January 2025

Warm Winter Greetings from the Work-Study Program!

As we embark on another exciting quarter, we want to thank you for your continued partnership in the work-study program. Your support is crucial in providing valuable work experiences to our students who in turn contribute both to your area's and our institution’s overall success. Additionally, work-study students' wages are subsidized by federal funds, which makes them a cost-effective workforce solution.

We hope this newsletter provides useful information and updates to help you easily navigate the winter quarter. If you would like to access previous versions of this newsletter, visit undergradaid.northwestern.edu/work-study/employers/employer-newsletter.html. If you have additional questions after viewing this newsletter or would like to see information on specific topics included in future editions, please see the Contact Us section below. 

Sincerely,

-The FWS Team

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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

  • Friday, January 17 Early Timecard Approval Deadline: Submit your approval in Workforce Timekeeping System for the pay period ending 1/18/25.
  • Monday, January 20, 2025: University closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
  • 1/21/25 – 2/21/25: Student Employee Of the Year (SEOTY) request for nominations – Information coming soon!
  • Friday, March 22, 2025: Winter Quarter Ends (students graduating in Winter must stop employment 1-week prior!)
  • 3/22/25 – 3/31/25 Spring Break Week – Students are permitted to work if they will be enrolled the next quarter.
  • 4/14/25 – 4/18/25: Student Employment Week & SEOTY winners announced.
  • 6/13/25: Last day of FWS funding. No FWS during summer 2025!

Quick Notes

  • Minimum Wage:
    • Evanston's Minimum wage increased to $15.00/hour on 1/1/25. HR has updated all necessary records that did not meet new requirements. Your department will only contribute 25% of the student’s earned wages.
    • Chicago’s minimum wage is still $16.20/hr. as of 7/1/24
  • Eligibility: Students must be currently enrolled (but not studying abroad!) and have FWS in their 2024-25 Financial Aid Notice in CAESAR to maintain their FWS employment eligibility in the winter quarter.
    • Ensure your student is paid correctly by reviewing the myHR Temp Funding Panel. See Best Practices section for more information. Note, myHR Administrator access is required. See Training and Resources section for more information. 
  • Timecard approvals: Ensure students submit their timecards on time to avoid delays in payroll processing.
  • Onboarding & Rehires: If your student employee was abroad in the fall quarter, ensure their employment record is active in myHR before they resume employment! If it was wiped by HR, submit a re-hire request to HR Operations using the OnBase Temp-Hire Form. (If the student's record is still active in myHR, do not submit a new OnBase form to HR! Refer to the appropriate process flow below:)
  • Supervision and Feedback: Supervisors are encouraged to regularly provide guidance and constructive feedback. This ensures students are meeting expectations and gives them the opportunity to grow in their role.
  • Journals: If you need to submit a journal that involves a student's FWS wages, please contact us beforehand to ensure the journal is correct and all appropriate chartstrings are listed. 

Who Does What 

FWS

askHR

Employer/Department

Payroll

nuworkstudy@northwestern.edu

askHR@northwestern.edu

askHR@northwestern.edu

Maintains (in collaboration with NCA & SAIT) 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 such as payroll.

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.) - See Training & Resources Section Below!

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.

Training & Resources for Employers   

  • Are you new to NU FWS or do you need a refresher? Check out the FWS Employer Quick Guide!

  • For technical reference, see the myHR Training Guides or the askHR Help Center website. 

  • To view your student’s employment record details and perform required maintenance updates, ensure you have the appropriate myHR access or identify the person in your unit area who can assist you. This is generally a business administrator. Every area has one. Make sure you are aware of who your in-area contact person is!

    • If you are requesting new myHR access, please use the updated HR Systems Access Request form, which reflects the new training curriculum that must be completed before authorization. Contact myHR-training@northwestern.edu with any questions or issues.

    • Employers are expected to perform routine myHR maintenance on their students' employment records, except when students exhaust their FWS earnings limit.  

