General FAQs
Approval processes vary by school and campus department. Please check with your supervisor and school or department’s HR representative to confirm the process.
Generally, new or refilling of existing positions will need approval by your Associate Vice Chancellor or Dean and your school or department’s Business Office to verify budget.
WashU requires that all student employees must be paid at least the Missouri state minimum wage. While the University has no further pay scale requirements, individual schools or campus departments may have pay guidelines related to student level, type of work, and/or length of service. Please consult your supervisor and school or department’s HR representative with questions.
If the student is in a research or internship position that is paid with a lump sum stipend, the total amount divided by total hours must still be equal to or greater than the Missouri state minimum wage.
Students may not work in a WashU department, lab, or school on a volunteer basis. If a student will be receiving academic credit rather than monetary compensation this should be arranged and approved with the student’s academic department.
Students who have Federal Work-Study must be paid hourly; they may not receive a lump stipend for their work. More information on FWS is below.
No. Student positions should be posted in Handshake – the only university-wide jobs database visible to all students. View this page for Handshake posting instructions.
Please be aware that students can apply for your position directly through Handshake. If you have different application instructions and/or an external application form that students should use, please include that in your description in Handshake.
WashU does not have a standardized or required position description template for student jobs. However, please see the Recruit and Hire Student Employees page for more support in developing your student employee position description and helpful (but not required) templates.
Please note that the Job Description Template found on the Human Resources Managers Hub is for non-student staff and faculty only.
Processes vary by school and campus department. Please check with your school or department’s HR representative to confirm the process.
For CFU areas: The Hiring Manager should submit a request for a new hire to the Shared Business Services Hub ServiceNow instance. This should be submitted at least two weeks in advance of the desired start date. Shared Business Services will then process the hire within Workday.
Central HR on-boarding for student employees receiving an hourly wage includes I-9 processing, background checks, and overview of personal tasks in Workday such as completing the W-4. Student employees will receive an email directly from Workday to initiate these processes.
If this is your student employee’s first on-campus job at WashU they will be required to submit I-9 verification: Employment Eligibility Verification. This must be done in person within 3 days of their date of hire. They will be required to present original documentation to verify identity and authorization to work (photocopies or pictures on their phone are not acceptable). HR sometimes schedules I-9 processing days on the Danforth campus, but please be aware that your student employee may need to schedule an appointment at a location that is not on the Danforth Campus to complete their I-9 process.
Please note that many students find this part of the hiring process confusing – you can support your student employee by ensuring they know where to go for the appointment and what they are required to bring. Find out what documentation is needed here. If your student employee has further questions about I9s, they can reach out to medcampusi9@wustl.edu or danforthcampusi9@wustl.edu.
All other on-boarding and job training is the responsibility of the supervisor. Please see the Manage and Support Student Employees page for more support in developing an on-boarding checklist, and the Professional Development for Student Employees page for links to common trainings for student workers.
While we encourage supervisors to provide their student employees with some sort of job performance feedback, you are not required to submit annual performance reviews.
Please see the Manage and Support Student Employees page for more support in developing your student employee position description.
Student employees (including F-1 and J-1 international students) can work up to 19.6 hours per week when class is in session. During break times (winter break, spring break, summer break, etc.) they may work up to 40 hours per week. The hour caps are cumulative, not per job. Many students may hold more than one on-campus job in a year (concurrently or non-concurrently). It is the students responsibility to keep track of their hours, however it is important to confirm with your student employees if they have other campus jobs and how many hours they are working. If your student employee works more than 20 hours per week during break times they must ensure that their average weekly hours for the year remain under 20 hours per week.
Students with Federal Work-Study may have a maximum earnings cap which may reduce their weekly hours. See more information about FWS below.
F-1 and J-1 international students with CPT or AT may be eligible to work more than 20 hours per week when class is in session. See more information about international students below.
Yes. During break times (winter break, spring break, summer break, etc.) student employees (including F-1 and J-1 international students) may work up to 40 hours per week. The hour caps are cumulative, not per job.
No, on-campus employment must be completed at the site/location of the hiring department. While exceptions are rare, requests must be approved by Steve Pini in the Office of the Provost.
No. On-campus employment is only open to current WashU students.
No. On-campus employment is only open to current WashU students.
Yes. Many students may hold more than one on-campus job in a year (concurrently or non-concurrently). It is the students responsibility to keep track of their hours, however it is important to confirm with your student employees if they have other campus jobs and how many hours they are working to ensure they do not work 20 hours or more per week cumulatively.
You will not have access in Workday to see information about hours worked at other campus jobs but you can see if your student has another campus job. When viewing a student employee in Workday you will see their position title under their name, if there is a back and forth arrow icon next to the position title that indicates a second position held. Clicking on the arrow icon will reveal a drop down with additional positions.
No. Student employees do not earn sick time, PTO, or other benefits. Please be mindful of your student employee’s needs and schedules, and work with them as needed for unpaid time off.
Please view the Workday learning module: Time Tracking and Time Off in Workday for Managers to learn how to view, correct, and approve time for your employees. It will also cover viewing, approving, entering, and correcting time off for your employees.
