Lehigh's Work-Study Program

All work-study positions are posted to the Handshake system. Students should log in to Handshake using their Lehigh credentials. Once you are logged in, you should navigate to the header titled “jobs.” You can filter the selection by selecting All Filters, On-Campus and Work-study.You can further narrow your search by utilizing other filters that best suit your needs and preferences.

After you find a position that you are interested in, you should apply for the position on Handshake.  Work-study supervisors will review all applications and will reach out to you if they are interested in hiring you for the position. Some work-study supervisors will conduct interviews, while others may hire you based on your application.  

Once you have been offered a work-study position, you will receive an official offer letter from your supervisor. The letter will be sent to you via email through Handshake. You will need to respond to the email to confirm your acceptance of the offer.

Once you have been offered and accepted a work-study position, you will need to complete the following:

• The Federal I9 form NOTE: The I9 form must be completed no later than 72 hours after the student’s scheduled start date. Students must email inI9@lehigh.edu to begin the I-9 process. If you have completed the I-9 process within the last 3 years, this does not need to be completed.  
• Submit the Required Payroll Forms. If you have already completed these forms at Lehigh, you do not need to resubmit these forms annually unless you have changes/updates to make to these forms.
  • W-4 Form
  • Certificate of Residency
• Worker’s Compensation Form - Submit this form annually to your supervisor who will forward the form to the Risk Management Office
• Set up Direct Deposit via Banner; If you have already set up direct deposit information via Banner, you do not need to resubmit this information unless you have changes to make.

Refer to the Student Checklist to review more information about these required documents.

Additional Steps for International Students

International students on an F-1 student visa are eligible to work on campus up to 20 hours per week if they are enrolled full-time and otherwise maintain their F-1 status. International students on a J-1 exchange visitor visa are eligible to work on campus up to 20 hours per week with permission from the Office of International Student and Scholars (OISS). OISS provides detailed information about on-campus employment, including a guide for completing new hire paperwork and information about applying for a Social Security number on the OISS website. Please contact OISS for any questions at intnl@lehigh.edu.

a) Prior to scheduling the I-9 appointment with HR, all first year international students must complete the New Student Arrival form in iHome and receive confirmation from OISS that their SEVIS record is active. Note: Students not in their first semester will already have an active SEVIS record.

b) J-1 exchange visitor visa holders must request permission to work on campus via iHome by receiving approval for a J-1 Student On-Campus Work Authorization e-form. This request must be made each academic year or if the student starts a new job. J-1 students must receive notification from OISS that the On-Campus Work Authorization request has been approved prior to completing the I-9 form with HR.

c) All international students must complete the International Tax Information Form maintained by the Controller's Office.

Establishing a Work Schedule

Your work-study supervisor will work with you to establish a weekly schedule. Students are not permitted to work during any scheduled class times.  If you have a class that was canceled, you must provide your supervisor with documentation to show that the class was canceled if you are able to work during that time. The last day that a student can work is the last day of their exams for the given semester.

Remember that your supervisor needs your academic schedule. Please be aware that although the scheduling of hours can be flexible, federal guidelines state that you are not permitted to work more than 20 hours per week while school is in session. Most Lehigh work-study recipients work an average of 7.5 hours a week.

If you are available to work during the winter semester, you are permitted to do so, however the earnings will reduce the number of hours that you can work in the spring semester.  

Recording Hours Worked/Timeclock Plus 

When the required forms are submitted and your supervisor has completed the Payroll Setup Form, you will receive an email from the Payroll Office with the subject line: “Timeclock Plus - Employment Confirmation.” It is at this point that you can begin working. 

When you begin working, you will be required to record and track your hours through Timeclock Plus (TCP). Follow the instructions to clock in and out of Timeclock Plus when you report to work and leave for the day.

Getting Paid

Student employment earnings are not credited against the Lehigh student account (like grants and loans) but are paid directly to the student via a paycheck. Work-study students are paid every two weeks for hours worked.  If you have enrolled in Direct Deposit, your paycheck will be electronically deposited into your designated personal bank account. If you have not set up Direct Deposit, you will need to pick up your check at the Controller’s Office located at 306 South New Street Suite 451.  

Tax Information 

Money earned through the Work-study Program is subject to state and federal taxation. Federal and state tax withholding is calculated from information provided on the students IRS W-4 and Certificate of Residency form. Students will receive an email when their annual IRS W-2 form is available to be viewed on their Banner portal. 

