Financial Aid Procedure

Procedure: Federal Work Study and Student Employment

Effective Date: August 2016, 7/17

Procedure Number: FA 12

  1. Scope

To establish a policy for administering the Federal Work Study (FWS) program along with part-time student employment.

  1. Institutional Regulations

To establish standards in which the financial aid department will utilize to identify and process students who obtain employment through the Federal Work Study program or as a part-time student employee.

  1. Procedure

Federal college work study and part-time student employment provides eligible students an opportunity to work part-time on campus or in the community while attending Southwestern Community College. Federal Work Study (FWS) positions and part-time student employment positions typically pay $8.50 per hour.

1. Federal Work Study is available only to students who have applied for financial aid and have been awarded a Federal Work-Study award. The student must be enrolled at least half-time to be awarded Work-Study. Part-time student employment is available to students who are enrolled at least half-time at the college and are not eligible for FWS.

2. All part-time employment positions, to be filled by a student, must follow the FWS and student employment job authorization process:

a. The college employee/department seeking to hire a student must have received work study/part-time student employment allotment hours approval from financial aid office to hire the position.

b. A complete job description must be provided from the employee/department hiring to the financial aid office. The job description must include the following elements:

·  Name of the position

·  Classification of position

·  Name and address of the student’s employer

·  Department or office in which the student will be employed

·  Location where the student will perform his/her duties

·  Name of the student’s supervisor

·  Purpose/role of the position within the organization

·  Duties and responsibilities associated with the position and how they relate to the purpose/role

·  Rates of pay for the position

·  General qualifications for the position

c. Once approved, the open job position will be advertised in the Administration Center and the Financial Aid Office page of the college’s website. A copy of every job description will be available to students in the Financial Aid Office.

3. Interested students who are seeking FWS or part-time student employment will be encouraged to review all applicable job postings. In order to be hired for a position, the student must:

a. Complete the Work Study/Student Employment Application.

b. Turn the completed application into the financial aid office.

c. Participate in an interview with a member of the financial aid staff, the employee/department hiring, or both.

d. Complete all required paperwork regarding employment, if offered the position, including:

·  I-9

·  Iowa W-4

·  Federal W-4

·  Authorization to mail paycheck (optional)

·  Acknowledgement of Receipt of Student Handbook

·  Confidentiality Statement

4. Employees/departments hiring a FWS or part-time student employee, shall:

a. Review completed applications provided by the financial aid office.

b. Extend an invitation to interview the student.

c. Conduct a student interview to determine the person that best fits the qualifications in the job description. Consideration must be given to the relevance of the position to the declared major of the student.

d. Complete the Request to Hire form and return to the financial aid office.

e. Review the Supervisor Work-Study/Student Employee Handbook.

5. The financial aid office will process all completed paperwork from the student and SWCC employee/department. The financial aid office will also ensure that students who qualify for FWS receive consideration for the number of hours they can work per week, the period of employment, the anticipated wage rate, and the amount of other assistance available to the student.

a. Students who qualify and are paid by Federal Work Study will:

i. Receive an updated Award Letter documenting the amount of Federal Work Study funds they qualify for. A copy of the updated Award Letter will be placed in their financial aid file; electronically, hard-copy, or both.

ii. Have a copy of the Request to Hire form, job description, and completed application placed in their financial aid file.

iii. Turn in a monthly time card, signed by their immediate supervisor, to the financial aid office no later than five days following the end of the month.

iv. Receive a paycheck from Southwestern Community College on the 15th and last day of the month.

b. Students who are employed as part-time student employees will:

i. Have a copy of the Request to Hire form, Payroll Change Form, job description, and completed application in their human resources file.

ii. Turn in a monthly time card, signed by their immediate supervisor, detailing specific hours worked on each date, to the financial aid office no later than five days following the end of the month.

iii. Receive a paycheck from Southwestern Community College on the 15th and last day of the month.

6. The financial aid office will maintain and track accurate records of FWS/part-time student employees. It is the responsibility of the financial aid office to ensure:

a. Students do not work more than twenty hours per week.

b. FWS students do not exceed their federal allowance of work study dollars or exceed their cost of attendance as determined by the FAFSA.

c. The minimum threshold of seven percent of all FWS funds are used for community service purposes to include, at minimum, one individual employed in a position of reading tutoring or family literacy activities.

d. All students that are employed in off-campus positions will have an off-campus agreement completed by the financial aid office and the off-campus organization. The written agreement is required and it is the responsibility of the college to ensure the off-campus organization is a reliable agency with professional direction.

i. Off-campus employment is only available to students who qualify for FWS, as determined by the FAFSA.

7. The human resources office will maintain payroll vouchers/information that contains sufficient information to support all payroll disbursements. At minimum, the payroll information must contain:

a. the school’s name and address

b. identify the starting and ending dates of the payroll period

c. include the student’s name

d. identify the student’s work study/part-time student employment position

e. include the number of hours the student worked during the pay period

f. specify the hourly rate of pay

g. include the student’s gross earnings

h. itemize any compensation withheld for federal, state, county, or city taxes, and other deductions.

i. include identification of any noncash payments made to the student for work during the period, and point to an auditable record of that contribution

j. include the student’s net earnings

k. include a check number, duplicate receipt, or other auditable payment identification

l. identify and itemize any overtime earnings (a student may be paid overtime with FWS funds)

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Financial Aid Director

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Chief Executive Officer