Student Employment: Practices & Coping Strategies

1. Student Employment:Practices & Coping Strategies Utilizing Resources and Strategies for an Effective Employment Program Gayle Dohrman, Central Washington University Scott L. Elliott, The Evergreen State College

2. Funds Management • Keeping track: CWU MS Excel spreadsheet • TESC Banner HR/FinAid • Planning strategies & scenarios • Experiment with: • Reimbursement rates • Award amounts • Awarding methods

3. Planning for Less Funding: Options • Lower reimbursement rates to stretch funds • Tiered rates to maximize student opportunities • Reduce hours during breaks or summer • Eliminate/reduce full time summer employment • Assess employer match ability – can they still hire with less Work Study support? • Institutional “Work Study” program to fill gap? • Assess value of the experience for students & perhaps not fund certain jobs, considering: • Related to major or career goals? • Student satisfaction with position

4. Making Changes: Regulations vs. Policies • Know program regulations and your school’s policies and the difference between them – crucial when making changes. • Policies are usually, but not always, based on regulations • Obtain buy-in from higher management when making changes • Prepare for “but we’ve always done it that way” • Remember it is a student aid program • No surprises: inform the campus community

5. Over Spending Strategies • Deny unearned WS carry forward to next term or working full time during breaks • Can student keep the job but switch to institutional funds? Ask employers for help • Don’t replace lost student employees • Replace lost students but award fewer hours • Reduce awards of under-earning students • Develop more non Work Study jobs • Consider applying for a grant – check with school library, graduate studies, or development office • Utilize FWS 10% carry forward/carry back

6. Under Spending Strategies • Additional reimbursement if below maximum • Award more students (waiting list, etc.) • Increase awards for high earners • Switch eligible students to Work Study from institutional funding. • Utilize FWS 10% carry forward/carry back • If near year end, can retroactively award eligible students with unmet need who had eligible institutional jobs, If and only if all required elements were in place at the time the hours were worked.

7. SWS: Strategies for Coping • Utilize program differences between SWS & FWS to maximize student opportunity with less funding • Can reimburse below maximum rate • Targeted placements – community service • Funds management – closely monitor • Standardizing FWS & SWS reimbursement rates to stretch funds & position for any available redistribution of SWS • Awarding practices – changes can help

8. CWU Awarding Practice • Problems solved by CWU approach • Advantages for: • Financial Aid Office • Students • Employers • How it works – a blended approach • Most students awarded after they find a job except for some freshmen who receive a modest initial award and then find a job to utilize it • Tools & Forms

9. Problems Solved by CWU Awarding • Excessive over awarding to spend funds • Make awards & hiring forms for students who don’t ever get jobs, then cancel awards • Nag students to pick up forms & use awards • Deny WS to transfer students & late admits • Problems meeting community service % • Payroll catch up when awarded students work without a hiring form • Struggle with funds management & earnings forecasting • Employers can’t hire the student they want

10. Advantages: Financial Aid OfficeCWU Awarding • Funds management easier, over award only15-25% • Accurate earnings estimates help avoid surprises • Sort out earnings type before students work instead of at the end of the year • Community Service: know how much you will spend & encourage students to fill these jobs • Know who will work & how much they will earn • Award after the student is hired & tailor award • Minimize revisions and canceling awards • Can require supervisor training before they hire • More control over type of jobs funded – close off awarding one type & direct students to fill others

11. Advantages: Students CWU Awarding • All eligible students have a chance to get Work Study: • Late applicants, late admits and transfer students • Missed indicating interest on FAFSA • Delayed in verification or other problems • Renewal process - can return to same job • Better career related choices and timing • More control over hours and other aid affected, can award minimal hours • Only receive WS if actually hired, other aid not displaced by unwanted/unusable WS award. • Doesn’t leave them under or over funded in loan.

12. Advantages: EmployersCWU Awarding • Wider applicant pool – can hire any eligible students, not just those who received an award in 1st or 2nd award round • Hire the students they want with the skills they need any time funding is available • Renewal process - can rehire the same student each year • More incentive to develop high skill and community service jobs for qualified students • Can make minimal awards for students who only want to work a few hours per week, such as some reading tutors or lab assistants.

