July 2024

Dear Employers,

Hello from the Federal Work-Study Program!

Summer seems to be progressing at both a leisurely pace and flying by all at the same time! While we have enjoyed some rest this summer, we have also been hard at work planning and gearing up for the following academic year. Now that the Spring Quarter is a month behind us, we wanted to share important and timely information, best practices, and announcements as we look ahead to the 2024-25 FWS hiring and employment seasons. Additional updates and information for 2024-25 will be shared in our next newsletter scheduled for September. 

Best regards,

-Federal Work-Study

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1801 Hinman Ave
Evanston, IL 60208
Web: undergradaid.northwestern.edu/work-study/

You are receiving this newsletter because you either subscribed or were identified in myHR records as supervising a student employee currently or previously paid FWS wages. If you would like to unsubscribe from this list, please click here

 

Important Dates

  • June 9 - September 14: FWS is NOT available during this summer timeframe. Ensure you are paying your student with Regular Student Wages (salary account 60120) on the current row in myHR Temp Panel. (See Employer Best Practices: myHR Employment Record Maintenance section below for instructions.)
  • August 15: 2024-25 Student temp jobs will be posted to the NU Student Job Board!
  • September 15: First-day eligible students may earn FWS wages. Additional information on updating/checking funding in myHR will be shared later in the summer.
  • September 20: Student Employment Job Fair 9 – 11 a.m. Registration link coming in early August!
  • September 24: First day of fall quarter for undergrad students.


Important Notes & Reminders

  • Employer Quick Guide is now available for a brief overview of FWS.
  • FWS is not available during the summer months, 6/9/2024 – 9/14/2024. If your student will work during the summer, they must be paid Regular Student Wages, salary account 60120. 
  • Returning student FWS Eligibility not yet available. See 2024-25 Student FWS Eligibility section below for additional detail.
  • Minimum Wage:
    • Evanston's Minimum wage increased to $14.05/hr. on 7/1/24.
      • The minimum wage will increase to $15.00/hour on 1/1/25.
    • Chicago’s Minimum wage increased to $16.20/hr. on 7/1/24.
    • HR is in the process of uploading wage increases for student employment records that are below the minimum wage. 
  • Jobs indicated on the Job Posting Form as starting in September or for the 2024-25 academic year will be posted to the Student Job Board on August 15, 2024.
  • Entering first-year and entering transfer students may not begin employment in a student temp-designated job until 9/15/2024!


2024-25 FWS Eligibility

As many are aware, there have been many hick-ups with the launch of the 2024-25 FAFSA resulting in delayed 2024-25 financial aid processing. As a result, 2024-25 FWS eligibility has not been established for many rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors. As the summer progresses, we expect more students will receive their financial aid notices and learn if they have been offered FWS for 2024-25. If the student has been offered FWS, it will be listed in their emailed Financial Aid notice or in CAESAR (CAESAR > Financial Aid > View Financial Aid > [Year]). Please follow up with your student employee to inquire about their FWS eligibility for 2024-25 before re-employing them. 


FWS Facts

  • Approximately 30% of all undergraduates are eligible for FWS.
  • FWS student employees comprise 35% of all active student temp employment records during the academic year.
  • FWS need-based wages don’t impact a student’s financial aid offered in subsequent years, unlike regular wages paid on 60120.
  • FICA (Medicare and Social Security) Taxes are not withheld for FWS wages earners, meaning more money in students' paychecks!
  • FWS is not a loan and does not have to be repaid by students or the employer. Students may spend their income however they wish.
  • FWS earnings limit can be increased if circumstances permit.
  • Departments only contribute 25% of student wages leading to department cost-savings!

Learn more about the FWS program on our website!


At a Glance: Who Does What

FWS

askHR

Employer/Department

Payroll

nuworkstudy@northwestern.edu

askHR@northwestern.edu

askHR@northwestern.edu

Maintains (in collaboration with NCA) the NU Student Job Board.

askHR assists with reviewing identity documents for I-9 Section 2.

Submits hiring requests to HR.

HR Systems create timecard records upon employment record activation.

