When a student-employee is arrested on or off University premises the student-employee must disclose such arrests or any convictions, as they occur after the date of hire. Upon this disclosure, or if the University discovers an arrest or conviction has occurred, the employer may take action as it deems necessary to protect the University community, which may include suspension of the student-employee pending further review or immediate termination. A review may be conducted by police officials and/or internally by University officials. If a review is conducted, which may be prior to a trial, legal adjudication or University discipline, a decision may be made by the hiring department in conjunction with the Office of Student Financial Assistance and Employment. Termination of student status immediately terminates the student-employment assignment.

Student employees are to notify the supervisor no later than the beginning of the scheduled work period when he/she is unable to work. In case of an extended absence, the anticipated duration should be reported to the supervisor as soon as possible. Student employees are responsible to notify his or her supervisor of an expected absence on a scheduled work day due to the observance of a religious holiday as described in the University of Miami Bulletin. Supervisors have the right to request a doctor's note if the student has or will be absent for several days as a result of an illness. Students are expected to adhere to their work schedule. In cases where work interferes with a student's academic responsibilities resulting in excessive* tardiness or absences, it may be necessary to dismiss the student from the job assignment.

In keeping with the University of Miami Human Resources policy for non-exempt (hourly) employees, student employees working 7.5 hours a day may take a half-hour (non-paid) lunch break. Employees working 4 consecutive hours a day are entitled to a fifteen-minute, paid break.

Breaks may not be taken at the beginning or end of the work period and are not cumulative. The supervisor determines when breaks are to be taken.

Some positions require that students have access to other students' record information. All University employees, including students, must abide by the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act and other confidentiality provisions for state and federal law. Simplified, the amendment states:

• Employees are authorized to access only the student record information that is necessary to perform their job functions.
• Employees are not allowed to look at and/or communicate to others student record information other than what is necessary to perform their job functions.

Breach of this law will result in University disciplinary action. Please refer to the Code of Conduct in the Student Life Handbook for details or contact the Office of HIPAA Privacy & Security for more detailed information.

Every student employee is covered during his/her working hours by Worker's Compensation insurance. It is essential the employee report immediately any job-related accident or illness to the supervisor. Additional information regarding Worker's Compensation is available from the Director of Student Employment or from the Office of Risk Management.

A student employee is NOT eligible to receive other employment benefits such as paid holiday, vacation leave, sick leave, retirement benefits or unemployment insurance.

Employment verifications require authorization by the student. The authorization needs to be submitted along with the employment verification request. The University of Miami has partnered with The Work Number® from Equifax, an independent service, to provide secure, automated employment and income verifications for current faculty, staff, and student employees. For additional information visit the Work Number

Hiring Departments have the right to request a discipline record check from the Dean of Students; which may include employment incidents and cases adjudicated by the Dean of Students.

A grievance is defined as any complaint by a student employee dealing with terms or conditions of his/her employment. Matters that are academic or personal in nature are not subject to processing under this procedure.

A student employee having a grievance as defined above should:

1. Attempt to resolve the grievance through a discussion with his/her immediate supervisor within 10 working days of the incident which gave rise to the grievance. If the employee is not satisfied with the resolution proposed, the employee may:
2. Within 10 working days of the decision at step 1, attempt to resolve the grievance through discussion with the department or unit head next in authority above the immediate supervisor and/or the department's human resource (HR) partner. If the employee is not satisfied with the resolution proposed in step 2, she/he may:
3. Within 10 working days of the decision at step 2, submit to the Director of Student Employment a written statement of the grievance and the remedy desired. The Director of Student Employment, or representative from the Office of Student Financial Assistance and Employment, will conduct an investigation into the matter, which may necessitate a meeting with both the employee and the immediate supervisor present. The Director of Student Employment and/or the representative may invite any other individual they deem appropriate to attend the meeting.
4. The Director of Student Employment, or representative from the Office of Student Financial Assistance and Employment, will reach a decision and communicate it to the parties involved.
5. Grievances, disciplinary action and unresolved issues may be referred to the Dean of Students for follow-up and appropriate action.