• Work-study Student Handbook
• Handshake
• Hiring Forms - Student Checklist
• Setting Up Direct Deposit via Banner
• Instructions: Entering Hours in Timeclock Plus

Creating New Positions

If you or someone in your department is interested in establishing a work-study position within your office, first you should create a position description for the work-study job. Once the position description is created, you must identify the appropriate staff member who will serve as the work-study supervisor for this position. Work-study supervisors are responsible for:

• Reading and understanding all communications sent by the Office of Financial Aid, Payroll Office, and Human Resources, and following all rules and regulations set forth by the above-named offices.
• Posting and maintaining job postings on Handshake by the required deadline on an annual basis. 
• Hiring and supporting students who are hired to be a work-study student in your office.
• Monitoring and approving student’s hours.

If the staff member is already a work-study supervisor and has access to Handshake, they can post the new position on Handshake.

If the staff member is not already set up as a work-study supervisor, they will need to submit the Supervisor Rights and Responsibilities Form. The staff member requesting to be a work-study supervisor will receive an email in 3 - 5 business days from the Office of Financial Aid confirming they are set up as a supervisor in our database as well as an email from the Center for Career and Professional Development with instructions to set up their supervisor account in Handshake. Once the supervisor is set up in Handshake, they can post the new position on Handshake. 

Posting a position that already exists: If a work-study supervisor would like to hire a work-study student for a position that already exists, you will need to follow these instructions to post the position on Handshake.  This must be done annually if you plan to fill this position each year. 

Work-study Job Fair: The Office of Financial Aid holds a work-study job fair annually for all incoming students who are eligible for work-study.  All approved work-study supervisors are invited to attend the job fair to help find students to fill their available positions. Information about the job fair, including dates and location, will be sent to supervisors in mid-July.

Hiring New work-study Students: Students will review all work-study job opportunities through the Handshake platform and should apply for the position directly through Handshake. As a work-study supervisor, you will be able to review the list of students who have applied for your positions and their applications through Handshake. Once you have identified students who would be a good candidate for your position, contact each student to set up an interview and review job responsibilities with the candidates. Some departments choose to have qualified applicants go through an in-person interview process, while others might find it sufficient to have a phone or video interview to screen applicants.  Supervisors can also send messages to applicants through Handshake to track the progress of their application.

After a student has been selected, the work-study supervisor must send the student an official offer letter through Handshake and change the status of the student to “Hired” in Handshake. The offer letter should state an official start date, which is established between the supervisor and the work-study student.  IMPORTANT: A work-study student cannot start working until both the student and their supervisor receive the approval email from the Payroll Office.

If the job is now filled based on the number of work-study students that you need, be sure to close the position in Handshake. When you are logged into Handshake, go to the job overview page and click the  title of the job that you wish to close. Then click on the three dots in the top-right corner and select “Close Job”.

Re-hiring Work-study Employees: If you have a current student who you plan to re-hire for the next academic year, you should first determine if the student should be re-hired in a new level position based on any changes in responsibility. If that position already exists at the appropriate pay level (according to the wage grid), you should duplicate the job in Handshake. If the position does not exist in Handshake at the appropriate pay level, create the job in Handshake. Reminder: If all available positions will be filled with returning students, be sure to close the position as soon as you post it on Handshake.

Prior to submitting the Payroll Setup Form, contact the student to confirm their eligibility for work-study in the upcoming academic year. Students who submit a complete aid application by our deadline will be able to view their offer of aid in Banner by early June.

Completing the Payroll Set-up Form: Work-study supervisors must complete a Payroll Set-up Form for Hourly Employees & Work-study Students for each work-study student in order for them to be paid for their hours worked. To complete this process, the work-study supervisor must have:

• The student’s Lehigh Identification Number (LIN)
• The supervisor’s placement code (email workstudy@lehigh.edu if you are not aware of the placement code)
• Your department’s index number. The department index number will be charged if the student’s total earnings exceed their allotment, so if the work-study supervisor is not an Authorized Signer for the Banner Index to be charged, you must also include an email or other documentation of approval from the authorized signer when you submit this form. 

You will receive an email from the Financial Aid Office when the information from this form has been processed. NOTE: This is not your approval that the student can begin working at this point.  You must wait to receive the email from the Payroll Office with the subject line: “Timeclock Plus - Employment Confirmation.” 

Ensure that your work-study student has submitted the required documents to Human Resources, Payroll, and other departments: Refer to the Student Checklist to review more information about these required documents.