13. CWU Awarding Process • Students apply for financial aid as usual and indicate Work Study interest on the FAFSA or have Freshmen WS Award. • The Work Study Personnel Action Form (WSPAF) with instructions (the “hunting license” for a Work Study job) is mailed to them or included in initial award letter. • Students can directly request WSPAF if did not mark FAFSA • The student finds a job, is hired, returns WSPAF for award

14. CWU Awarding Process con’t • Award code reflects earnings type & reimbursement rate • Award is made, amount is tailored to actual job • Formula: wage x hours/week x # of weeks = Award amount • Request JD, I-9, W-4, etc. if needed before approval • Approved, send notice to student & employer • Placed on payroll or reimbursement authorized and timesheets, etc. sent to off campus employer

15. Tools & Forms CWU Awarding • Work Study Personnel Action Form (WSPAF) & instructions • Funds management spreadsheet

16. TESC Work Study Awarding • Traditional style of awarding based on FAFSA need and priority filing deadline. • Over award then recoup • Less work in the beginning, but more work later • Constantly having to determine awards and cancel and adjust • Not optimal for employer/student job engagement

17. TESC – Evergreen Work Study • We have our own Institutional Work Study award • 4% from tuition (includes Institutional Need Grants) • More flexibility - allows rolling to next AY • Currently only available to WA Residents • Possible to use off campus and summer

18. Doing More With Less - Monitoring • Spreadsheet of awards and expenditures • Student earnings tracking form for employers • Database for tracking off campus reimbursements • Keeping track of earnings • Analyze earnings after each enrollment period to calculate attrition rates and fine-tune earnings estimates to make mid year adjustments.

19. Doing More With Less: Software • MS Access to automate data tasks • FWS Job Location & Development Database • Forms processing • Payroll entry uploads • Reporting • Add-on software programs for hiring forms processing • Job posting software or make your own to save money

20. Washington State Association of Student Employment Administrators • Website: http://www.wsasea.org/ • Only state SE association in US • Education, networking, support opportunities • List serve – Ask colleagues who understand and reply quickly! • Spring Conference 3 days, 2 nights • Fall Town Meeting 1 day • Student Employee of the Year

21. WSASEA • Spring Conference 3 days, 2 nights North Bend – Less than $250 for everything- meals, lodging, conference fee, even includes dues for the next year! • Keynote speaker • Invited speakers on specific topics • I-9 & SS issues • State HECB and Federal Updates • Public / Private Breakout Sessions • Roundtable Discussion / Best Practices • JLD Strategies • Fall Town Meeting 1 day – Free for members • State HECB Update, Roundtable, invited speakers

22. Toolbox: Regulations & Resources • State Work Study • Federal Work Study • Labor Rules • Federal • State • I-9 • Public schools • PERS • Civil Service • Other

23. Understanding SWS Program Rules • Sources of information: • Higher Education Coordinating Board: http://www.hecb.wa.gov/ • SWS Program Manual (printed) • State regulations from which the SWS Program Manual is taken (WAC 250-40): http://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=250-40

24. Understanding FWS Program Rules • Sources of information: • Information for Financial Aid Professionals (IFAP): http://www.ifap.ed.gov/IFAPWebApp/index.jsp • Federal Student Aid Handbook: http://ifap.ed.gov/ifap/byAwardYear.jsp?type=fsahandbook&awardyear=2010-2011 • Federal Register from which the Handbook information on FWS is taken: http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr;sid=577d804718864813e9504e05de9b93c6;rgn=div5;view=text;node=34%3A3.1.3.1.38;idno=34;cc=ecfr

25. Labor Rules: State • Minimum Wage: http://www.dol.gov/whd/minwage/america.htm • Wage and Hour: http://www.lni.wa.gov/WorkplaceRights/Wages/default.asp

26. Labor Rules: Federal • Federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): http://www.dol.gov/whd/flsa/index.htm • Volunteers: • http://www.dol.gov/elaws/esa/flsa/scope/er16.asp Digest of information • http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=48d6ee3b99d3b3a97b1bf189e1757786&rgn=div5&view=text&node=29:3.1.1.1.29&idno=29#29:3.1.1.1.29.2 Actual regulations • Q & A: http://www.dol.gov/elaws/faq/esa/flsa/toc.htm

27. Public Institutions • PERS Regulations: • http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=41.40 Membership • http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=41.40 Overview • Civil Service Rules: • Student employee exemption: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=357-04-040 Student specific info • http://apps.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=357-04-015 Who is not covered

28. I-9 & Other Federal Information • I-9 • http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/m-274.pdf Handbook for Employers • http://www.lawlogix.com/resources/webinars-on-demand Free webinars on issues • http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis Main site for employment, taxation, and immigration issues

29. Questions? Please don’t hesitate to ask! Thank you!

30. Contact Information