Federal Work-Study Programs
UCSD
CAMPUS NOTICE
University of California, San Diego
 

FINANCIAL AID OFFICE

September 11, 2007


KEY ADMINISTRATORS/KEY SUPPORT STAFF

SUBJECT:       Federal Work-Study Programs

This campus notice is designed to provide necessary administrative information to potential employers under the Federal Work-Study programs.

Work-Study Program funds are provided as a form of financial aid to help a student meet the cost of attendance through employment. In keeping with the spirit of the program, we encourage the development of jobs which will offer our students an opportunity for major- or career-related work experience. Additionally, we are required by federal regulations to ensure that a portion of our work-study funds will be used for community service work. We ask that you keep these objectives in mind when developing jobs for our work-study students.

SPLIT: The department-matching portion for the Federal Work-Study Program remains at 50%. The other federal program for reading and mathematics tutoring of children and family literacy activities will continue to utilize 100% federal work-study funds and does not require a department match.

PROGRAM DATES: Students may begin work on Monday, September 24, 2007, and may continue through Friday, June 13, 2008, or when their work-study awards are depleted, whichever occurs first. Earnings prior to and after these dates must be paid 100% by department funds.

JOB POSTING: Departments may post available work-study jobs through the Career Services Center's on-line job entry process. Departments must indicate, on the on-line job posting, if the position is subsidized with work-study funding only. Work-Study funded jobs may be viewed by students on the Career Services Center's homepage at http://career.ucsd.edu

WORK-STUDY DESIGNATION: Departments authorized to hire specifically for reading and mathematics tutoring of children and family literacy activities will enter an “I” code in the "WSP" field on the distribution line in the Payroll Personnel System (PPS). All other departments employing students with work-study will hire on the Federal Work-Study Program WSP code of “F” during the effective start and stop dates. The correct WSP coding must be indicated when processing timekeeping specials and/or adjustments. It is the responsibility of the department to carefully review their DOPEs (Distribution of Payroll Expense Reports) on a monthly basis to ensure correct payroll charges particularly when adjustments to prior pay period end dates are needed.

PAYROLL CAP: The Work-Study Program Cap prevents a charge to the Work-Study Program if the student has earned his/her maximum award or if the student has not met financial aid requirements. When this occurs, 100% of the student's earnings will be charged to the department for any pay earned from that point forward. Questions about the cap for individual students should be directed to the appropriate Financial Aid Office (FAO) at the extensions listed in the CONTACTS section below.

AWARD AMOUNT: The work-study award amount is the gross earnings amount. Students may view and print a copy of the web award notification confirmation via TritonLink. This amount includes the department's portion, with the exception of the reading and mathematics tutoring of children and family literacy activities, which requires no match from the department. It is unlawful to require the work-study recipient to repay or otherwise be responsible for meeting the department's portion. Please be aware that award amounts often change throughout the year due to revisions made to the student's financial aid package. Revisions may temporarily suspend the student’s work-study award and cause earnings to hit department funds at 100% until it is resolved. Therefore, reviewing departmental DOPE’s (Distribution of Payroll Expense Report) is essential before preparing an adjustment. Also be aware that the student may have been previously employed or is currently employed by another department on work-study funds. A portion of the work-study award may have already been earned or is concurrently being earned. This needs to be accounted for when determining the student's remaining balance of work-study funds available for usage. In addition, you should contact the previous or current employing department to determine the work-study earned to date. Students must be enrolled to be eligible for work-study funding. If you have any questions regarding the current work-study award amount, please call the FAO at the appropriate extension listed in the CONTACTS section below.

PROJECTION OF HOURS: Work-Study funds may only be used to pay for hours actually worked; thus projection of hours worked is not allowed.

WORK HOURS: Students must be paid on an hourly basis. There is no longer a federal regulation that limits the number of hours a student may work per week. A student can exceed 40 hours per week of work under work-study funds, though departments should review UC PPS 32-Overtime (Non-exempt employees only) before allowing any employee to work over 40 hours per week. Other policies such as UC PPS 42-Sick Leave should also be reviewed. Payment of overtime is allowed with work-study funds. It is at the discretion of the department if overtime pay is allowed. However, fringe benefits such as sick leave, vacation or holiday pay, and other non-wage payment may not be paid with federal work-study funds. They must be paid with department funds at 100%. The WSP Code should be blank when entering these hours in timekeeping.

The work schedule should be a mutual agreement between the employer and the employee.

DEPARTMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR TIMESHEETS: The payroll timesheet is considered the common timesheet and should be maintained by the department. Individualized department timesheets may not be accepted by external auditors or the FAO. The timesheet should contain sufficient information to support all payroll disbursements.

Departments are required per federal regulations to:

* Retain a copy of the original student timesheet for audit purposes.

* Print and keep a copy of a timesheet when adjustments are made to a prior pay period when work-study funding is utilized.

* Record the hourly rate of pay, index and fund numbers.

* Record the breakdown of hours on the timesheet worked by a student on a daily basis.

* Record the total number of hours worked during each pay period.

* Obtain the supervisor’s signature and date on all timesheets (The student signature is not required).

Failure to maintain proper departmental records may result in your department’s removal from the work-study program as an employing department.

RECORDS RETENTION: Departments are required to retain timesheets, as outlined above, for audit purposes. (Departments no longer are required to submit copies of all timesheets to the Financial Aid Office.) The FAO will audit monthly all student payments made on Work-Study Program funds and may request copies of the timesheets from departmental timekeepers if discrepancies affect the work-study funds.

COMPLIANCE: Failure to comply with Work-Study Regulations may result in the termination of work-study funds for your department.

CONTACTS: Contact Payroll at x42269, mail code 0952, with questions regarding payroll procedures.

Contact the General Accounting Office at x44562, mail code 0953, with questions regarding Operating Ledger information.

Contact the Job Opportunities Program at x44472, mail code 0335, with questions regarding employing students at UCSD.

Contact the Financial Aid Office at the appropriate extensions and mail codes listed below if you have any questions about a student's Work-Study award or your required records retention.

Financial Aid Office Award Amounts: x44480 (M/C 0013)

Health Sciences Financial Aid Office: x44664 (M/C 0730)

We appreciate your interest in hiring work-study students and remain committed to working with you to maintain a successful and viable program.


Vincent De Anda
Director
Financial Aid Office