What the Federal Work-Study priority date is and how it applies to your situation

1. Fall semester The steps and rules for hiring student employees are slightly different in the fall.This tutorial will guide you through those differences. In this lesson you will learn: What the Federal Work-Study priority date is and how it applies to your situation How to determine Federal Work-Study eligibility How to process student employees returning from the previous semester Times when the FWS priority date may be waived

2. Fall semester What the Federal Work-Study priority date is and how it applies to your situation There are two kinds of aid: Federal Work-Study and University Work-Study. Federal Work-Study is based on financial aid need and is partially funded by the federal government. University Work-Study is not based on need and is funded by the university. The university policies require that need-based FWS funded students get the first chance at work-study jobs available. Because these students have a demonstrated need, the university gives these students priority in finding on-campus employment. It is for this reason the Federal Work-Study priority date was created. The priority date applies only in the fall semester; it is usually three weeks into the semester. The exact date will be announced in the spring semester via e-mail or on the student employment website so that you may plan your hiring accordingly. Until the priority date passes, only FWS eligible students may be hired for work-study positions. During this time it is recommended that you only interview those students eligible for FWS (check RJASEAR). • How does this apply to me? • If you are hiring a new student employee for the fall semester, you may only hire FWS eligible students until the priority date passes (see student employment website since date changes year-to-year). • If you are considering hiring an international student, you must wait until the priority date passes. International students are not eligible for FWS and must be paid through University Work Study (UWS) funds. • If a student has questions about work-study eligibility, please refer the student to a Financial Aid Counselor and not to your contact person in the Student Financial Aid Office. • Student must have a cumulative GPA of 2.00 to be eligible for UWS.

3. Determine your department’s needs and budget. Step 1 Step 2 “Post” your job opening. Fall semester The basic steps for hiring a student employee are as follows: The difference in the Fall is that before the priority date has passed, you should check for FWS eligibility on RJASEAR in Banner before conducting interviews. It is recommended that you only interview FWS eligible students before the priority date has passed. Research eligibility of applicants in Banner Step 3 Step 4 Conduct Interviews Select the student you want to hire & submit a “Student worker request.” Step 5 Check for work approval using the Banner system. Step 6 Step 7 Make sure the student completes, or has completed, an I-9 form and a W-4 form. Step 8 “Close” the job opening. Notify applicants not selected of hiring decision.

4. Fall semester How to determine Federal Work-Study eligibility Determining FWS eligibility is simple and can be done through Banner on RJASEAR. You will need to check two fields: “fund” and “status.” They are both in the Awards block. • Log into Banner using your Username and password. • Enter “RJASEAR” into the “Go” field and hit “enter.” • Enter the aid year and the student’s ID number into the “Key” block or click the “Next Block” icon twice. • Locate the “Fund” field. • The “Fund” field will indicate FWS eligibility. • There are three possible values for the “fund” field. • FWS (or TCWS) - means student is eligible for Federal Work-Study (or funding from the state, Texas College Work-Study) and you may hire them before the priority date passes. • SFWS – Summer Federal Work-Study • Blank- means student is not eligible for Federal Work-Study and you must wait to hire him/her until after the FWS priority date has passed.

5. Fall semester How to determine Federal Work-Study eligibility • Values in the status field indicate the student is eligible for hire on or before the priority date: • OFRD- student has been offered FWS and needs to accept or reject the award. • ACPS or A- FWS award has been accepted. Student is eligible for hire. • Values in the status field indicate the student should contact SFA before you hire him/her, on or before the priority date if: • RJCT or R- award has been rejected. Student should contact SFA before being hired to have the award reinstated. • CNCL or C-FWS- award has been cancelled. Student is may be eligible for University Work-Study but the dept hiring the student should contact the SFA to confirm eligibility.

6. Fall semester How to determine Federal Work-Study eligibility FWS in the fund field + OFRD, O, ACPS, or A in the status field = You may hire the student without waiting for the priority date to pass. **Please note that if the status is OFRD or O, then the student needs to go on-line to BearWeb and accept the work-study award before starting to work. RJCT or R means student is NOT eligible to work.

7. Fall semester How to process student employees returning from the previous semester (either spring or summer) • Returning student employees are not allowed to work until their approval (job) appears in Banner on RJASEAR. • If approval does not appear by his/her first fall class day, please have your student employee contact a Financial Aid Counselor to determine eligibility. The supervisor can also check the Web Time Entry (WTE) for the on-line time card. If it appears, then the student is approved to start working. • The I-9 and W-4 will in most cases remain valid for the duration of employment at Baylor University. However, you should be in the habit of checking the status of the I-9 on file, in case it has expired or has not yet been completed. • The FWS priority date does not apply to UWS student employees returning to work in the same position they held the previous academic year.

8. Fall semester Times when the FWS priority date may be waived • There may be times when the FWS priority date may be waived. Here are some examples: • If the job requires special hours that not many students are able to work, in some cases you may hire a student that is not eligible for FWS before the priority date has passed. • If the job requires the use of special software programs that a select number of students have experience working with, in some cases you may hire a student that is not eligible for FWS before the priority date has passed.

9. Fall semester Review Question • The FWS priority date applies in which semester? • Spring • Summer I & II • Fall • All semesters

10. Fall semester Review Question • The FWS priority date applies in which semester? • Spring • Summer I & II • Fall • All semesters Answer The correct answer is C. The FWS priority date only applies in the fall semester. Until the priority date passes, you may only hire FWS eligible students.

11. Fall semester Review Question • What field on the RJASEAR form do I look for to determine if a student receives FWS? • Status field • Fund field • Football field • Both A & B

12. Fall semester Review Question • What field on the RJASEAR form do I look for to determine if a student receives FWS? • Status field • Fund field • Football field • Both A & B Answer The correct answer is B. If a student has received FWS funds, it will be noted in the Awards Block in the “Fund” field and indicated by the letters “FWS.”

13. Fall semester Review Question True or false? I have a student employee who is returning to work for me in the fall, but that student receives University Work Study funds. I have to wait for the priority date to pass before she can work.

14. Fall semester Review Question True or false? I have a student employee who is returning to work for me in the fall, but that student receives University Work Study funds. I have to wait for the priority date to pass before she can work. Answer False. You do not have to wait for the priority date to pass before the student can work. Because the student worked for you the previous semester, the priority date does not apply in this situation. However, you still need to check for work approval through Banner.

15. Fall semester End of Section. Click to return to the main menu.