Employer Best Practices

  • Ensure you have a written job description on file for each student that can be accessed by others in your department if the need arises. Need help getting started? See the Post a Job and Candidate Selection for help and required elements.
  • Ensure your student’s wage rate adheres to the university’s student wage groups to maintain equity amongst students employed in similar jobs across the university.
  • Review salary information in the myHR Temp Funding Panel to ensure correct payment. Account code 60122 designates FWS wages and the funding match (75%) will be applied on the back end when the paycheck is issued.
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  • HR Department ID Nodes: Historically, HR DeptIDs ending in -98 were used to identify FWS students and that is still preferred. Please review your list of active student employees and update their department node in myHR at your convenience. Thank you. 

 Work-Study Guidelines & Reminders 

  • Eligibility: Students must be offered FWS annually in their annual financial aid notice in CAESAR > Financial Aid > View Financial Aid [choose year], must be enrolled (except for students studying abroad), and must remain in good academic standing. Additional information is listed here.

    • Some employers may have access to the CAESAR screen noted above. If the student was offered FWS this year and accepted FWS information will populate on this screen. To get started, visit CAESAR > NU Financial Aid > View Work Study by Date. Enter the student’s ID or name. On the following screen, enter 2025 for the Aid Year. Click the Retrieve button to access the information.

  • Work Hours: Students should not exceed 20 hours per week during the academic year cumulatively among all positions to ensure academic success and reduce overtime payments. Students may work during academic breaks (winter recess and spring break) provided they will be enrolled during the following quarter. Federal Work-Study is not available during the summer months. 

  • Students may view and keep track of their FWS earnings in CAESAR > Financial Aid > Work-Study Earnings by Date. Amounts are updated after each pay date. Any chargeback/journaled wages will not be included in their totals. This applies to sick and paid leave time (see Fringe Benefits in the next bullet) or if the employer missed submitting a timecard approval by stated deadlines. 

  • Fringe Benefits: FWS prohibits the payment of fringe benefits and wages. If your FWS student employee reports paid sick or paid leave time on their timecard, their wages will be journaled and charged to a central university account, NOT the department, after the pay date. Additional details are outlined in the Paid Leave and Paid Sick Time for Non-Benefits Eligible Staff & Student Employees HR document.

    • When a student exceeds 40 hours per week (which is tracked cumulatively among all positions a student holds) overtime wages are paid at time and a half and are billed back to the employer's chartstring. 

  • Warning Notices: Alerts are sent to student employees and their supervisor(s) when they are within $700 of reaching their FWS earnings limit. Employers may transfer their student employee to regular wages on account code 60120 in the myHR Temp Funding Panel at that time or wait for our follow-up correspondence once the student has reached their earnings limit. Once students exhaust their FWS earnings limit, they must be paid “regular student wages” and the FWS Office will make the appropriate myHR Temp Panel wage source updates.  We will not make any adjustments to their existing job title, HR Dept ID, etc. If your department cannot afford to pay the student this way, you should inform the student of the issue and terminate their employment record in myHR.

    • We will make every effort to increase a student’s FWS earnings limit by adjusting for unmet financial aid need or converting rejected/not accepted Subsidized Direct Loans if the university FWS allocation permits. This is not possible for all students, however.

Payroll & Tax Information

  • Human Resources will release 2024 W2s on or before 1/31/25. Students may consent in their myHR site to receive a digital W2 issued in myHR. Otherwise, a paper W2 will be mailed to the address listed on the student's Personal Data Form submitted at the point of hire. Additional W2 form information is listed on HR’s website.

  • If your student employee has not been paid, ensure all hiring forms have been completed and submitted! HR processes new/rehire requests within 10 business days and the Timekeeping and Payroll records are established within 24 hours of the processing date. Contact askHR@northwestern.edu for additional support. 

  • Suspense account: If your student’s wages were billed to your department suspense account, contact the Business Office to check the open dates on your chart string. You should also check the appointment end date if the student’s appointment has expired.

Student Employment Website

  

The Student Employment website pools information on student employment policies, hiring requirements, and resources together in one centralized place for your convenience.

The employer Job Posting Form and Student Job Board are also accessible from the site. 

For specific FWS policies and information, refer to the Work-Study Program website. 

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?

Help us 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, email us!

Contact Us!

If you have any questions or need assistance at any point during the spring semester, our team is here to help. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to the work-study office at nuworkstudy@northwestern.edu. We are happy to support you and ensure the program runs smoothly.