Student employment

Who is a student employee?
A student employee is an FAU student who works for the University in a temporary capacity and whose primary purpose for being at the University is the achievement of a degree or certification.

Are there student employment eligibility requirements?
Students are eligible for student employment if they meet the following student employment eligibility requirements:

1. Registration status reflects at least half-time status at FAU for the academic semester in which the student will be employed.
2. Student registration record reflects degree-seeking status.
3. Student must be in good academic standing with the University.

What is considered half-time status?
Half-time status for undergraduate students is defined as being registered for 6 credits and half-time status for graduate students is defined as being registered for 5 credits. Student employees are permitted to be registered for less than the required minimum of credits if they are in their graduating semester.

What is considered to be in good academic standing?
Good academic standing for undergraduate students is a 2.0 GPA and a 3.0 GPA for graduate students, and as defined by Florida Atlantic University.

Are student employees taxed?
There are several identifying factors that determines how an individual will be taxed. To learn more about student taxation, please visit the Student Tax Guidelines website. 

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What are the international student employment eligibility requirements?
There are additional requirements that need to be met in order for international students to be able to work on campus. International students MUST be cleared by the International Student Services and MUST have applied for a social security number before they can begin employment. Additional information can be found by visiting the International Student Services webpage. 

• J-1 International Students:  
  • Students must have a valid J-1 DS-2019 issued by FAU, a valid passport and a valid I-94.
  • Student must obtain written approval from their J-1 program sponsor prior to engaging in employment.
  • Student must adhere to all conditions of employment outlined in the approval letter.
    
    
• F-1 International Students:  
  • Students must have a valid I-20 issued by FAU, a valid passport, and a valid I-94.
  • Students must be enrolled in a full course of study at FAU and meet the following criteria: 
    • Fall and Spring Semesters
      • Undergraduate students must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours.
      • Graduate students must be enrolled in a minimum of 9 credit hours. 
    • Final Semester of Study
      • Enroll for a minimum of one course (1-4 credits) of in-person or hybrid instruction with ISS approval.
      • Provide written approval of reduced course load from ISS.
    • Summer Semester
      • New undergraduate F1 students that will be starting their first semester in May must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours in the summer semester. New undergraduate F1 students starting their first semester in June must be enrolled in a minimum of 6 credit hours in the summer semester. 
      • New graduate F1 students that will be starting their first semester in May must be enrolled in a minimum of 6 credit hours in the summer semester. New graduate F1 students starting their first semester in June must be enrolled in a minimum of 3 credit hours in the summer semester. 
      • Current F1 students are not required to enroll in the summer term. Employment eligibility is based on their registration status in the preceding spring semester, and students must show intent to register in the fall semester. 
        
        
• Additional Requirements for F-1 and J-1 International Students:
  • Students may not exceed 20 hours of employment per week (except during official breaks and holidays, including summer, provided that the student is eligible and intends to register for the following semester).
  • If working in more than one department on-campus during the fall and spring semesters, total employment hours may not exceed 20 hours per week.
  • Must be in good academic standing (2.0 GPA for undergraduates and 3.0 GPA for graduates)
  • Must comply with all F-1 and J-1 regulations and maintain valid status.

Review the above conditions carefully. Students and Departments should contact the International Student Services (DP-49, 561-297-3049, or isss@fau.edu ) for further clarification.

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What are the conditions of student employment?
Student employees are considered to be at-will employees and their employment is temporary and incidental to the pursuit of a degree or certification. Those individuals not meeting the definition of a student employee must be processed through the Recruitment Services office.

All student assignments must be entered into Workday prior to the beginning date of each assignment. Students must meet student employment eligibility in order to hold a student employee assignment. 

Are there restrictions on how many hours a student employee is permitted to work?
Total student assignments shall not exceed 20 hours or .5 FTE per week during the fall and spring semesters. However, student employees may exceed the maximum amount of hours with proper written approval. Undergraduate students and graduate students who do not have an assistantship will need to obtain written approval from their academic advisors to work over 20 hours per week.

Graduate students with an assistantship will have to petition the Graduate College for approval by completing and submitting to that office a Form 10: Request to Waive a University Regulation. That form can be obtained here.

International students are not permitted to work over 20 hours per week during the fall and spring semesters under any circumstances.

All student employees are able to work up to 40 hours per week during semester breaks (winter break, spring break, and the period between the spring semester and the summer term, as well as the period between the summer and fall terms) and the summer term. Approval from academic advisors to work over 20 hours per week during semester breaks and the summer term is not required.

*During the summer term, an individual is considered a student employee if the student was enrolled and degree-seeking in the preceding spring semester and is intending to enroll for fall semester classes.

*Any non-international student working 32 hours or more per week during the fall, spring, and summer terms will have FICA (Social Security and Medicare) taxes deducted from their earnings.