Student employees with hourly positions maintain time and attendance records in real time using the Time application in Workday. You can direct your students to this page for step-by-step instructions.
Hourly student employees are paid biweekly. Please see this page for payroll dates. Supervisors must approve time and submit and approve any time changes by 12pm every Tuesday.
Yes. Students can work during reading and finals weeks. Please be mindful that as on-campus student employees they are students first. We encourage you to help students plan for needed time off to prepare for and take exams. If students fulfills a customer-facing or otherwise essential role in your department, we encourage you to plan with other department professional staff to fill in as necessary.
Please consult with your school or department’s HR representative for guidance in addressing performance and personnel issues.
Processes vary by school and campus department. Please check with your school or department’s HR representative to confirm the process.
For CFU areas: The Hiring Manager should submit a termination/completion request to the Shared Business Services Hub ServiceNow instance.
Federal Work Study FAQs
Federal Work-Study (FWS) is a federally-funded financial aid program that subsidizes a portion of student earnings. For the 2025-2026 award year, the split is 70% federal funding, 30% departmental funding. This subsidy helps departments stretch their payroll dollars while obtaining talented, part-time employees.
The program is dependent on the student applying for financial aid through the FAFSA and qualifying based on their financial need. The subsidy is set each year based on projected spending and can change.
Each year more than 1,500 WashU students qualify for FWS.
All schools and departments are eligible to post positions as Federal Work-Study and eventually hire a student if the right candidate is found.
Work of a religious or political nature is not eligible for work study. If you have questions about eligibility, please reach out to workstudy@wustl.edu.
WashU uses a voluntary application process for FWS rather than a matching process. Schools and departments interested in hiring FWS students must post their positions to Handshake. Instructions for doing so are found here. Posting a position as work study does not guarantee that you will fill the position with a FWS student.
After conducting the application and interview process and a desired candidate is chosen, the supervisor should notify their HR and payroll representative to ensure the student is set up appropriately in Workday with FWS grant number so that the federal subsidy is applied to payroll.
Please contact workstudy@wustl.edu to verify that a student as Federal Work-Study and their maximum earnings cap.
Each student receiving Federal Work-Study has a maximum earnings cap for the academic year. These caps range on average from $500.00 to $2,500.00 annually for undergraduate students and up to $5,000.00 on average for graduate students, and are cumulative across all FWS jobs a student may hold in a given academic year. Once they exceed this limit, the department will have to pay 100% of any subsequent wages earned. Regardless of a students FWS award amount, they are still only permitted to work up to 19.6 hours each week when class is in session.
For your budgeting purposes, it may be important to understand what other FWS jobs your student employee holds concurrently or worked previously in the academic year, their wages, and hours. We encourage you to work with the students to ensure they are aware of and responsible for their FWS earnings cap, but you may also contact workstudy@wustl.edu or your department’s payroll representative to find out how many FWS funds are left in your student’s award.
If your student employee holds non-FWS jobs, those wages do not count toward their FWS maximum earnings cap.
No, FWS jobs are only available during the fall and spring academic semesters, not the summer. If you need student workers during the summer term you may keep your student on in a non-FWS role (or post a new non-FWS position). 100% of wages paid during the summer will come from your departmental budget.
Returning (non-graduated) students may return to their on-campus employment. However, Financial Aid and Federal Work-Study eligibility is re-evaluated every academic year. You should check in with your student employee and workstudy@wustl.edu to verify their FWS status and earnings cap each year.
Every summer there is a FWS Employer Meeting hosted by HR, Financial Aid, and the Center for Career Engagement to review policies, procedures and updates. View the video and slide presentation from the 2025 meeting.
Contact workstudy@wustl.edu or visit the WashU Financial Aid page for more information about the Federal Work-Study program.
International Students FAQs
Yes, as long as they have authorization to work on-campus.
You will need to check the box that says “this job requires U.S. work authorization” in the Candidate Qualifications section. Do not check “This job is eligible for US visa sponsorship” or “This job is open to candidates with Optional Practical Training (OPT).” You may check “This job is open to candidates with Curricular Practical Training (CPT)” if applicable to your particular role. See more on CPT below.
You are also encouraged to write in the position description text that “internationals students with work authorization are encouraged to apply.”
There are many different kinds of visas and some of them allow for work authorization. F-1 and J-1 visas, which comprise the majority of WashU’s international students, allow for general on-campus work authorization.
General on-campus work authorization, means that a student with that authorization may work any (non-Federal Work-Study) on-campus job regardless of its applicability to their degree program or major.
F-1 and J-1 students are also eligible for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) and Academic Training (AT) authorization respectively. CPT and AT require that the work be related to their degree program or major. F-1 and J-1 students must apply for CPT and AT separately from general work authorization. CPT and AT authorization is only granted by OISS. For more application information, visit https://oiss.washu.edu/employment-taxes/#authorization.
A given international student may have both general on-campus work authorization and CPT or AT authorization.
