Staff and Faculty Resources

     Recruitment Updates

Federal Work Study (FWS) Wages

The Student Employment Federal Work Study Earnings Database helps you to track not only your FWS student’s earnings, but also your department’s allocation of FWS funds.

Federal Work Study Earnings Reports

Each pay period, you will be asked to log into the Student Employment FWS Earnings Report Database and view your FWS student’s earnings. You are responsible for checking each pay period to ensure your students have not exceeded their FWS award. You are also responsible for making sure your department does not exceed your allocation. If you continually allow your students or department to exceed awards or allocations, you may lose your department’s allocation and the ability to employ FWS students. Please help us stay in compliance with the Department of Education by not allowing overspending by students or departments!

Please log into the database by clicking the link in the email, visiting the Student Employment website.

How to use the Student Employment FWS Earnings Report Database 

Log in using your IdM (NDUS username and password). If you are unable to log in, please contact Kimberly at kimberly.idland@UND.edu 

Once you have logged in, you will see a screen titled Student Employment >> Earnings Reports.

Select the Fiscal Year and Department you wish to view.  

1. Your student employee’s IDs and names will show in the first three columns.
2. Academic Term will show earnings for either summer or the academic year.
3. Total FWS Eligibility is the amount of the student’s FWS award. **This can change at any time**
4. Total Earnings shows the amount the student has earned through the most recent pay period listed on the email. (Usually the most recent pay period)
5. Remaining FWS eligibility- Please pay special attention to this column!! 
   If a student is working for more than one department on campus, the remaining eligibility may be less than the difference between the total eligibility and total earnings. The remaining eligibility reflects total earnings from ALL FWS jobs. (The departments of which will not necessarily be listed in your department dropdown menu.) 
   An example of a student with two jobs is shown above.
6. Your department’s base allocation is shown on the bottom of the report along with any increases/decreases.

You can also request funds via this new database. Please do not submit any paper forms.

• Click FWS Funds Requests.
• Fill out the form and submit. Give as much information as you can. Requests are reviewed quarterly or as funds are available. 

Federal Work Study Earnings Database Login

Notice to FWS Student Supervisors

Per federal regulations, students are not permitted to work in FWS positions during their scheduled class times. Students should submit their course schedule to their supervisor in order to ensure that they are not working during class time. If a supervisor requires a student to work during class time, the department may be forced to surrender their FWS allocation. Student Employment in cooperation with HR/Payroll and Financial Aid will be monitoring hours worked by FWS students to ensure they do not work during scheduled class times. 

Student Break Waiver

Student employees at UND shall be offered meal period and/or rest period breaks in accordance with federal and state labor laws.

• All departments are required to offer employees who work more than five consecutive hours in any one day a minimum of thirty consecutive minutes for one meal. A student employee may waive their right to an unpaid meal break if their employing department is in agreement. 
• If the employing department allows a student to waive their unpaid meal break, the student must complete the Student Break Waiver Form and the employing department must keep the signed Student Break Waiver Form on file. If a student completes a Student Break Waiver Form, the student is still entitled to a minimum 30-minute unpaid meal break if they choose. 
• Departments can offer students a paid rest break consisting of 15 minutes for every half-day the student works. If a department chooses to offer a paid rest break, they must offer this paid rest break to all student employees. Student employees must be relieved of all duties during a meal break or rest period and be free to leave their assigned work area. 
• Meal breaks and/or rest periods should be scheduled by the supervisor to allow for appropriate coverage of the department. However, departments must schedule reasonable meal breaks and/or rest periods in accordance with the student’s shift. 
• Meal breaks or rest periods must be taken during the student’s shift and cannot be taken at the start or end of a shift. The workday may not be shortened and meal breaks may not be lengthened by omitting rest periods.

Student Break Waiver Form

Student Employment Resources

• • DocuSign Instructions
  • Student Employment Supervisor Handbook
  • Student Employment Student Handbook

Wage Classification System and Guide

Use when reviewing a student employment position’s pay scale.

Job Classifications & Wage Rates

Student Employment is responsible for approving the classification of student jobs. Classification should be determined by the hiring department prior to the time of the job listing. Positions not listed in the below examples may be discussed with the Student Employment Manager. Unique working conditions may warrant a higher classification.

To provide equal pay for equal work, all student employees shall be paid according to the rate corresponding to their job classification regardless of the source of funds from which they are paid. Wage rates are established in accordance with existing federal minimum scales and State of North Dakota laws.

The wage rate must be appropriate and reasonable considering such factors as type of work performed and the proficiency of the student. Within this guide are the hourly wage ranges and classification descriptions for the four student wage classifications, as well as examples of jobs that fall into various classifications. 

Schedule & Earnings

When students are employed by more than one department on campus, it is the responsibility of the employing departments to coordinate hours worked and student earnings.

