30 minutes or more) is unpaid, if uninterrupted and duty free.  

Training/Meetings: Student employees must be paid for any time required of them to work by their employer.  Required attendance at trainings, meetings, seminars, lectures and educational programs are all treated as compensable unless ALL of the following four conditions are met: 

  • Attendance is outside of the employee’s regular working hours. 
  • Attendance is completely voluntary. 
  • The course, lecture, meeting, or activity is not directly related to the employee’s job. 
  • The employee does not perform any productive work during such attendance. 

Exceptions: Student government officers (ASCSU) are not subject to the State’s employment rate and hours rules, but must maintain authorizations for payment and back up for payment including applicable time sheets, sales records, etc. 

Overtime/Comp, Differential and Call Back Time: Students will generally be compensated at the rate of time-and-a-half for any overtime (more than 40 hours/week). Work-study students are not eligible for overtime. Student employees are not eligible for compensatory time and not eligible for shift differential or call back pay. 

Performance 

Performance Evaluations: After the student is given an initial orientation and training, it is important to assess the student’s understanding and performance of the position.  This evaluation will also help determine whether the orientation and training provided were sufficient to clearly communicate and demonstrate the expectations. 

Students should at a minimum receive a formal, written evaluation at least once per year; though at the end of each semester would be a best practice. Evaluation forms for this purpose are available on the Student Career Center Employer Resources Page. Departments may choose to use their own evaluation format, as long as it sufficiently addresses the same minimum evaluation components as the evaluation form.   

Supervisors should complete a written evaluation of the student’s performance at the following time intervals: 

  • Within 30 days of hire (informal with documentation or formal evaluation form) 
  • At the time of any pay increases and/or promotions (written) 
  • After one year of employment (formal, written) 
  • At the time the position is terminated (written) 

All written evaluations (formal or informal) should be sent to the Office of Financial Aid to become part of the student’s employment file, which is covered under the Federal Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).  Records should be kept for 7 years. Additional information on Evaluations and Record retention can be found on the Employer Resources page of the Career Center’s website.   

SERP/Medicare 

The Student Employment Retirement Plan is a state-mandated plan in lieu of Social Security for all higher education students. A 403(b) retirement savings account will be established in the student’s name at Fidelity Investments for contributions made to the SERP.  The contribution amounts assessed against wages are 7.5% for the SERP and 1.45% for Medicare. 

Participation in the SERP/Medicare is mandatory if students do not meet one of the following conditions for exemption: 

During summer semesters: 

  • Undergraduate and graduate students must be officially admitted as degree-seeking students and enrolled at least half-time (3 credits for summer) for a summer term running concurrently with a student’s work schedule.  

During fall and spring semesters: 

  • Undergraduate students must be officially admitted as a degree-seeking student and enrolled at least half-time (6 credits). 
  • Graduate students must be officially admitted as a degree-seeking student and enrolled at least half-time (5 credits). 

Benefits 

Work-study employees are not eligible for benefits, nor for time off (paid or unpaid) such as vacation, sick leave or paid holidays.  Per the Affordable Care Act (ACA), student hourly employees may be eligible for Health Benefits (see below). Possible exceptions may also apply for jury duty and medical leave. Student employees are not entitled to State Unemployment Insurance through Colorado State University but are covered under Workers’ Compensation.  Additional information can be found in the Student Employment Handbook. Student hourly employees are eligible for sick leave under Colorado’s Healthy Families and Workplaces Act. 

CSU’s FAMLI plan provides for a portion of an employee’s weekly pay for up to 12 weeks of leave per year to care for themselves or a family member. Those who experience pregnancy or childbirth complications may receive an additional four weeks. FAMLI income replacement benefits are primary to any other leave program and runs concurrently with Family Medical Leave (FML) and any other leave program to mitigate duplication of income replacement benefits. FAMLI is available to all employees who work and live in Colorado, including faculty, staff and student employees. Employees receive job-protection through FAMLI after 180 days of employment. 

Affordable Care Act (ACA) 

In compliance with health care reform regulations, beginning January 1, 2015, Human Resources performs a variable-hour employee calculation to determine whether an employee (student, non-student hourly, graduate student) has met the 30-hour weekly average, over the course of a 12-month measurement period.  If the employee has met the criteria to gain eligibility for the University’s self-funded employee medical plans, the student employee will be notified of eligibility by email.  The information in the email requires the student to take action, whether electing medical coverage or declining coverage, by a specific deadline.  

Employees (variable hour students, non-student hourly and graduate students) at CSU have the ability to obtain medical coverage through different sources. These sources can include: maintaining coverage up to age 26 on a parent’s employer sponsored plan, purchasing individual coverage, maintaining enrollment in the Student Health Plan administered by CSU Health Network (premiums are not refundable and cannot be prorated and the graduate student health contribution cannot be applied towards the University’s employee medical plan), or by purchasing a policy through the ACA Marketplace Exchange (eligibility criteria is specific to each referenced plan). More information can be located here for review in the ACA Guide.  

