FWS Employer Resources

Federal Work Study Hiring Procedures

The following instructions will walk you through hiring a student in a FWS-funded position. These steps should be followed in the order listed.  FWS-funded positions must be approved by the Office of Student Affairs.

1. Complete the Student Employee Job Description. This will be submitted to HR after selecting your candidate.
2. Use the Student Wage and Classification Guidelines to select the correct classification and pay range. This resource also contains the Position Number and Org Code needed for the FWS hiring ePAF.
3. To help find a candidate, you may choose to post your position on Charger Path. Simply use your uah.edu email address to create an account if you do not already have one.  Collect job applications from your interested candidates.
4. Vetting and eligibility inquiries should be sent to Student Employment: chargerstudentemployment@uah.edu. In your email, please provide the student’s full name and A#. Note: FWS eligibility requires the student to have a completed FAFSA on file.
5. Determine if your potential hire holds any other positions on campus. Students may hold up to three (3) positions concurrently, with only one being a FWS position. Students may work a maximum of 20 hours/week in their FWS positions, and 29 hours/week total across all positions. Students may not hold staff and student positions at the same time, including on-call.
6. Once you have selected your final candidate, provide the student with a verbal offer contingent on a successfull background screening.
7. After the verbal offer is accepted, the Department should submit the Background Check Request Form for all new hire student employees. If the student is currently employed by another department, or has been in the past year, a background check may not be necessary. Confirm with Human Resources.
8. After HR notifies you of a satisfactory background check, fill out and present the written Student Employment Offer Letter to the student for signature.
9. If a student has not worked at UAH previously, or if it has been more than a year, the following actions must be completed by Human Resources prior to their first day of work:
   1. Must have a satisfactory background screening (prior to written offer).
   2. Form I-9 must be completed or reverified.
      1. HR will email new student employees to fill out Section 1 of the electronic Form I-9 using Risk Mitigation.
      2. Prior to or on their first day of employment, ALL newly hired employees are required to report to Human Resources to submit original, unexpired documents that verify their proof of identity and U.S. work eligibility. Photocopies of documents are NOT acceptable.
   3. Payroll forms must be submitted to Payroll Services. Returning student employees who have worked previously may submit updated tax forms if an update is needed.

   *New Hire Forms may be downloaded and returned to Human Resources (Shelbie King Hall Room 102).

10. Submit required documentation (application, job description, and offer letter) to Human Resources by uploading to your department's designated Google Drive folder. All documents must be correctly signed and dated.
11. Submit an ePAF once the I-9 has been completed. Refer to the Student Wage and Classification Guide for FWS position numbers and org code. Add a Comment including the Department and Supervisor who received the FWS allocation. Visit the HR ePAF page for deadlines and other helpful information on ePAF submission. Questions may be directed to epafdocuments@uah.edu.
12. Submit a TCP request form to Payroll to have the student added to TimeClock Plus. Under no circumstances may FWS-funded students work prior to being entered into TimeClock Plus. Direct Deposit FAQs

Federal Work Study Guidelines

• The maximum hourly rate for FWS positions is $15 per hour.  Refer to the UAH Student Wage and Classification Guidelines for guidance on pay scale.

• FWS Funding: Maximum awards are $2,500 for Fall and $2,500 for Spring, though some students may qualify for less. To verify a student’s eligibility and award amount, email chargerstudentemployment@uah.edu with their name and A#.

• Students may only hold one FWS-funded position. They may hold up to two additional department-funded roles (three positions total). FWS positions are capped at 20 hours per week, while non-FWS regular positions are capped at 29 hours per week. Students may not hold staff and student positions at the same time, including on-call positions.
• FWS funding is available exclusively during the Fall and Spring semesters, spanning from the first day of the term to the last day of the term. Winter and summer breaks are not included.
• FWS funding for approved positions is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis to the department that submits the ePAF and required documentation first. Incomplete or late documentation may result in the student being reassigned to another department.
• The application period for departments to request Federal Work-Study (FWS) positions for the upcoming academic year is open from about May through June. For further details, please call the Office of Student Affairs at x4158 or email  chargerstudentemployment@uah.edu.
• Degree-related FWS positions are classified as internships and supervisors must register these through Career Services at intern@uah.edu. 
• Submit a Termination ePAF immediately upon a student's departure or at the conclusion of every spring semester, whichever occurs first.