Students may be eligible to use their Federal Work Study funds during the summer. To fill out the 2026 Summer Federal Work Study Request Form, click here.

If enrolled in summer courses, students can work up to 25 hours per week. But, if they're not enrolled in summer courses AND enrolled in Fall semester courses, then students are eligible to work up to 37.5 hours per week.

If student is NOT enrolled during the summer term, but work and have Federal Work Study earnings, the total amount earned during the summer will be considered a financial aid source for the next academic year.

• This may reduce your financial aid eligibility for the next fall and spring semesters.
• Students not enrolled for the summer must also have a FAFSA for the next academic year, on file, demonstrating eligibility in order to be considered for a FWS summer award.

Students who graduate in the spring semester will not be considered for summer FWS unless accepted into another UM program for the Fall 2026

Most students schedule between 10 and 20 hours a week for work.

In order to maximize their academic performance, students are discouraged from working more than 25 hours per week during a period of enrollment. However, a student may work a maximum number of 37.5 hours per week, when classes are not in session (University Breaks). Federal work study funds will not cover overtime hours.

Students are expected to adhere to their established work schedule (even during exam periods) as long as it does not interfere with their academic responsibilities. Students may not work during times they are scheduled to be in class. In cases of class cancellation, a student may work by providing reasonable evidence that the class has been cancelled. Employers are expected to be sensitive to students’ academic duties, in particular during periods of exams and school projects. Deviations from the established work schedule should be discussed in advance to ensure agreement by both the student and the supervisor.

During the summer, a student may work if not enrolled, as long as the University has proof of enrollment for the next fall semester. Students should be aware that if they work full-time during the summer, a certain amount of their earnings will be considered as a resource for the next academic year and appropriate taxes will be deducted.

Student employees injured on the job should report the injury immediately to their supervisor. If treatment is needed, they must ask the supervisor for information on where to get treatment. UM supervisors have a list of UM approved medical providers.

Work related injuries must be reported in Workday within 24 hours of your injury or illness. View the Employee Work Injury/Illness Reporting Instructions for more detailed information on reporting the injury or illness.

International students are eligible to work on campus under all employment programs funded by the University of Miami. Federal or state employment programs (e.g., Federal Work Study program) are open only to US citizens or legal residents.

To be eligible for on campus employment, international students must be in valid F-1 status which includes pursuing a full course of study. A full course of study is defined as a minimum of 12 undergraduate credits or 9 graduate credits during fall and spring semesters. International students are not required to be enrolled during the summer unless they are completing their course of study during that period. They may work during the summer provided they have proof of enrollment for the fall. Students in F-1 status may be employed on-campus during the academic year after verification of their employment eligibility through International Student Services.

1. Students in F-1 status are eligible for on-campus employment of up to 20 hours per week during fall and spring semesters and up to 40 hours per week during vacation and semester breaks.
2. Students with F-2 or B-2 status are prohibited by federal regulations from any type of employment.
3. Students with J-1 status must obtain permission to work on-campus from their program sponsor.
4. Students with J-2 status must apply to the Immigration and Naturalization Service to receive permission to work. Applications may be arranged through International Student Services.

Non-Degree seeking exchange students are not eligible to be employed through the Student Employment program.

For questions regarding status or employment for international students, please contact International Student and Scholar Services, 1306 Stanford Drive, Whitten University center, Suite 2275, Coral Gables Campus, (305) 284-2928.

International Students (IS) are eligible to work on campus as Student Assistants or Graduate Assistants.