Student Employee Responsibilities 

Student Conduct Code and Alcohol and Drug Policy: All students must abide by the Colorado State University Conduct Code, which includes Prohibited Conduct by individuals. Violations of this code may impact a student’s employment with on or off-campus employers.  

In addition to the Student Conduct Code, student employees must also abide by the CSU Policy: Alcohol and Drugs, specifically relating to Section 7 – Employment Conditions Relating to Drugs and Alcohol (on-campus employees), and Section 8- Drug and Alcohol Impairment under the Student Conduct Code (on and off-campus employees). Forms and tools are available in this policy to assist with such situations.  Off-campus employers should contact Student Employment Services if they have a student that is visually impaired at work (SES Student Employee Drugs/Alcohol at Work Procedures). 

Sexual Harassment Policy:

Colorado State University does not tolerate sexual harassment among students, employees, or other members of its community. Sexual harassment is prohibited in the employment context by  

Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and in the education context by Title IX of the Educational Amendments of  

  1. For further information, visit the Office of Equal Opportunity. 

Code of Conduct and Professionalism:

Professionalism, confidentiality, positivity, respect, and integrity are all highly valued with the University and Fort Collins community.  Thus, student employees are expected to exhibit these values as representatives of the University in the department or partnering community agency/school in which they are working. 

Students of Concern 

If you have a student employee who is displaying concerning behavior, please contact Student Employment Services with a written description of the situation; including any supporting documentation (copies of text messages, emails, statements from other staff, etc.) to [email protected]. From there, Student Employment Services will contact necessary parties, which could include Support & Safety Assessment, HR Solutions Partners, HR, Student Resolution Center, CSU Police Department, or any other department deemed appropriate given the situation.  If you are concerned about someone’s mental health and safety, then please Tell Someone by calling them at 970-491-1350 or using the link for the online referral form. Please be advised that if you feel the student to be an imminent danger to themselves or others, then immediately contact CSU police by calling 911 or their non-emergency number 970-491-6425.  

Hiring Process 

Job Postings 

The Career Center is committed to fair, legal and non-discriminatory employment practices.  Thus, the Career Center requires that all open student employment positions be posted through the Handshake Job Posting Service for a minimum of three days. Students who are admitted to a degree-seeking program for the fall semester and paid their deposit will be able to access Handshake June 1st. Students admitted for the spring or summer terms will have access to Handshake the Sunday after they enroll for classes.    

Work-Study Postings: All students can view hourly and work-study jobs listed on Handshake. Students must either have a work-study award or be eligible to receive a work-study award before applying for work-study positions. Please contact the Office of Financial Aid for more information about work-study and your eligibility. For information on Handshake, please visit our Jobs page.   

Background Checks: Background checks are required for all new hires, for returning student employees if a break of more than 12 months, or if moving to a new position with a sensitive condition (or DMV requirement).  For additional information on background checks, please visit the Human Resources website. 

Form I-9/SSA 1945 (Equifax): Upon a successful background check, the Form I-9 and SSA-1945 will need to be completed through Equifax (as of January 1, 2017).   Employees will be given a link to complete their Online New Hire Packet and will then complete Section 2 with their employer and original documentation.  For more information on this process, please visit the Human Resources website. Please note that Oracle new hire approval requests will be rejected if there is not a completed Form I-9 in Equifax within three business days of the hire (effective) date. 

Work-Study MOU/CR: All work-study employers must review and sign the Memo of Understanding (MOU) and Compliance Review (CR) each academic year if they wish to employ work-study students.  For more information, and to complete this requirement, employers may visit the Work-Study MOU page.  

Oracle Approval Requests: New hires and assignments may be submitted in Oracle with any given date.  

Changes (to existing assignments) in Oracle must occur at the start of a pay period (Saturday after the end of a pay period).  If submitting a request for a new work-study hire or new work-study assignment, the student must have a work-study award for that academic year.  As mentioned previously, a current MOU & Compliance Review must be on file for that academic year with the employer for a work-study approval to occur.  Please also be advised that a change may also need to include going from “suspend” to “active” status.  Please also note that all new hire and new assignment requests must have a completed Form I-9 in Equifax to be approved. If any of  

the above are not met, then the Approval will be rejected, or additional information will be asked for at the discretion of SES. 

Terminations 

Students who withdraw from school or fail to register for the minimum number of credits to qualify as a student employee will have active assignments automatically suspended by Student Employment Services. Students who have graduated will have active assignments automatically terminated by Student Employment Services after the conferred degree list is finalized by the Registrar’s Office.  

Under normal circumstances, it is suggested that the employer or employee give a minimum of two weeks’ notice of intent to terminate. 

Students with foreign addresses must notify Payroll of their correct addresses before they leave the University.