Work-Study Employers

Work-studyis a need-based financial aid that coversaportionofyour student employee'spaycheck using government funding. The Office of Financial Aid reviews and monitors the eligibility of all work-study employees who are currently active in student job classes in the university payroll system.

Employers hiring work-study students should use this page as a guide to get started and follow requirements. Visit our work-study webpage for details like how students apply for work-study and maintain their eligibility.

New to hiring work-study students?

Work-study employers must ensurethatthestudent'sworkisinthepublicinterest,does not displace already employed workers, does not involve political activity or is associated with a faction in an election for public or party office. Work-study positions cannot involvethe construction, operation or maintenance of any facility used as a place for religious worship.

Work in the public interest is defined as work performed for the welfare of the nation or community rather than work performed for a particular interest or group.

Typically, this includes:

  • City or county government offices
  • Public schools
  • Community-owned hospitals
  • Public libraries
  • Community centers
  • Nonprofit organizations

Promote your jobs

All ĢӰ Boulder students have access to a searchable job database in Handshake where employers can post work-study jobs. Make sure work-study jobs you post are within the pay range for the specific student job classification, code and title.

How to get started

On-campus: with Career Services

Off-campus: You should get an email from workstudy@colorado.edu with a link to create an employer account to post work-study jobs

Post Work-Study Jobs

Email Career Services at studentemployment@colorado.edu for support with posting your jobs in Handshake.

Ready to hire?

Employers should reference this section when hiring a work-study student. Please remove your job postings when positions are filled or if you're no longer hiring.

Off campus

Step 1: Email the following information to workstudy@colorado.edu:

  • Copy of job posting, including:
    • Job description
    • Location
    • Pay rate
    • Dates: when position was posted/removed & expected start date
    • Copy of offer letter (if used)

According to the ĢӰEqualPay for Equal Work Act, you must keep a copy of the original job post for each student while they're employed and for an additional two years after.

Step 2: Students will get an email from us with onboarding tasks they must do before they're officially employed.

Step 3: We'll send you a work-study eligibility form once the student completes all required tasks and can begin earning work-study.

On campus

You'll work with your department HR liaison to set up your work-study student. Check back soon for instructions to help guide you through the process.
If you work with HR Service Center, you'll complete a hiring spreadsheet and email it to HRSC@colorado.edu instead.

Mark jobs as work-study in the payroll system

Enter an Effective Date in the ĢӰ Work Study Indicator section. The effective date is the first day of hire. Employees can only have a work-study indicator if they are in an active employment status and in an eligible job code (4101-4104) on the effective date entered. If you did not enter the Date in the Work-study Indicator Section at the time of hire you can still mark the job for work-study.

ĢӰ Boulder's Equal Opportunity policy: Interview potential hires, and accept or reject qualified work-study student applicants withoutregardtorace,religion,age,sex,disability,creedor nationalorigin.

Students enrolled at another campus: Employers can hire work-study students enrolled at one of the other three campuses: University of ĢӰ ĢӰ Springs, University of ĢӰ Denver or University of ĢӰ Anschutz. These students will pay into . You'll follow the same hiring process as you would for a ĢӰ Boulder student.

Discuss expectations:

  • How much they can work each week to earn all of their work-study while staying within university policy for max work hours.

Use the example below to help determine how many hours a week a student can work based on their work-study

$2,500 total fall work-study

$16.82 student pay rate
148.63
18 weeks8.25 hours a week

  • Submit a work-study increase request as soon as you know your student will work more than their current work-study allows.
  • Work-study funds cannot pay overtime, jury duty or sick leave.
  • Must submit timesheets on time (see due dates).

Failure to meet the following requirements could result in contract termination. Employers should thouroughly review their Off-Campus Work-Study Contract Agreement before signing.

  • Ensurework-studyemployeesarenotpaidmorethanother student employees when both are performing identical job duties
  • Request approval from our office for a student to work beyond what their work-study will fund (employer pays 100% of wage plus fees)
  • Paymonthlyinvoices on time (45-daygrace period)
  • Furnish adequate supervision
  • Positions meet university pay ranges

How students are paid

ĢӰ Boulder pays student employees every two weeks and bills employers each month for their portion of the student’s pay rate.

Timesheets

  • Students send timesheets to their supervisor for approval every two weeks.
    • Both the supervisor and student must approve each timesheet.
    • On-campus employers follow the approval process in the university payroll system (HCM) or your department's payroll process.
    • Off-campus employers email completed timesheets to workstudy@colorado.edu before the time collection date.
  • Students are paid for hours worked, not hours they anticipate working.
  • Keep timesheetsforaminimumof3years(5years recommended)

Sick time

Students will have one combined total of sick leave to use regardless of where it was accrued. Work-study doesn’t pay sick leave. Employers pay 100% of a student's pay for hours reported as sick or family leave.