Students should not be working in excess of 20 hours per week between all on campus employment, without prior approval from Student Employment. At no time shall a student be permitted to work in excess of 40 hours in one week between any on campus employment.

Student Employees working under Federal Work Study may not earn in excess of their award for the year and may not be scheduled to work during class.

Salary Versus Hourly Wages

All student employees must be paid an hourly wage, the Student Employment Manager may grant, on an individual basis, an exemption for Institutional positions when the hiring department has justified payment of a salary. 

In all cases:

1. Student employees must be paid the minimum wage established by the North Dakota Department of Labor.
2. All student employees must be paid overtime for all hours worked over 40 hours per week. This includes any salaried student employees.
3. Student employees must be paid for all time worked. A supervisor may not accept voluntary services from any paid employee.  

Wage Increases 

All salary increases (whether for merit, increased responsibilities, or seniority) will be reviewed by Student Employment to ensure comparative equality among all student employees doing similar work.

When a student has been employed by a department at the same job part-time during two school terms or full-time during the summer, a pay raise of $.20 to $.25 per hour is recommended. 

Wage Classification System and Descriptions

Level I: $10.00 + 

Entry Level 

Wage rates may change due to increases in the Federal or State minimum wage.

These entry-level positions may require some special skills, or previous training, experience, or knowledge. and little or no previous training or work experience.  Some training may be required. In some cases, the position may require specialized skills documented by a certificate or degree or years of experience. Student employees near the top of this wage classification may have independence and limited supervision.

Employment is generally of a routine nature and supervised. These jobs may require a range from little decision-making to independent decision-making.

Position Examples

• Routine Dining Services work including dish washing, operating cash register
• Routine laboratory work such as dish washing, preparation of solutions and media
• Routine clerical work such as simple filing, incidental typing, operating duplication machines, mail sorting and carrying, answering telephones
• Custodial work such as dusting, sweeping, mopping, emptying wastebaskets
• General groundwork such as weeding, planting flowers, lawn mowing
• Typing work that requires some decision making beyond basic grammar and format; may include some editing and proofreading
• Stenographic work involving simple interpretation of tests or involving complex procedures
• Basic drafting, truck driving
• Computer terminal operator, computer input/output clerk
• Visual aids operator
• Daycare assistant
• Usher and store clerk, ticket sales, information desk
• Basic research work such as searching bibliographies, data collection
• Supervising recreational activities, officiating sports events
• Night building attendant, building security.
• Language laboratory attendant
• Social and community action aide
• Health profession aide
• Theatrical assistant, sewing costumes, applying makeup
• Teacher assistant, grading papers, monitoring tests
• Lifeguard 

Level II: $13.00+ 

Level II positions consist of positions that will require considerable training or experience required. In some cases, the position may require specialized skills documented by a certificate or degree or years of experience. Positions that require knowledge of the industry, or a student employee to have taken specific courses prior to being eligible for the position would fall into this category. Supervisory positions will have the student employee overseeing multiple student employees and completing managerial or supervisory tasks. The student employee has the freedom to act independently and is in a trusted position to have limited supervision. 

Position Examples

• Certified Flight Instructor
• Computer help desk/ programmer
• Undergraduate research requiring significant background in research area
• Master tutor
• Managerial positions
• Student patrol and parking assistant
• Editorial work
• Artist or musician
• Tutoring and advising
• Peer counselor
• Reporter, radio announcer
• Skilled drafting work
• Upper-level grading and teaching assistant positions requiring multiple courses
• Maintenance of financial records requiring advanced industry or office knowledge
• Supervisory positions overseeing more than five student employees.
• Maintenance of financial records requiring advanced knowledge
• Advanced supervision of recreational activities requiring special qualifications, coaching
• Office assistant with considerable experience and knowledge of the office
• Skilled labor such as furniture moving, landscaping, painting, carpentry
• Reading efficiency facilitator
• Research work which requires a bachelor's degree in that field to perform the work

Level III: $17.50 - $30.00

Level III positions must require the student employee to be enrolled in a graduate level program. Any position in this classification will require a high level of knowledge and/or previous experience. Student employees in these positions work independently, with little to no supervision, and often exercise a significant level of supervisory responsibilities.

Position Examples

• Graduate teaching
• Research assistant
• Service assistant

Level IV: $17.50+

Level IV positions do not fall into any of the previous categories. Those that do must be paid according to the recommended wage scale. If a hiring manager has determined the positions responsibilities are unique, and do not meet the other classification areas, they may submit a Wage Justification form, to be returned to und.studentemployment@UND.edu for approval prior to beginning recruitment. Wage justifications for positions that fall into the above classes will be denied.

Please include:

• A detailed description of job responsibilities
• All required qualifications and competencies
• A comparison of the requested wage to other positions in the department’s area, or similar positions within the industry

Positions approved by request.

Student Employment Questions