Federal Work Study FAQs for Off-Campus Supervisors

Off-campus partners that employ Federal Work-Study student workers only pay 25% of the students’ wages. 

Any student who is eligible or has been awarded a Federal Work-Study award. Employers must confirm all eligibility and awards with the Federal Work-Study Office.  

• Contacting the Federal Work-Study Office for all-time issues before the deadline that time is due.
• Ensure that you confirm students’ hours, sign students’ time sheets, and submit students’ time sheets before the deadline that time is due. 

• HR Rules for employees, Code of Conduct

If it is your organization’s first time participating in FWS, then you will need to complete the FWS Inquiry Form. This form is to provide the FWS Office with information about your organization. The Inquiry Form will be reviewed and the FWS Office will contact the individual whose contact information will be listed on the form.

Organizations interested in posting a job will need to complete the Job Listing Form after the Inquiry Form has been submitted and reviewed.

When determining which candidates to interview for your position, first confirm with the FWS Office that the student has been offered FWS or is eligible to receive FWS. Once you have decided to hire a student, then please contact the FWS office to provide the name of the student you want to hire. Starting Work: Students should not begin working before all required documentation has been submitted to the FWS Office. Students designated as “new hires” must complete the I-9 from Human Resources in Scovell Hall.

New hires: Pre-employment national background checks (PNBC) are required for Federal Work-Study students who have not been employed at the University within the past year. The FWS Office initiates requests for the background check through the university’s integrated employment system (IES). Supervisors should contact the FWS Office when hiring a new student to instigate this process. The cost of the background check is billed to your organization during the quarter it is assessed. FWS Office staff will instruct the student on completing the on-line application that is used to request the background check. Remember: a new FWS worker cannot get the I-9 without the background check request in IES and absolutely cannot work until an I-9 is issued. No exceptions on this requirement. Completed I-9 forms are submitted to the FWS Office by Human Resources.

Please welcome and familiarize the student with your organization by covering the following items: 

• Explain the job requirements to the student
• Remind the student that he/she cannot work during scheduled class time
• Provide an overview of how your office functions
• Introduce the student to other staff
• Clearly explain your expectations of the student
• Explain what the student will be doing and determine the amount of training needed
• Cover any special restrictions or dress requirements for your office (for example some offices do not allow use of cell phones or eating at the work desk/space or wearing revealing attire)
• Discuss recording hours worked, completing and submitting timesheets
• Display the payroll schedule in a conspicuous place
• Provide the student with feedback on how he/she is performing

If a student does not perform as expected and you wish to terminate the student, advise both the student and the FWS Office.

If a student is terminated, resigns, withdraws from classes, or graduates, the supervisor is to notify the FWS Office of any students who graduate, are terminated, resign, or withdraw from school. Please be sure to include the last day the student worked and the reason for the separation to occur.

If a student’s performance does not meet expectations – reports for work late or leaves early, does not complete tasks, or does not perform as expected? Your organization’s policy should dictate how to handle these situations. A student can be dismissed if he/she is not a good fit for the position or your office. Please contact the FWS Office if you have such a situation. We would be glad to discuss your options and what would be best for the student.

Allotments: The amount of money that a student can earn through FWS is limited. Please note that the FWS Office will provide the supervisor with the student’s FWS allotment and payrate. Divide the allotment by the hourly pay rate; then divide that figure by the number of weeks in the semester. The result is the number of hours per week that a student can work to evenly earn the FWS allotment. FWS students may not work more than 29 hours a week during the fall and spring terms, except during holiday breaks. If a student desires to continue working or whose allotment does not provide enough hours, please contact us to ask about the possibility of additional funds. It is imperative that you not allow students to work over the allotted amount. The FWS Office will notify organizations and students when an allotment has been reached. If a student continues to work after the organization is notified, then the organization will be responsible for paying the student; FWS will no longer process the timesheets for a student in this situation. 

Timesheets: Please use the timesheet to record students’ daily and weekly hours. Remember FWS students can only be paid for time worked; study time and class time do not count toward work hours. Do not allow students to work during scheduled class time, unless the class is canceled. There is no pay for holidays that are not worked. 

• As a supervisor, it is your responsibility to complete and sign the timesheet, have the student to sign the sheet, to check that it is filled out completely and accurately and to submit it to the FWS Office for pay. Timesheets are to be e-mailed to us at FWS@uky.edu . You should not provide blank timesheets to your FWS workers.
• Keep a copy of the timesheet for your records. Copies should be maintained for audit purposes for five years. 

Timesheets are usually due on Fridays by 11 AM; there are some exceptions for holidays when they will be due earlier. Refer to the FWS pay schedule that is included with this mailing. Submitting timesheets late, risk your student not being paid timely. If you forget to submit time for a pay period, please submit that time on a separate timesheet. Do not combine it with another pay period.

If a student’s timesheet is submitted late or I approve their time late? Payroll typically closes at the end of business on the Monday following the Friday that Timesheets are due, so payment will be delayed until the following payroll unless a petty cash or short-term loan is requested. Please contact the FWS Office if this situation occurs so we can discuss the best option for the student.

Job Listing: After your position has been filled, contact the FWS Office to request that the job listing be removed from the job listing. The listing will remain for the entire semester unless you request its removal. See https://ukjobs.uky.edu/ 

Site Visits: The FWS Office may conduct periodic site visits to offices during the academic year. We would verify that the timesheets or time submitted match the Time Tracking Sheet copies in your office. We will schedule visits around your schedule. 

Remember that you are welcome to contact our office when questions arise about students’ FWS allotments and hours or to confirm that your student has submitted all necessary paperwork.