HR has more information about student sick leave. Click the expander for Sick, then click All Other Employees Paid Hourly (including temps, student employees).

Direct deposit

Students should for paychecks to get paid promptly.

Pay ranges & promotions

Employers must pay students a rate that's within the pay range for their job classification. Review the information about job titles, codes, classifications, pay ranges and options for promotions/raises on our main work-study webpage.

Your portion of the student's paycheck

On campus

30% wages

1.5% benefits charge (updates annually)

Total employer pays: 31.5%

Off campus

40% wages

10% administrative fee

1.5% benefits charge (updates annually)

Total employer pays: 51.5%

Monitor work-study

Trackhoursworked each semester so students don’t earn more than their work-study amount will fund. Employers pay 100% of the student's pay rate for hours worked beyond their work-study limit.

Campus Solutions

On-campus employers can track their students’ eligibility, earnings and remaining work-study in Campus Solutions. For help navigating, use our work-study employer view guide. Off-campus employers typically don't have access to Campus Solutions.

Follow the steps below to request access. You’ll get an email once your request is processed.

Step 1: Complete required trainings

There are two trainings before you get access to the request form. Follow instructions from the Office of the Registrar.

Step 2: Open the ĢӰ-SIS access request form

  • Find Request Type and select that you’re a new user or updating access
  • Find System Access Requested and select Campus Solutions
  • IntheAccessJustification, write,“Requestingaccessto WorkStudyEmployerView”
  • Approvals
    • If you’re requesting access for yourself, approve the terms and conditions and click Submit Form to Supervisor
    • If you’re requesting access for someone else:
      • FindSupervisor/SponsorDecisionandselecttheradialboxforyourapproval
      • ForSignature, enterthe supervisor’s name who needs access
      • For thecampus/model related to the access request, enter Financial Aid
      • SubmitFormforUserAcceptance

Balance sheets

We have balance sheets in the Employer Forms section to help you anticipate and track your student's remaining work-study.

Employer forms

The following forms are for work-study employers. Forms that students also use, like requests for work-study and increases, are on our primary forms webpage.

Work-Study Request & Increase Forms

Late Pay/Hourly Transfer

Use this form for late timesheets & switching hours worked to work-study.

2026-27 version coming Sept 2026.

Balance Sheets

Each template has built-in calculations to help you monitor your student's remaining work-study each semester.

Off-campus employers

Max hours students can work

Fall & spring

25hoursper week, or 50 hours each pay period

Graduate students are capped at 20hoursperweek. They may from the Graduate School.

Summer

Upto40 hours per week

80 hours each pay period

International students

Most international students are not eligible for work-study. International Student and Scholar Services has more information on international student employees.

All students earning work-study must follow the campus policy for the max you can work , regardless of whether they work on or off campus.

Payroll expense transfers

Our office processes all payroll expense transfers involving work-study earning codes. Employers should check your HCM work-study student set-ups and your PeopleSoft financial statements to ensure they're correctly paid work-study funds.
Common reasons to request a payroll expense transfer:
  • Student was set up incorrectly in the payroll system
  • Missed timesheet
  • Move work-study employer charges to another speedtype
Transfer requests are not guaranteed and depend on available funding and a student's eligibility. Submit transfer requests early and check the payroll calendar for fiscal year deadlines. Check your email for updates on any transfer requests you submit.
Transfer forms are available under Employer Forms.

Summer work-study

If you have students during the school year who are interested in earning work-study over the summer, urge them to apply as soon as the application opens in late February.

Review differences for summer and get details like when and how students should apply.

View Summer Work-Study Dates & Details

Student retirement program

All ĢӰ student employees are automatically enrolled in a if they either: work 40 or more hours a week or are enrolled in less than 6 credit hours (undergraduates) or 3 credit hours (graduate students). Graduate students enrolled in only 1 credit hour to complete a thesis or dissertation are exempt unless working 40 or more hours a week.

End of employment

Here's what you need to do if your work-study student is fired/laid off or quits.

On-campus employers will work with their HR liaison.

Off-campus employers need to email the student's name and last day they'll work for you to workstudy@colorado.edu. Make sure the student approves and email us their final timesheet.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

If your student wants you to discuss their work-study with our office, they'll need to set up a Security Passphrase to comply with FERPA.

FERPA is a federal law and comes with strict rules schools must follow.

  • Protects the privacy of educational records
  • Establishes the right of students to inspect and review their education records
  • Provides guidelines for the protection of inaccurate and misleading data through informal and formal hearings

Reach out with questions