Welcome Work Study Students

The Financial Aid Office is responsible for administering Yakima Valley Community College’s on-campus and off-campus Work Study programs.

Supervisors and student employees are encouraged to be aware of their responsibilities and to be active agents in making the employment experience a positive one.

Work Study Basics

• Students must be enrolled and attending classes at YVCC.
• Students are paid once a month on the last working day of the month.
• Students may work an maximum of 16 hours per week.
• Students earn approximately $8.50 / hour.
• Student’s earnings may not exceed their Work Study Award.

Goal of Student Employment

• Provides employment opportunities for eligible students to help finance their college education.
• Provides opportunities to gain on-the-job training and work experience while attending school.
• Provides experience with interviewing, hiring, training, supervising, evaluating work performance and attitudes, relations with the public and other staff members, expected work habits, job satisfactions and dissatisfactions, and terminations.

Types of Student Employment Programs

Federal Work Study – Federally subsidized employment program. Earnings may not exceed more than students award.

State Work Study – funded by the State Legislature and administered by the Higher Education Coordinating Board. Earnings may not exceed more than students award.

Other Student Employment Programs

Work Aid – funded through the college budget to individual departments.

Special Accounts – departments use their own budgeted funds to pay student employees.

How to Calculate Number of Hours Per Week/Quarter

• $1200 Quarterly Award
• $1200 ÷ $8.50 (hourly wage) = approx. 141 hours/qtr
• 141 hours ÷ 10 (# of weeks in qtr) = 14 hours/wk average.

Policies and Procedures

• Report to work on time.
• Keep an accurate tally of hours worked and fill out time sheets properly.
• If you terminate your position, be sure that your supervisor is informed and report to the Financial Aid Office.
• Ask questions and listen carefully when given instructions.
• Good working relationships are the key to success.

Work Performance Evaluations

Unsatisfactory performance by the student may be reasonable cause for termination, including:

• Repeated absences.
• Unsatisfactory completion of work assignments.
• Falsifying or altering college records or grades.
• Theft.

Monitoring Your Work Study

• You and your supervisor are required to monitor earnings and hours worked each month.
• Students are strongly encouraged to work their “average weekly hours” indicated on the Student Employee Referral Form.
• Students who are suspended or cancelled from financial aid may no longer continue their student employment.

Working Winter and Spring Breaks

• Our expectation is for students to take time off from work during breaks.
• If you have funding remaining at the end of fall or winter quarters you may work during break periods.
• You may not exceed your quarterly award.

Working Summer Break

• Students may work during summer, but they must be awarded through financial aid specifically for Summer Quarter.
• Students must have a complete financial aid file and have met our priority deadline date.
• Students must be enrolled for fall quarter.
• Award may not be exceeded.

On-Campus Time Sheets and Paychecks

• Students must have a completed student employment packet on file in the Financial Aid Office.
• Time sheets are due to your supervisor on the 16th of every month.
• Time sheets must be filled out in ink.
• Submit your signed time sheet to your supervisor. Supervisors must initial all alterations.
• Photo ID is required to pick up your paycheck. Pay checks may be picked up at the Cashier’s Office located in the Deccio Building.
• Late time sheets will be processed the following month for the next payroll period.

Referral Process

• To be referred to a position a referral form (SERASE) must be completed.
• Student contacts the supervisor to schedule an interview.
• If you are hired, the supervisor will check the “hired” box on the SERASE. Student returns the SERASE to the Financial Aid Office as soon as possible, along with the completed student employment packet.
• If you are not hired, you need to return to the Financial Aid Office and choose another position.