Ensure the position you are hiring for is FWS eligible:
For FWS funding to work properly, both the student and the position need to be FWS eligible. If the position is eligible, FWS work tags will be notated in the Costing Allocation for the position on the requisition.
If the position was not vetted by the FWS Office and is missing the FWS work tags, any student hired into that position cannot be paid with work-study funds, even if the student is eligible for those funds. These work tags cannot be added to a position after it is approved, so if the position was created as wage-only in error, you will need to create a new job requisition to include work-study work tags.
If you cannot locate the work tags on your requisition, work with your Human Resources Consultant to confirm if the position has the appropriate work tags, and if not, ask for help initiating a new request.
- More about creating FWS positions: https://admin.resources.osu.edu/workday/workday-for-core-users-human-resources/federal-work-study
- More about FWS and time tracking, payroll, and finance concerns: https://admin.resources.osu.edu/workday/workday-for-core-users-finance/federal-work-study
Ensure the student you are hiring is FWS eligible:
Talent Acquisitions (TA) staff have access to limited FWS data to confirm eligibility for FWS-only position referrals. Only those students with an FWS-eligible checkmark next to their application should be forwarded to you for review. This is how you will know the student is eligible during the initial pre-interview recruitment process. If you are hiring both FWS and wage students, you may ask your TA clarifying questions about which student(s) are FWS eligible, as both types of students will be forwarded to you for review.
Because FWS data is FERPA protected, in many cases it is necessary to obtain that information directly from the student during the interview process. Our messaging to students sets them up for this expectation as well. You may ask the student to provide the following:
- Redacted copy of their Aid Summary for the current academic year. This will confirm the presence of a FWS offer, the amount, and whether the student has accepted the offer. Aid letters are also acceptable, however this will not confirm whether or not the student has accepted the funding.
- Class schedule for the term you are hiring the student. This will confirm hours of availability, and potential credit hour usage.
- Redacted statement of account for the term you are hiring the student. Displays the credit hours the student is being charged. Note, students do not need to be at a paid fee status to be FWS eligible.
Once hired, the direct supervisor of the student will be able to confirm enrollment in Workday by reviewing the student’s employee profile. The direct supervisor will also be able to monitor both the initial FWS offer amount for mid-year changes, and balance of their FWS employee using the Federal Work Study Status Report.
(Legacy) Verify the student’s enrollment:
Job Aid: http://sfa.osu.edu/jobs/jobs-form-files/FWS_Check_Enrollment.pdf
SIS Path: Campus Solutions/Records and Enrollment/Enrollment Summaries/Enrollment Transaction Inquiry
This legacy process can still be used to check enrollment for those staff with SIS access. For those without SIS access, the student’s Statement of Account will also display credit hours enrolled but will only capture their enrollment on the day the statement was downloaded. For this reason, checking SIS is the preferred method.
To be paid with FWS, students must be scheduled for classes.
- Undergrads must have 6 hours or more
- Graduates must have 4 hours or more
- Law students must have 4 hours or more
Assign a pay rate within the target hiring range assigned by the FWS Office
In Workday, target hiring ranges are tied to the Job Profile for the position, which are structured by Compensation. For FWS job requisitions, the FWS Office reviews the job description and qualifications you have proposed as they relate to the descriptions associated with Job Profiles Student Assistant 1 – 3. Each of these profiles has a pay grade range assigned to it in Workday (S01 – S03), so the range should auto-populate on the requisition; this is how you will know what range is acceptable for your position, and that you are meeting compliance with the FWS program.
Information regarding these ranges rests with Compensation, and your Human Resources Consultant should be able to explain each student pay grade as it relates to the job you are proposing to take the guess work out of this part of the process. Ideally, this should be a conversation you have prior to submitting new FWS positions.
Then, do all the other things you need to do when hiring a student!
Warning!
Students will only be paid with FWS funds if they meet certain eligibility criteria. Students who do not meet these criteria will be paid on your general funds if you attempt to pay them on FWS. To be paid with FWS funds, a student must:
- Be hired into a FWS eligible position
- Have an accepted FWS offer for the current academic year
- Be enrolled at least half-time for the current term
- Have enough remaining FWS funding to pay the amount you are charging to FWS
- Be eligible to receive federal financial aid funds (SAP)
- No outstanding verification items on To Do List
Email: sfa-jobs@osu.edu | sfa.osu.edu/jobs/employer-services