1. IS must receive a job offer in writing. This offer letter is presented to the Office of International Student and Scholar Services, along with the I-94 and the I-20 which issues a Certification of On-Campus Employment Eligibility.
2. Next, the IS is directed to apply for a Social Security Card. The identification number issued to students by the University is not valid for employment purposes. When applying for a Social Security Card, international students must present:
   • Valid Foreign Passport
   • I-94
   • I-20 or IAP-66
   • Certification of On-Campus Employment
3. Upon obtaining a valid Social Security Card, the IS must officially record the new number at the Office of the Registrar.
4. Once your employer completes the hiring process, log in to Workday and click on "Inbox" to access your assigned onboarding tasks. Your onboarding tasks will include:
   • Review Documents
   • Complete Form I-9. (please note: in order to complete section 2 of the I-9, your hiring department#39;s designated e-verifier will need to see your valid foreign passport with it’s correspondent I-94.
   • Add Payment Elections (Direct Deposit)
   • Complete Federal Withholding Elections/Foreign National Information Form

The University permits the employment of qualified related persons as long as such employment does not result in a staff member having direct or indirect responsibility for supervising a family member. It is the responsibility of staff to inform their supervisor and their assigned Human Resources representative in advance of any such conflict

Click the link for additional information on the University's nepotism policy

The Student Employment Job Levels pertains to students paid on an hourly basis at the University of Miami (Job Code L). Whether Federal Work Study (FWS) or Student Assistant Program (SA) student employees with the same duties and responsibilities should be compensated within the same job level and pay rate category for the job performed. Offices/Departments must maintain a job description for each and every student employment position. In situations where more than one student is hired for the same job duties and responsibilities (pool position), it's acceptable to develop and maintain one job description. The Student Employment Job Request form submitted to the Office of Student Financial Assistance and Employment and is used to post open positions which serves as the job description for student employment jobs. Changes made in job descriptions after positions are filled must be documented in an updated job description. A sample job description form is available at the Office of Student Financial Assistance and Employment website.

The hiring department determines pay rates after a careful review of the skills and responsibilities required to perform the job duties. Pay levels listed below incorporate degrees of skills, responsibility, and experience and serve as a guideline to establish equitable pay rates across all university departments. In addition, the hiring department may take into consideration the particular student skills, proven job performance, conditions of employment, available pool of students and department needs when establishing a pay rate. The Office of Student Financial Assistance and Employment understands and respects the departmentalized nature of employment at UM. However, in some instances, it will request additional information and/or require a more appropriate pay rate.

Student Employment jobs are part-time and temporary in nature and as such, pay rate increases are not mandatory. However, recognizing student employees for good performance (merit), length of job assignment (seniority), exceptional work behavior and/or increase job expectations (experience) is highly suggested. Departments devise pay raise schedules as their budgets allow, as long as there is documented consistency and fairness in their pay increase practices. In addition, supervisors should recognize that a pay increase is a great incentive for employee satisfaction and job retention. The following job levels are guidelines for departments when determining student pay wages.

Pay Levels serve as guidelines to departments and have been established to maintain fairness and reasonable pay equity for all student employees. As in all competitive job markets, budgets, special demands and other unquiet circumstances, may influence a department's hourly rate offer.

Level	Hourly Pay Range	Description
A	$14.00 - $15.00	Entry level positions. Basic clerical, reception and/or office duties. Minimum experience or training required. Close supervision. Duties include mostly routine or repetitious work.
B	$15.01- $16.00	Responsibilities require some previous experience or training. Supervision will be available but student will be expected to work independently. Duties include routine work with some variation and/or the need for decision making. Moderate to minimum supervision is provided.
C	$16.01 - $17.00	Responsibilities require significant training or experience. Students work with little day to day supervision on self-directed tasks in critical and/or essential matters.
D	$17.01 - $18.00	Responsibilities require advanced training and/or certification. Previous work related experience absolutely necessary. Position requires extensive knowledge of an area of specialized knowledge and/or skill. Projects are self-directed with minimum supervision.
E	$18.01 and above	Special approval from the Director of Student Employment is required.

Students’ performing services for the University of Miami are considered to be receiving wages that are subject to all federal, state and local taxes. Students will receive a W-2 form from the University Payroll Office before January 31st. Wages are reportable on a W-2 tax form.

Federal Income Tax:
Students are required to complete the W-4 (Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate) in Workday as a part of the job assignment procedures. A student CANNOT claim exempt from federal withholding tax if:
(a) his/her income exceeds $1,050.00 and includes $350 of unearned income(interest, dividends);
(b) another person can claim him/her on their income tax return.