Administers FWS program and oversees and communicates program compliance, some of which may overlap with functions of the other units noted in this table.

HR Operations processes employment requests and creates employment records. Helps with myHR employment record maintenance.

Maintains temp employment record maintenance in myHR (wage updates, position transfers, salary account updates at start and end of academic year, etc.)

Enforces timekeeping policies and maintains the timekeeping system.

Monitors students' academic year FWS eligibility and earnings. Transfers students to regular wages when their earnings limits are exhausted.

HR Operations, HR Compensation, and HR Business Parnters enforce employment requirements, policies, and laws.

Proofs timecards for accuracy, approves timecards, and submits timecard amendments to Payroll.

Processes payroll and issues paychecks/direct deposits.


Employer Best Practices

JOB DESCRIPTIONS AND EVALUATIONS:

  • If you plan to employ an FWS-eligible student, you must have a written job description of their duties and responsibilities. See the Post a Job and Candidate Selection website information for requirements.

  • Employers are also responsible for establishing an evaluation process for their FWS student employees.

SETTING A REALISTIC WAGE RATE:

RECORD MANAGEMENT:

  • Employers and departments are responsible for maintaining accurate records including written job descriptions, evaluation notes and records, and timekeeping review and approval. 
  • If you will be vacating your role, please ensure this information is available and accessible to others in your department before your departure.

myHR EMPLOYMENT RECORD MAINTENANCE:

myHR administrator permissions are required to perform the following actions. Assistance may also be requested from askHR.

Updating wage funding:

The easiest way to update the salary information for a student is via the myHR > Temp Funding Panel. No need to change job titles, HR Dept IDs, etc.

  • To change the salary from FWS (60122) to Regular Student Wages (60120) for the summer months (6/9/2024 – 9/14/2024), assign a Stop Date on the current row in the myHR > Temp Funding Panel. The Stop Date should correspond to the end of a designated pay period.

  • Add a new row and re-enter the department chartstring, this time entering account code 60120 for Regular Student Wages. The Start Date should correspond to the start of a pay period.

    • The Start Date must be after the Stop Date on the preceding row.

    • You may enter a specific Stop Date or select Indefinite End.

    • See example: A screenshot of a computer

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The account code entered on the row need not match the default account code listed above the Funding Details section where the rows are present. This will allow you to quickly update the salary back to account code 60122 for FWS wages (only if the student is eligible!) starting with the September 15 pay period when FWS wages resume. 

Updating supervisor/timecard approver:

  • In addition to maintaining accurate written employment records and making them available to others in your department, if you will be vacating your role, please ensure the student's employment and timekeeping record is transitioned to the appropriate staff/faculty member before or upon your departure. See the myHR Managing Temporary Employees Guide: Changing a Time Card/Training Approver section. 


Hiring Procedures: New Hires and Returning Students

             

                             (Image: New Hires Employment Flow)                                  (Image: Re-Hires Employment Flow)

  1. Verify with the student that they have been offered and accepted FWS in CAESAR for 2024-25. (See eligibility section above!)

  2. You must review your department chartstring information in myHR > View Valid Chartstring.

    • Ensure the chartstring is open for the duration of time you will employ the student. If not valid in the View Valid Chartstring panel, do not submit a request for processing as it will be rejected by HR Operations.

      • Grant accounts typically need to be renewed or extended. Therefore, the funding for every employee on that grant must be extended as well. See the Managing Temporary Employee Guide for more information. 

    • If the chartstring is not open or has a Stop Funding Date, the student’s wages will hit your suspense account which is not good!

    • Ensure the  Temp Funding account code series (601XX) is open on your chartstring. 

  3. You must review the student's I-9 in the the I-9 Service Center. If the student has not previously worked on campus or if their I-9 is expired, ensure the student has completed Section 1 and 2 of their I-9 in the I-9 Service Center.

  4. You must verify the student's 7-digit numeric EmplID in myHR > Northwestern Job Summary. Note that this is not the same page as the Manage Job page.

    • To find the person, enter their SSN or part of their name.

      • If SSN doesn’t bring up a match, delete it in the search and use just the date of birth and the first letter of their first or last name. 

