Hiring students to work on campus is a wonderful opportunity that benefits the entire university community. For the institution, student employees bring a fresh perspective and a unique energy that helps our services stay relevant and connected to the student body. For the students themselves, these roles offer much more than just a way to earn money; they provide a supportive environment to practice professional skills like teamwork, problem-solving, and communication. By employing our own students, we help them feel more connected to the university, which leads to higher success rates and prepares them for their future careers.
Which Students Can I Hire?
All students are eligible for campus jobs if they meet these minimum credits:
Minimum Credits Required to Hold a Student Job
| STUDENT STATUS: FALL AND SPRING | Regular | Work Study |
|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate | 6 | 6 |
| Graduate | 3 | 3 |
| Non-degree | 6 | N/A |
| International Undergraduate | 12 | N/A |
| International Graduate | 6 | N/A |
| International Non-degree | 12 | N/A |
| STUDENT STATUS: SUMMER SESSION | Regular | Work Study |
|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate | 0* | 6 |
| Graduate | 0* | 3 |
| Non-degree | 6 | N/A |
| International Undergraduate | 0* | N/A |
| International Graduate | 0* | N/A |
| International Non-degree | 12 | N/A |
*As a reminder, students who worked on campus during spring semester and intend to register for fall semester do not need to register for summer to hold a student employment position.
Hiring Graduate Students
Coordinate with your HR lead to fully understand—and accurately communicate—the correct term dates for the graduate assistant position you wish to hire for.
If you are hiring graduate students into a student position, consider how many hours they will be working. If they routinely work more than 14 hours a week or more than 67 days in a calendar year, they must be hired into the equivalent labor-represented classification (the classification is based on the type of work performed) and paid at the appropriate labor-represented pay rate.
For more help on this subject, refer to the Hiring a Graduate Student Into a Student Position policy.
How do I hire a student?
As of February 5, 2026, New positions must be approved through the University hiring protocol. Please reach out to your HR lead to see if the proposed position is affected. If you are in a unit that has undergone PEAK, please make sure to attach the approval email from [email protected] when submitting a TDX ticket to post a position or hire an employee.
To recruit a student for a campus job, follow the steps below. If you have any questions about the hiring process, contact your unit’s HR lead.
The student hiring process
- Take some time to evaluate the job duties of the position and the needs of your unit.
- Determine the hourly rate for the position. The minimum hourly rate is $15.25 an hour, but departments have discretion over pay rates. Hiring managers assign pay rates after considering the nature of the job duties, the student’s experience, progress toward degree (if applicable), quality of the student’s performance, academic excellence, or other factors.
- Undergraduate students should receive an increase in pay if they continue in the same position next year.
- Create a position description and organizational chart. You can use the Effective Job Postings for Student Positions HRMS page as a guide for your job description. Add the new student position to your unit’s organizational chart to show how the position fits in your department’s structure. As you create the position, you should also decide how the job should be classified (see the chart in the Deciding Student Job Classifications section below).
- Create a job opening online. Log in to the online employment system to create the job opening. In creating your requisition, be sure to include working titles and position management numbers. These are key components to Recruiting Solutions. Route the completed job opening within your department to get approval. All requisitions will be reviewed and approved by the Office of Human Resources (OHR) before any advertising, interviews, or employment offers begin.
- For help using the system, see the Managing Applicants HRMS page. If you don’t have access to the online system, please work with your unit’s HR professional.
- Review the posting and recruit candidates. The Job Center will post the position after reviewing it. You will receive confirmation of the job posting and the requisition number via automated email. Log in to the employment system to make sure the information is correct. If you need your posting changed, reach out to the OHR Contact Center at [email protected] or 612-624-8647. Students will apply using the online employment system. Student positions are generally posted for two weeks but may be re-posted if an adequate applicant pool is not found.
- Screen and select candidates. Once you have reviewed the applications in the system, contact potential candidates and ask the following questions:
- Are you a registered UMN student?
- Do you meet the credit requirements to hold a student position?
- Do you have work study? (if required for the position)
- When are you available to work?
- When you have an adequate pool of candidates, email [email protected] to take down your online job posting. If you intend to conduct interviews, be sure to tell students what materials, if any, they should bring.
- Interview candidates. You may conduct interviews over the phone or in person. You do not have to interview every applicant. Be sure to explain the specific duties and scheduling requirements of the job.