In order to claim "exempt" from federal withholding tax, you must meet both the following conditions for exemption:

1. Last year, you had a right to a refund of all federal income tax withheld because you had no tax liability, and
2. This year you expect a refund of ALL Federal income tax withheld because you expect to have no tax liability.

If you do not complete a W-4 form, the University Payroll Office will apply federal withholding tax based on Single with "0" allowances.

Social Security (FICA) and Medicare Tax:
Students are exempt from FICA and Medicare taxes as long as they are fully, financially enrolled in a degree-seeking program at least half-time for each semester. If, at any point, the student is not financially registered in full, he/she will no longer be exempt, and the FICA/medicare taxes will be deducted. If the academic load of the student is half-time or greater for a term, the student worker will be FICA exempt for the term begin date to the term end date.

Calendar Year Tax Forms:
All University of Miami employees, including students receiving wages will be provided with an annual W-2 form on or before January 31st for the prior year's earnings, by the Payroll Office. It's the responsibility of the student to update their current address in Workday in order to receive their W-2 at the desired mailing address.

1042-S Tax Forms
1042-S tax forms are provided by the deadline of March 15th.The 1042-S tax form is a year end tax document provided to:

• Non-Resident aliens who received wages exempted from federal withholding tax by a tax treaty.
• Wages in which there was no tax withheld due to the claiming of a tax treaty
• In some cases, non-resident aliens will receive only a 1042-s and others will receive both a 1042-S and a W-2, in this case treaty exempt wages will be reported on a 1042-s form and the taxable non-treaty exempt wages will be reported a W-2 form.
• If there is no tax treaty, all of your wages are reported on a Form W-2

In order to claim a tax treaty exemption a Foreign National Information Form must be completed and sent to the Payroll office every January. You may find the form on the Payroll website.

 

Unless otherwise specified, on-campus student employment jobs should be reasonably performed within the University community (campus’ perimeters). If the job requires that the student employee travels outside of campus, the hiring department should contact the Department of Risk Management for guidelines pertaining to liability information.

Students who use their own vehicles when travel are required in connection with their employment (excluding travel to and from work) are covered under Worker’s Compensation. Departments who wish to reimburse students for business travel may do so by reporting the mileage on a Business Expense Reimbursement Form (Stock # 331260). Students will be reimbursed based on the University’s standard mileage allowance. Reimbursements cannot be charged to the Federal Work Study Program.

If a student is using his or her auto to perform travel on behalf of the University, the vehicle must be insured for automobile liability with minimum limits of $25,000/$50,000 for bodily injury and property damage. The University’s automobile liability would be excess of the employee’s coverage. The student is expected to purchase his or her own collision coverage.

If the student spends more than 20% of her or his time engaged in business travel, a motor vehicle check is mandatory. In order to accomplish this, a photocopy of the student’s driver’s license must be sent to Risk Management. For more information, contact Risk Management at (305) 284-3163.

Only Degree admitted students in a program at the University of Miami may be hired in a student job profile in Workday. Undergraduate students must be enrolled during the fall and spring semester for at least six credits unless it’s the last semester before graduation. Graduate and professional students must be enrolled for at least one course as per University policies. However, departments/academic units may require higher number of credit hours to be considered for an assistantship. During the summer term, students do not need to be enrolled in classes as long as enrollment for the next fall semester has been completed.

Any student who is employed by the University either full or part-time and who receives a University paycheck is protected by the Worker's Compensation and Occupational Disease Act of Florida.

Accidents involving University employees are covered by Worker's Compensation Insurance if any injury occurs while the employee is carrying out assigned duties. This protection extends to travel in a privately owned vehicle, only when the travel is directly related to the employee’s job (excludes travel to and from work).

A student who works for an off-campus employer is covered under that employer’s Worker’s Compensation Insurance and should notify the supervisor in the event of an injury.

All injuries must be reported immediately (within 24 hours) by the injured employee to his/her supervisor. Failure to report an injury within 24 hours may result in a loss of benefits.

Worker's Compensation claims for on-campus employees are processed by the Department of Risk Management, (305) 284-3163. For procedures following an injury, see Injuries on the job.