    • The Job Summary panel shows all employees, regardless of your department security permissions.

    • Duplicate IDs are bad! Use the ID listed on the Job Summary to be confident it matches the person you are hiring!  

  5. Complete the OnBase Temp-Hire Form:

    • Pay attention to the Temp Employee Type question! Your selection assigns the account code in the Funding Detail section.

      • “Student Temp (not Work-Study)” indicates the student’s wages will be paid 100% from your department budget using salary code 60120, Regular Temp Wages. This should be selected if you know the student is not eligible for FWS or does not want to be paid FWS wages, and you are agreeable.

      • “Student Work-Study Temp” should be selected if you wish to pay the student with FWS wages, salary code 60122. Confirm with the student regarding their FWS eligibility status and/or if they want to be paid FWS wages before selecting this option. Note, although the Funding Detail section indicates 100% funding, your department only contributes 25% of the student's wages when paid with FWS salary codes.  

        • If you selected “Student Work-Study Temp” but the individual is not FWS eligible, the Work-Study Program will contact the supervisor to address and correct the issue.

    • Historically, HR DeptIDs ending in -98 were used to identify FWS students, and that is still preferred when submitting the hiring request for student employees.  

    • Make sure to provide the supervisor's correct position number so they aren't assigned to the wrong supervisor in myHR or the Timekeeping systems!

    • Attach the student's Personal Data Form to the OnBase submission. Do not send forms separately to the askHR Service Center!

      • Students must complete a Personal Data Form for each job they will be employed in!

      • State tax W-4 forms can be collected and uploaded to the OnBase form as well, as these cannot be completed in myHR. Note, handwritten signatures – not typed- are required on the State W-4.

It is recommended you take screenshots of your OnBase Form selections in case you notice discrepancies once the employment record is created. 

Once the OnBase form is submitted, allow up to 10 business days for HR and Payroll to create the employment and timekeeping record. You will receive a notification from HR when the employment record has been created.

Once the employment record is activated, students should complete the DCFS Attestation Statement in myHR and other optional forms including the Federal W-4 form, and Paycheck Direct Deposit.

If you have questions on any of the above information, please consult askHR@northwestern.edu. 


Pay Increases 

Merit and longevity increases are at the supervisor's discretion, however, we suggest a $.05 hourly pay increase for each quarter of continuous service.

The pay increase added to the base salary should, ideally, not exceed the salary range of the job's wage group. We recommend that supervisors and students have a one-on-one performance conversation at the end of the academic year with increases in effect for the following year. Alternatively, increases can be tied to the evaluation procedures established by the employer. 

To update the hourly wages in myHR, you must have myHR Administrator access. Please see the Managing Temp Employee Guide for further instructions. Alternatively, you may contact askHR for assistance. 


Evaluation Process

Feedback is important and helps us all grow professionally. In addition to maintaining accurate and detailed job descriptions in your records for each employee, employers must also establish evaluation procedures and schedules to comply with program regulations. Ideally, evaluations should occur at least annually or upon the position's end date. 

Additional Information is outlined on our website: 

undergradaid.northwestern.edu/work-study/employers/conduct-evaluations.html


Student Employment Website

The Work-Study Program website continues to serve as a valuable resource and tool to navigate FWS program policies and regulations, however, the centralized Student Employment website provides general student employment information and features the centralized Student Job Board, clarifies processes and policies, provides tips and best practices, shares resources and referral sources, and provides effective and efficient streamlined information. 


Job Postings

  • For jobs starting before September 1, 2024, please select 2023-2024 the Job Posting Form.

  • Jobs starting on or after September 1, 2024 should be marked for 2024-25 on the Job Posting Form and will be published to the job board on 8/15/24.


Community Engagement Jobs

Does your student employment job involve community engagement initiatives or do your student employees work with public sector, health care, education, or local non-profit organizations? If so, we want to learn more about the position! Please contact us with the job description details so we can broaden our understanding of NU community engagement and outreach efforts! 


FAQ’s

Check out our revamped Employer FAQs list!

Don’t see your question, just ask us!