• The Federal I9 form NOTE: The I9 form must be completed no later than 72 hours after the student’s scheduled start date. Students must email inI9@lehigh.edu to begin the I-9 process. If a student has completed the I-9 process within the last three years, this does not need to be completed again.  
• Submit the Required Payroll Forms
  • W-4 Form
  • Certificate of Residency 
• Worker’s Compensation Form - Submitted to Supervisor who will forward the form to the Risk Management Office
• Set up Direct Deposit via Banner

After the required documents are received and the Payroll Set-up Form is completed, the Payroll Office will send an email to both the student and their supervisor with the subject line: “Timeclock Plus - Employment Confirmation.” At this point a student can begin working. 

Review your office rules and code of conduct, as well as your expectations with your work-study employee: Students should review the Work-study Student Handbook. Office hours, procedures for calling out, dress code, use of space, and personal conduct are all important issues that should be addressed with your work-study student within their first week of work. If your position requires that the student use any of their personal equipment, such as their cell phone, camera, or laptop, you must review the Personally Owned Device Agreement and Waiver form with them and have them sign the form for your records.

Establish a work schedule with your work-study employee(s): As a supervisor, you must ensure that your work-study student is not earning more than they have been awarded in work-study as part of their financial aid offer. You should have received an email response from the Office of Financial Aid when the Payroll Set-up Form was processed. Refer to the total hours (for the academic year) listed on the "Hourly Pay Rate" line from that email when setting up your schedule with your work-study student. Remember that earned wages that exceed the offer amount will be charged to your department index.

Work with the student to establish a schedule that works for both the student and your office needs. Students are not permitted to work during any scheduled class times. If the class was canceled, you must have documentation from the professor. The last day that a student can work is the last day of their exams for the given semester. Work-study for the summer sessions is a separate process. Students should not be scheduled to work over the summer break unless the position and funding have been approved by the Office of Financial Aid.

If a student is able to work during the winter semester, they can do so, however the earnings will reduce the amount of hours the student can work in the spring semester. 

A student is not eligible to work their work-study job when studying abroad.

Recording hours worked with TimeClock Plus: Work-study students are required to record and track their hours through TimeClock Plus (TCP).  Ensure that students are clocking in and out of TCP when they report to work and leave for the day.

Approving and monitoring hours worked with TimeClock Plus:  As a work-study supervisor,  you will be required to approve your work-study student(s) hours work in TimeClock Plus for each pay period. You can also adjust the hours worked if the student missed or made an error in their time entry.

Addressing student well-being: As a work-study supervisor, you will be working closely with students. We encourage all supervisors to review the Promoting Student Well-Being: A Resource Guide for Faculty and Staff document to familiarize yourself with the many resources that are available to help students should they need additional assistance.

If a student appears to be struggling with their classwork, you can refer them to the Center for Academic Success.

If you observe a student who is displaying signs of mental health concerns, you can refer them to Counseling and Psychological Services. If the student’s behaviors or situation appears to be particularly concerning, you should notify the Care Team by completing a Student Concerns Reporting Form.

If your work-study student suggests that they need to take a semester off or plan to withdraw from Lehigh, please refer the student to Dr. Donna Mohr, Director of Retention, so she can discuss their decision with them.

Addressing performance issues: Work-study students can be terminated if they are not performing to your expectations. In the event that performance issues arise with the work-study student, the supervisor should discuss any work-related concerns with the work-study student as soon as possible. Inform the student of your dissatisfaction with their performance, refer to the job description and expectations and clearly define the areas that need to be addressed. Offer the student suggestions on how they may improve performances and establish a fair and equitable time period for correcting the problem. If applicable, notify students that their work-study job may be in jeopardy.  Be sure to document any performance based conversations that you have with the student. For assistance with these performance based concerns, please contact the Human Resources Office.

Terminating a work-study employee: If you have exhausted all options for assisting the student, email workstudy@lehigh.edu and inwage@lehigh.edu to terminate the student from their position.  Be sure to notify the student via email that their position has been terminated, referring to your attempts to help the student be successful.

Directions:

• Request to be a new work-study supervisor
• Create a position description for a work-study job
• Post a position on Handshake
• Duplicate an already created position on Handshake
• Review applicants through Handshake
• Send messages to applicants on Handshake
• Send the student an official offer letter through Handshake
• Approve work-study student(s) hours work in TimeClock Plus

Resources:

• Wage Grid
• Payroll Setup Form for work-study Students
• Work-study Student Checklist
• Personally Owned Device Agreement and Waiver form
• Promoting Student Well-Being: A Resource Guide for Faculty and Staff