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Rules & Policies
Once A Student Is Hired
Authorization Form: Immediately upon being hired, the student should have the employer fill out a Work-Study Authorization Form which can be downloaded from the Forms section of this Web site. The Authorization Form serves several purposes:
1) it is proof to the employer that the student is an authorized participant in the Work-Study Program.
2) it informs both parties of the student's earnings limit.
3) it is a record maintained in the student's file showing where he or she has been employed.
A student will not be issued a check by the Payroll Department until an Authorization Form is received by the Work-Study Office; therefore, it is very important that the student turn in the form immediately after being hired.
Upperclassmen returning to the same position must turn in a new Authorization Form each Fall because financial aid packages are reevaluated annually, resulting in eligibility or limit changes. Also, any student who changes jobs during the year must complete a new Authorization Form before beginning work in the new position.
Payroll Forms: Before an employee is put on the payroll, he or she must complete a Personal Data Form, a Federal W-4 tax form, an IL W-4 tax form, and an Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS) I-9 form. The Personal Data Form is used to officially place an employee on the Payroll system and includes the student's name, social security number, date of birth, and address. Thereafter, any address changes may be made online via the Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS) Self Service Database. (Changing your address at the Registrar's Office does not change it with Payroll.) The I-9 form is required by federal law before anyone is hired in a new job. It proves identity and employment eligibility.
Taxes: Tax forms--and taxes in general--can be very confusing to both students and employees. Although the Federal Work-Study Program receives funds from the Federal Government, income earned through the Work-Study Program is not exempt from federal or state taxation. Therefore, each student must complete state and federal tax withholding (W-4) forms.
A special form is required for residents of Wisconsin . Students who are residents of Wisconsin must complete an IL-W-5 form instead of the IL-W-4. Due to a reciprocal agreement between Illinois and Wisconsin , an IL-W-5 form allows the student to report all income to his home state; therefore, he will only be required to file state taxes (i.e. a 1040 form) in his home state. Residents of other states must pay taxes to both Illinois and their home state. Federal taxes are not affected by this option.
Any questions regarding payroll forms should be directed to the University Payroll Department.
Confidentiality Agreement: Work-study student employees who handle private or sensitive information in the performance of their jobs must be informed of the University policy on confidentiality, and will be asked to sign a confidentiality agreement. The signed agreement must be kept in the employer's records.
Timesheets: All hours worked must be recorded on a Work-Study Employee Time Record, using the online time keeping system (ETES). Using a NetID and password, students should fill in the hours worked on the day the work is performed and electronically approve and save their hours. Pay periods are two weeks long. If the student begins working during the middle of a pay period, it is important to enter the hours in the correct week on the timesheet. The employer is responsible for approving the hours online for the payroll, therefore, students are responsible for submitting their hours when due to their direct supervisors in their department. The Work-Study Office processes hours for off-campus employers. Students working off-campus are responsible for entering their hours and submitting copies of their hours signed by their off-campus supervisors. Off-campus hours and signed verifications must reach our office by 5:00 p.m. on the Friday cut-off date in order to be paid on time. Late hours will not be processed until the following pay period.
Checks: Checks are issued biweekly by the University Payroll Department on the Friday two weeks after the end of the pay period. Thus, any student starting at the beginning of a pay period will not receive his first check for four weeks.
Students have four choices as to where their checks may be delivered: their local (campus) address, their permanent (home) address, or the Evanston or Chicago Bursars' Offices. As stated previously, it is imperative that Payroll has each student's correct addresses (reflected on the Personal Data Form for brand new work-study students and updated via the HRIS Self Service Database for returning work-study students). Checks may also be direct deposited into the student's savings or checking account. Students must complete a Direct Deposit form which can be obtained from this Web site under Student Forms, or at the Payroll Office.
On-campus employees should direct any questions regarding checks (e.g. incorrect amount, lost check) to their individual employers. Off-campus employees should contact their direct supervisors or the Work-Study Office.