Student Employment FAQs

Domestic and international students, both undergraduate and graduate, may work on-campus through the Office of Student Employment. In order to be employed throughout the academic year, student employees must have proof of enrollment for at least three (3) credits in an ongoing course of study/program at the University of Pittsburgh, such as a validated invoice or term certification. There is no credit requirement during the summer term, provided the student meets the enrollment qualification in the spring term or the upcoming fall term.

International students must maintain their status with their F-1 or J-1 visa.

Students who are attending less than three (3) credits, have withdrawn, have taken a leave of absence, or are studying abroad are not eligible to work through student employment.

All on-campus positions are posted on Talent Center, the University's online employment system.

You may review and apply to available positions via Talent Center. You may register for an account to aid in the process. Employment is available on the Pittsburgh campus, as well as at all of the regional campuses. For more information, please visit the Students page.

Off-campus job postings are not listed in Talent Center. For more information about off-campus jobs, please visit the Career Center website.

During the academic year (fall and spring terms), students are allowed to work a maximum of 25 hours per week, except for International Students who are limited by their visa requirements to 20 hours per week. During breaks and the summer term, students may work a maximum of 40 hours per week. Students who are absent due to illness, holidays, or other reasons are not paid or given credit for their time missed. Students are not paid for time taken for meals.

During certain times of the year, departments may request that students work beyond the normal student employee hourly limits. Departments should contact the Office of Student Employment for permission to have their student worker(s) exceed weekly working limits.

No. Student Employees do not receive time and a half for hours worked on or over a holiday or recess. Students will be paid out for any time submitted at their usual rate.

Student workers do not receive sick time. Student employees who are absent due to illness, holidays, or other reasons do not receive pay or credit for time not worked.

The transition to working up to 40 hours per week is permitted on the official end date of the academic term or the start of a break. Should this date occur mid-week, students are authorized to begin working increased hours only after their classes for that specific day have concluded. Consult the Academic Calendar for official term dates.

Students are paid biweekly. Visit the Payroll Department's website to view the biweekly pay schedule.

Each department will determine the hourly pay rate for their student workers. The University's minimum wage is $10.00 per hour for student workers.

Paychecks are direct deposited to a checking or savings bank account specified by the student. Students sign up for direct deposit as part of their onboarding process once they have accepted a position.

Being a student does not exempt you from paying taxes. Student earnings are subject to both federal and state income taxes. For more information about taxes, please contact the Payroll Department.

The Office of Student Employment is part of the Office of Human Resources and is located on the first floor of Craig Hall. Questions can be directed to OSE by calling 412-624-7000 or submitting a question or inquiry.

Once candidates pass due diligence screening and the offer is extended by Student Employment, the department contact will receive a task in Talent Center to “Confirm the Verbal Offer.”

Pitt Worx Hub - Confirming the Verbal Offer

Upon completion of this step, the actual eOffer will be launched to the candidate. The candidate will need to accept the offer which will then initiate a series of onboarding tasks, depending on hire type.

Pitt Worx Hub - Onboarding Process

Unless a student has been previously approved, remote work is not permitted. Similarly, remote I-9 forms will only be processed when they're essential for ensuring workers are hired in a timely manner.

Once the student employee fully completes all of the required onboarding paperwork, and their start date has arrived. If the position requires Child Protection Clearances or a background check, the results must be received and cleared prior to beginning work.

You will receive an automated “onboarding completion” email from Talent Center confirming the process has been finalized. You can also monitor your students’ progress on Onboarding (Transitions). Please check in with the Office of Student Employment to confirm if you are unsure.

To ensure compliance and accurate employee records, students should never work prior to completing onboarding. In the event this has occurred, please submit an inquiry with the Office of Human Resources to correct the start date to reflect the first day of actual work.

Students must fill out a timecard for hours that they have worked. If they did not work within the week, they do not have to submit a timecard.

Student employees may work multiple assignments, however, they are still limited to 25 hours per week across all assignments.

Please refer to this resource guide: Submitting a Time Card - Students

It is likely that the applicant has not fully completed the onboarding process. Please submit an inquiry with the Office of Human Resources for assistance.

