Implementing a Successful Student Employment Program

1. Implementing a Successful Student Employment Program Presented by: Betty Casale The H. John Heinz III College Carnegie Mellon University PASFAA Conference 2010

2. Successful Student Employment Programs Require: Result in: • Planning • Coordination • Collaboration • Communication • More jobs for students • Satisfied participants • Efficiency • Compliance

3. Review and apply federal regulations • Identify potential collaborators • Identify possible payment sources • Identify potential on-campus jobs/supervisors • Identify potential community service participants • Determine pay rates • Determine number of work hours • Determine award amounts • Organize job description process • Define the FWS process • Consider Summer and periods of non enrollment • Determine FAO processing needs • Determine communication needs • Develop FWS policies and procedures Planning Checklist: PLAN AHEAD!!

4. 34 CFR 673 • 34 CFR 675 Review & Apply Federal Regulations TIP: Use these regulations to outline your institution’s FWS policies and procedures http://www2.ed.gov/programs/fws/legislation.html

5. Financial Aid Office • Career Services/Placement Office • Fiscal/Accounting Offices • Graduate Departments • Student Service Offices, etc. • Public Service Organizations • The Student Identify Potential Collaborators FWS employment is a shared responsibility!

6. Who pays the non federal share? • The school • The hiring organization • Grant funds • Any source except FWS funds • Consider funding non federal share to increase community service opportunities • Many non tangible benefits for schools • Consider 90% federal subsidy for employers who can’t afford to pay • What verification is required? Identify Possible Payment Sources $ $

7. Consider campus jobs that: • Provide student services • Reinforce students’ education/career goals when possible • Provide supportive services to students with disabilities • Examples: • Office Assistant • Teaching Assistant • Research Assistant • Technical Assistant • Tutor • Etc. Identify Potential on Campus Jobs/Supervisors Work with collaborators to indentify job opportunities!

8. Visit current and potential hiring organizations • Build relationships with public service organizations • Participate in public service fairs • Attend job fairs • Consider the Multi-Institutional job location and development program (See 34 CFR 675.34) Identify Potential Community Service Participants An institution may not solicit or accept fees, commissions, contributions, or gifts as a condition for FWS employment, nor permit any organization with which it has an employment agreement to do so. 34 CFR 675.27

9. Must be hourly wage for undergrads • Consider whether hourly or salary for grad students • Must be at least minimum wage • Consider what is reasonable in terms of • the skills needed to perform the job • how much persons with those skills are paid in the local area for doing the same type of job • rates the school would normally pay similar NFWS employees Determine Pay Rates MINIMUM WAGE = $7.25 per hour

10. Consider number of weeks in the award period • Consider what is reasonable part time employment relative to academic requirements • Consider number of potential jobs compared to number of potential awardees Determine Number of Work Hours Other considerations?

11. Considerations include: • Amount of work study allocation • Wage rate • Reasonable number of work hours for students Determine Award Amounts Other factors?

12. Identify categories of jobs • Write standard job descriptions • Make job submission easy for hiring supervisors • Define process for approving non-standard job descriptions Organize Job Description Process Put everything in writing!

13. Write the hiring process • Illustrate with one or more flow charts • Communicate consistently and clearly • Publish the process Define the FWS Process Work study students can help with this!!

14. Splitting Summer awards between award years • Impact on financial aid for next period of enrollment if not enrolled when FWS is earned • Students must be expected to enroll for next period of enrollment if FWS earned while not enrolled. Consider Summer & Periods of Non Enrollment The institution shall determine the amount of earnings from a FWS job to be applied to a student’s cost of attendance (attributed earnings) by subtracting taxes and job related costs from the student’s earnings. 34 CFR 675.25 How is your organization doing this? Systematically Manually

15. Understand that FAO cannot do it all • Determine what tasks do not belong in the FAO & collaborate with others. Examples include: • Job & employer development • Payroll • Billing and accounting, etc. • Consider designating staff member as a FWS “liaison” • Hire students to help • Take steps to ensure that all communication about FWS originates in the FAO Determine FAO Processing Needs AVOID: “…..but they told me in Career Services that I could start working!”

16. Publish as much information as possible • Present to employers/students at every opportunity • Write clearly and accurately • Consider separate communications and FAQs tailored to: • Students • Staff • Faculty • Off-campus organizations, etc. Determine Communication Needs Website Print Brochures Twitter Facebook Texting FAQs Orientation Information Sessions Employer Presentations Others?

17. Outline first using federal regulations as a guide • Include everything applicable to your organization • Organize for easy updating • Annually and • As changes occur • Include: • Sample processing forms • Sample contracts Develop Policies and Procedures Use written policies and procedures to support decisions!

18. Questions & Discussion Contact: Betty Casale Director of Financial Aid The H. John Heinz III College Carnegie Mellon University casale@andrew.cmu.edu 412-268-3289