Student Employment Manual

General Requirements/Eligibility

In order to be employed throughout the academic year, student employees must have proof of enrollment for at least three (3) credits in an on-going 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 upcoming fall term.

A student position cannot be changed automatically to a staff position and students cannot be moved automatically into a vacant regular staff position.

Students are covered by Worker’s Compensation and liability insurance but are not eligible to participate in the other fringe benefits established for faculty and staff, including unemployment compensation.

Incoming Students

Incoming freshmen/transfer/graduate students who have proof of registration for the upcoming fall term may be hired for employment during the summer term prior to the beginning of the academic year/fall term.

Certificate Programs

Individuals who are enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh in all certificate programs do not qualify for student employment.

Paid Position Limitations

To be eligible for student employment at the University, students cannot hold both a student worker role and any other assignment in another employment category, such as a certificate trainee position or All-Temps assignment.

Graduate Students Registered for Dissertation/Thesis Credits

During the academic year, graduate students primarily registered for dissertation/thesis credits are not eligible for student employment positions outside of their academic department. Dissertation/thesis students are not enrolled in and do not attend actual courses, and preference must be given to students taking at least three (3) credits of actual coursework. Graduate students holding assistantships throughout the academic year may be paid as student employees by their department during the summer term. Individuals not meeting the above mentioned requirement may still work through the University, but will be paid as temporary workers through All-Temps or through Faculty Records.

Students Participating in a Co-op, Internship Program or Experiential Learning Position

Students actively engaged in experiential learning opportunities such as co-op rotations, internships, apprenticeships, clinicals, fellowships, field work, practicums, student teaching, undergraduate research, or study abroad during a given term may be ineligible for Student Employment positions within that same term. We review each situation individually to verify that students are not being paid by the University through multiple channels simultaneously.

Regionals

Student employees may only be hired by departments affiliated with the campus they are currently attending. For example, students enrolled at the Pittsburgh campus may work for Pittsburgh campus departments, and students enrolled at the Greensburg campus may only be hired by Greensburg campus departments.

Non-Pitt Students

Student employment exists to provide University of Pittsburgh students employment opportunities while attending school. As a result, non-Pitt students are ineligible for student employment at Pitt. Applicants that do not qualify for student employment may still be hired as temporary workers through All-Temps.

Students who drop out of school at the University of Pittsburgh are not eligible for student employment and must be terminated immediately. Students may also have work privileges suspended by the University's Student Conduct office, if actions warrant.

Student employment is not able to offer assistance to children of faculty or staff who are not registered students at the University of Pittsburgh

Students who attend the University through the academic year (fall and/or spring terms) as special students (take courses at the University of Pittsburgh but have them transferred back to their own college/university) are eligible for student employment. Students who attend another college/university through the academic year and take courses at the University of Pittsburgh during the summer term only are not eligible for student employment.

Regular Academic Year (Fall and Spring Terms)

Eligible students may work no more than 25 hours per week during the active academic year (fall and spring terms). International students are restricted by their visas to working 20 hours per week, except during summer terms or recess. Student Employment tracks hours worked to ensure compliance.

Summer Term, Winter Recess, Spring Recess

Students may work 40 hours per week during the summer term, and during winter and spring recess, as well as during summer break. Student Employment tracks hours worked to ensure compliance.

Permitted Hours with Multiple University Jobs

Generally, student workers are permitted to have more than one (1) job within the University at the same time granted that all jobs fall under the Student Employment category. This includes work-study positions, insofar as the student has sufficient work-study funds. Students with multiple assignments must still comply with the cumulative 25 hours per week limit during the academic year and 40 hours per week during recess and summer term. It is the student’s responsibility to coordinate their schedules with all supervisors so as to not exceed the hour limit, and failure to do so could result in reduction to one assignment.

Student employees are not permitted to work out of state or out of the country. Remote and Hybrid arrangements (located in PA) may be approved on a case-by-case basis. Please include notes in the comments section when submitting requisitions to expedite processing.

Key Distinctions for Remote and Hybrid Positions:

Equipment –The department will provide University equipment to support student duties and meet safety, security, or accessibility standards as needed.

Work Location/Tax Compliance – Students will reside in Pennsylvania. Out of state and out of country locations are not permitted and may create a tax liability.

Students who have graduated may continue only in their current assignment as a student employee and work for no more than four (4) months after graduation.

Students are not permitted to be hired for new positions post-graduation. The term "new" refers to employment roles that are separate from the student's current assignment. This means that if a student has already been assigned a task or position, they are not eligible to take on a different or additional role after graduation.

Therefore, if a department wishes to continue employing a student after graduation, it must be in the student's existing assignment, and the employment must conclude within the specified time frame:

• April graduates must terminate by August 31;
• August graduates must terminate by December 31;
• December graduates must terminate by April 30.

The department is responsible for initiating the termination on the Employee Record.

Graduated students are subject to all Student Employment policies, except for enrollment requirements. Graduated students are still limited by the weekly hour limitations per semester. If a department wishes to have a graduated student exceed Student Employment hour limitations, they may be hired as temporary workers through All-Temps.

No student may be appointed as a student employee after they have already graduated.

The University of Pittsburgh only hires individuals over the age of 18. Minors who participate in educational programs, such as grant-funded summer academies or academic camps, which have been registered with the Office of Human Resources are not considered employees.

Talent Center is the University's recruiting, hiring, and onboarding system. Talent Center offers students the opportunity to view student employment and work-study positions, upload their résumé, view departmental contact information, and apply to positions online. University departments can post their part-time opportunities (from the convenience of their own office) in which thousands of University of Pittsburgh students can apply. Any University department or off-campus Federal Work Study employer is eligible to use Talent Center to post student positions.

For Students Looking for Positions

All student employment positions, including Federal Work Study positions, are posted in Talent Center located at join.pitt.edu. Students must apply through the dedicated student portal, which uses the student's University login information via Pitt Passport. Find general information on applying for positions through Talent Center.

The Office of Admissions and Financial Aid (OAFA) handles Federal Work Study awards and guidelines. Off-campus Federal Work Study employers can contact OAFA for information on posting positions to Talent Center. For more information about Federal Work Study, visit OAFA's website.

For Hiring Managers

All student hires must be initiated through Talent Center. Hiring managers should refer to the Talent Center Reference Guide for hiring students to learn more about using Talent Center to post available positions.

All student employment positions, including Federal Work Study positions, must be posted in Talent Center for a minimum of three (3) days.

Talent Acquisition provides a variety of free services to hiring leadership, from conducting full-cycle recruitments to assisting in one particular stage of the hiring process. From sourcing candidates to onboarding your new hires, find the Talent Acquisition resources you may need on the Recruiting, Hiring, & Onboarding section on SharePoint (Pitt login required). On this page are helpful tools available to you and your department throughout the hiring process.

Exceptions to the listed guidelines outlined in this manual should be initiated through the Office of Student Employment. Exceptions may be considered, but only with departmental justification and approval by the Office of Student Employment. Applicants that do not qualify for student employment may still be hired as temporary workers through All-Temps, the University's temporary staffing service.

Questions should be directed to the Office of Student Employment by calling 412-624-7000 or by submitting a question or comment.