If your student has multiple assignments and you are the subsequent department, you will not have access to the student’s full Pitt Worx record. You will still be able to approve their timecards.

Once an offer is officially extended, it is sent to the email listed on the student’s candidate profile in Talent Center. Students should check their spam folder in the event the offer was routed there.

Alternatively, the student can access their eOffer by logging into join.pitt.edu and navigating to their “Tasks” tab.

The Federal Work Study (FWS) Program is a federally funded financial aid program administered by the University of Pittsburgh and is designed to assist students in meeting the cost of higher education by promoting access to meaningful work experiences. Work study does not mean you get paid to study, but rather work in real jobs and earn money to assist in covering educational expenses. The amount you can earn is listed as part of your financial aid package.

Federal Work Study is awarded to students based on demonstrated financial aid and is limited by availability of funds from the Department of Education. Students may work on campus or at local and eligible non-profit organizations located in Pittsburgh. Visit the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid website for more information on eligibility, required hours, pay rates, and guidelines.

No, the University does not place students in jobs and no job at the University is guaranteed. It is up to the student to conduct a job search, apply for jobs, interview, and be hired. Although Pitt is an "at will" employer (meaning any position can be terminated with or without cause at any time), our employers strive to retain students who prove they are skilled, hard-working, and dedicated workers.

No, FWS is an opportunity for students to work in order to earn money to pay for college expenses, as well as to gain valuable employment experience. It is one component of a financial aid package that may be comprised of loans, scholarships or grants, or work awards.

Work study earnings are considered taxable income. Being on work study does not exempt the student from paying taxes.

The Office of Financial Aid has a system in place to check a student’s FWS when they are close to depleting it. If the student has further need and availability in their Financial Aid Package, an increase to their award may be made. If the authorized FWS award amount is exceeded, the department or organization hiring the student is responsible for the amount that exceeds the award. Inactivation of a FWS student will occur when the student has earned 90% of their award. If you are employed in an on-campus position, you will automatically be converted to a student worker unless your supervisor makes different arrangements with the Office of Student Employment.

Nothing; you will not be penalized for not earning all of your award. You will, however, forfeit the remainder of the award.

While some departments can hire only students who have FWS, many others are able to hire students who do not have FWS. Talent Center, the University's online employment system, will list the specific requirements for each opportunity posted. You must have a valid social security number to seek employment on campus.

Health services are available to students through the Student Health Services center on campus. Health coverage is also available to all eligible students, including Medical, Dental, and Vision annually. More information on coverage options and summary guides can be found on the Student section.

Enrolling in student Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage is simple. Enrollment in coverage is handled through an online service provided by BenefitSolver.

Student coverage does not automatically continue each academic year. Re-enrollment is required every fall to maintain active coverage. All coverage ends Aug. 31 without re-enrollment. Graduate students with academic appointments, Fellows and Certificate Trainees (as defined in University Policy) may have different coverage ending dates depending on their appointment ending dates or graduation date. Please refer to the “Important Dates for Graduate Students with Academic Appointments, Fellows, and Certificate Trainees" (as defined in University Policy) table on the Enrolling in Student Health Coverage page. 

A life event is an IRS qualified event that allows you to make a change in your enrollment elections during the plan year. Below you will find the University’s recognized life events for students. In order to make a change to your coverage selections, you will need to submit a life event through BenefitSolver, the student health insurance portal.

For instructions on how to submit a life event, please visit the Changing Your Student Health Insurance page.

Yes, visa status and treaty agreements stipulate employment eligibility for international students. Most students with F-1 and J-1 visa status are eligible to work on-campus up to 20 hours per week while classes are in session.

Yes, international students are subject to both state and federal income taxes. However, some students may be eligible to exempt a portion of their earnings from taxes if their country has a tax treaty with the United States.

No, FWS is only available to U.S. citizens and permanent residents who have applied for financial aid and have been accepted into the FWS program.

The Office of International Services (OIS) offers services to international students of the Pitt community including employment assistance, health coverage information, and immigration-related services. Please visit their website for a complete list of resources.