- Once you have identified the student you want to hire, you may check business and/or personal references. By law, you must request a formal background check if a student worker will be:
- Handling cash or credit cards
- Driving University vehicles
- Working with vulnerable adults
- Having access to dorm facilities
- Having unescorted access to radioactive materials
See the University’s Background Checks and Verifications policy for more information.
- Offer the job once you have verified that the student is enrolled with the required number of credits. Be sure to ask if the student has a work-study award. Also, make sure the student knows to bring their I-9 documentation on their first day of work (originals, not copies). See the Hiring Template Letters page to create the offer letter.
- Close the hiring process. Once the student accepts, please contact Staffing Operations to update the position to "filled." Then begin the process of entering the student in the HRMS payroll system (PeopleSoft).
- If you are on either the Twin Cities and Rochester campuses and hire a student with work-study funds, work with Staffing Operations to properly allocate funds. For Duluth, Morris, and Crookston campuses,If you are on the Twin Cities or Rochester campuses and hire a student using work‑study funds, coordinate with Staffing Operations to ensure the funds are allocated correctly. For questions about this, contact the Student Employment Office ([email protected]).
- Once a student is hired, you should also monitor the Student Registration Report (UMPYR037-Dept. Student Not Registered, available in EDMS for those with payroll functions) to make sure the student remains eligible for student employment, and the Work-Study Reports (available in UM Reports, subcategory Work-Study-Employed Students with Unused Work-Study Awards) to determine if the student has used their work-study award in full. (Contact your HR lead if you need help accessing either report.)
- Provide orientation and training. See Supervising Students section below.
- Provide continuing feedback. See Evaluating Students section below.
Deciding student job classifications
Before you create the online job posting, determine the position’s job classification and title. We strongly encourage using working titles for student workers as an important way to differentiate the type of work they perform.
In the chart below, find the primary work responsibilities in the right-hand column that most closely match the position’s main focus or most important job responsibilities. Assign the corresponding job classification in the left-hand column.
Job Classification | Primary Work Responsibilities |
|---|---|
Student Academic Support Job Code 2221
| Teaching responsibilities:
Teaching assistant responsibilities:
Research assistant responsibilities:
|
Student Administrative/Support Services Job Code 2222 |
|
Student Food Service/Labor/Security Job Code 2223 |
|
Student Health Support Services Job Code 2224 |
|
Student Recreation/Fitness/Wellness Job Code 2225 |
(Positions may require standard medical assistance training: first aid, blood-borne pathogens, and CPR. Training will be provided as needed.) |
Student Tech Support Services Job Code 2226 |
|
More information on student employment classifications may be found at the Office of Human Resources Job Families and Salary Ranges webpage.
When will students be available for work?
Some students may not be eligible to work before or after certain dates because of their registration status. See the chart in on the Undergraduate Student Job Guidance webpage.
- If a student is not enrolled with the minimum number of credits in the previous term, but they do have credits now, the chart shows the first date they can work in the Employment Begin Date column.
- If a student is not enrolled with the minimum number of credits for the upcoming term, the charts shows the date employment must end in the Termination Date column.
- Students who worked on campus during spring semester and intend to register for fall semester do not need to register for summer.
Navigating work study
Work study is a state- and federally funded program that supports part-time employment for students who need help to meet the costs of attending college. The work-study program is part of a financial aid package for eligible students. Work-study funding will provide 70% reimbursement of a student’s hourly pay rate. Departmental funds provide the other 30%.
How to Use Work-Study Funds When Hiring a Student Worker
- Verify any work-study award with the student. You may request a copy of the Financial Aid Award Notification (FAAN) from the student. Ask for permission to use the student’s work-study award and have the student acknowledge that permission is granted.
- Enter payroll information into PeopleSoft. Colleges and administrative units are responsible for maintaining source documents with approvals for data entered into the system.
- Place the student’s work study in the PeopleSoft Work Study Placement panel. For work study split requests, please submit a Modify Appointment TDX request.
- Make sure that student workers using work study report time in PeopleSoft Time and Absence regardless of fixed percentage or flexible hourly appointments.
Graduate Academic Work-Study Employment
If you are recruiting students with work study for graduate assistant appointments, follow the policies and procedures outlined by Graduate Assistant Services.
You may request a copy of the Financial Aid Award Notification (FAAN) from the graduate student applicant. Discuss the terms of employment with the student. For your records, obtain a signed statement from the student stating the amount of the work-study award the student is designating to the department. After the hiring decision has been made, departments are responsible for placing the student's work study with the appropriate combo code and correct HRMS job record.