Students should consult the Office for International Students & Scholars (OISS) to confirm and/or apply for on-campus employment, CPT or AT work authorization. Confirming work authorization should be done before beginning any on-campus student position.
Confirming work authorization should be done before applying to any on-campus student positions.
If you are speaking with an international student about a student employment opportunity in your department you should first confirm with them they they have work authorization.
No. As the hiring manager, you should confirm with them they they have work authorization, but you do not need to collect that documentation. They will present work authorization documents to HR upon hire. Additionally, international student employees will need to apply for a Social Security Number. The Office for International Students & Scholars provides step-by-step instructions and assistance for obtaining an SSN.
No, however, HR must be kept apprised of the student’s application progress. If HR is not notified about the progress of the SSN application, the student will be placed a work break until the SSN number is approved.
International students are only eligible to apply for an SSN when they have a job offer. Due to the SSA’s processing timeline of 4-6 weeks, it’s unlikely an international student would have the SSN before the first day of work. OISS has step-by-step instructions on how to apply for an SSN.
Yes, international students will need to complete the FNIS process. Upon hire, international student employees will receive an invitation to complete information in the Foreign National Information System (FNIS). Completing and submitting this information is an important step that helps ensure that international student employees are taxed at the correct tax rate. Review FNIS Instructions for more details.
No. You may get asked by international student applicants or hires if you can sponsor their visa, meaning an H-1B visa, O-1 visa, or Green Card. WashU does not grant these types of visas for student employees. As explained above, many international students receive work authorization to work on-campus. However, F-1 and J-1 students do not need employer sponsorship through an H-1B, O-1, E-3 or green card for on-campus student employment.
F-1 and J-1 students are also eligible for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) and Academic Training (AT) authorization respectively. CPT and AT require that the work be related to their degree program or major. CPT and AT are applied for and granted separately from general work authorization for on-campus jobs.
For example, a Brown School Masters of Social Work student, may receive CPT for a practicum role at the Student Health Center.
The student should get approval from their academic advisor and OISS advisor that a given on-campus position qualifies for their CPT or AT.
F-1 and J-1 international students my work up to 19 hours per week when school is in session, and up to 40 hours per week during break times and summer. These hours are cumulative, not per job. Some international students may hold more than one on-campus position. It is the student’s responsibilities to tract their hours and communicate with their supervisor.
If approved, international students working in a position approved for CPT or AT may work more than 20 hours per week
A given international student may have both general on-campus work authorization and CPT or AT authorization.
No, international students may not receive Federal Work-Study and therefore may not work in a role that is paid through FWS funds. If you have posted a position in Handshake as FWS only then it will not be visible to international students. If a desirable candidate is an international student, you may choose re-post the position as non-FWS, but be advised that 100% of wages will be charged to your departmental budget.
The Office for International Students & Scholars (OISS) has many resources for international students regarding: Life at WashU, Traveling, Maintaining Immigration Status, and Employment and Taxes. OISS offers tax workshops for international students and scholars in the spring semester. Check the OISS Event Calendar for upcoming workshops.
Graduate and Professional Students FAQs
Yes.
Some students may be restricted by their school, department, or program to a smaller number of hours per week to conform with the students’ funding source policies and with federal time and effort reporting guidelines (as applicable). Graduate and professional students who are fully funded* may not exceed an average of 10 hours per week without requisite approvals. Please review the University PhD policies & Requirements policies for more information.
Because graduate students sometimes receive funding from multiple sources, it is the responsibility of the student, the student’s department/degree program, and the Principal Investigator (if applicable) to understand and abide by the terms and conditions of each funding source.
*A fully funded student will typically have a full tuition scholarship and receive financial support (i.e., a stipend) at or above the minimum PhD financial support rate. This predominantly pertains to PhD students, but it may apply to other graduate and professional students receiving financial support from the university. Please refer to the bulletin for more information.
Yes. Please note that International students attending WashU on a visa should consult with the Office for International Students and Scholars (OISS) before accepting any external or internal employment, either full-time or part-time. They are also subject to the same policies and requirements referenced above.
Yes, some graduate students may be eligible for and awarded Federal Work-Study.
To determine eligibility for Federal Work-Study, students must complete the FAFSA. However, many PhD and graduate students are fully funded and therefore may not fill out the FAFSA.
Follow these steps to post a job in Handshake. The job title should include “graduate” (for example: “Graduate Research Assistant”). Additionally, you should work with your HR partner to ensure the job is coded as a graduate student position in Workday.
WashU requires that all student employees must be paid at least the Missouri state minimum wage. While the University has no further pay scale requirements, individual schools or campus departments may have pay guidelines for graduate students. Please consult your supervisor and school or department’s HR representative with questions.
Research Positions FAQs
Yes, if the position is offered for pay and you are welcoming multiple students to apply for the job, we strongly encourage you to post it in Handshake as it is the only university-wide jobs database visible to all students. View this page for Handshake posting instructions. The job profile “Undergraduate Research Assistant” is recommended when hiring the student in Workday.
Research positions that are uniquely developed for a specific student based off of their connection with the faculty mentor should not be posted in Handshake.