1. InsideHR
  2. Staff HR
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  4. Working learners (student workers)

Working learners (student workers)

HR policies and procedures affecting working learners are governed by the Division of Strategic Enrollment Management and Student Services and VCU HR.

VCU hires working learners as wage employees to perform a variety of duties ranging from entry-level service jobs to office support, research, peer coaching, and professional activities. Because the work situations in which the university employs working learners are not standard, hiring departments may set wages within certain parameters.

NOTE: Policies about working learners hired through Federal Work Study are governed by VCU’s Office of Financial Aid policies and graduate assistants and fellows policies are governed by VCU Graduate School policies. Please note, however, that the 1480-hour work restriction as described below does apply to these employee types. For more information, contact VCU’s Federal Work-Study (FWS) Coordinator (see https://finaid.vcu.edu/) or the VCU Graduate School.

  • Working learners must be paid at least minimum wage and may be paid up to $30 an hour. Payment for services rendered must be reasonable and consistently applied, whether the student is in the Federal Work-Study (FWS) Program, or simply hired as a working learner. SEMSS student employment guidelines and standards can be found here. 
  • The hourly rate paid to students must not exceed the hourly rate paid to university staff performing similar work.
  • Working learners must be enrolled at VCU to be FICA exempt (minimum 6 hours undergraduate credits or 4.5 hours of graduate credits).

Hiring working learners does not require a formal search process. VCU departments post vacancies on Handshake; VCU Career Services administers Handshake and assists students in locating suitable employment. Working learners are paid for the hours they work each pay period in accordance with VCU Payroll’s Timekeeping and Payroll Processing Schedule. Some working learners qualify for participation in the Federal Work-Study Program, co-administered by the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships and VCU Career Services to support eligible students and employers (on- and off-campus).

Federal hourly minimum

The federal hourly minimum is $7.25 (under the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007, effective July 24, 2009). VCU's minimum wage for hourly employees — currently $12 per hour under the Virginia Minimum Wage Act — is already above the federal minimum. Pay for working learners participating in the Federal Work-Study Program ranges between $12-$15 per hour. Employers and supervisors may contact workstudy@vcu.edu for consideration of an hourly rate exceeding $15 per hour.  

Tax withholding for working learners in the summer

Working learners are not allowed exemptions from paying FICA/Medicare withholding tax if the following conditions apply:

  • They enroll in classes less than half-time (6 undergraduate credit hours; 4.5 graduate credit hours).
  • During the summer, if they attend classes in fewer than eight of the 12 weeks noted in the academic calendar as summer sessions.
  • They have more than a five-week break between classes.

IRS regulations stipulate that all students and graduate assistants must be enrolled at the institution at which they are working to be eligible for the FICA exemption.  For students who work at VCU, Banner will automatically calculate FICA withholdings based on the student's enrollment status during each pay period. When students are not taking classes, FICA will be withheld. 

Information for summer workers

If a graduating working learner is no longer working for VCU, submit a TERME ePAF. If they continue to work, complete a HRCHG ePAF to move them into an hourly position. Use the change reason X2X.

Work Study positions end each year on May 9th. HRIS will terminate all work study positions with a 05/09 end date, regardless of whether the student continues to work over the summer. If they are not working over the summer no action is needed. If they are working in your area over the summer submit a SWCHG ePAF to move them into a "student worker" position type.  

Working learners DO NOT need to be moved to hourly position numbers over the summer. They can continue to work in the student worker position, unless they are graduating and will no longer be students at VCU.