Memorandum #103A Procedures and Wage Rate for Employment of Students on a Part-time Basis

Revised: June 23, 2023
Original Date of Issue: August 21, 1972
Prior Revisions:
Reissued: 84A - April 30, 1974
84B - July 20, 1978
84C - November 17, 1980
84D - May 17, 1990
103 - September 1, 1997
103A - July 16, 2001
103A - January 13, 2010
Policyholder: Director of Financial Aid
Approved by: Board of Trustees

Effective immediately, this procedure applies to all Community College of Philadelphia students who are employed on a part-time basis at the College.

Responsibilities of Financial Aid Office

All part-time student employees, whether paid out of Federal College Work-Study Program funds or general funds of the College included in office budgets, must be processed through the Financial Aid Office.

Enrollment Requirements for FSW students

In general, a student must be enrolled at least half-time (6 credits) to be employed in a Federal Work-Study (FWS) position at Community College of Philadelphia. A student may be employed under FWS during a period of nonattendance, such as a summer term or an equivalent vacation period. 

Numbers of Hours Which Students May Work

During the regular semesters, students may not work more than twenty (20) hours per week. For students working in more than one department or who have various assignments, the combined hours of all assignments in any given week may not exceed twenty (20) hours. When classes are in session for only part of the week, the twenty-hour limit applies to the entire week. Furthermore, the total number of hours worked can never exceed the work-study authorized amount on the authorization form.

Federal work-study funding can only be earned during the federal fiscal year (July 1 to June 30).

Authorizations are for FWS students are issued for the academic year and also for the summer. Therefore, students must request a new authorization at the beginning of these periods. Students are not allowed to work outside the authorized period of time noted on the Work-Study Authorization Form. Students' authorized hours will vary depending on their enrollment status.

Procedures to be Followed by Students Seeking Employment

Federal Work-Study Program (FWS)

All FWS awards are subject to the availability of funds and may be reduced or canceled at any time.  To establish eligibility for FWS employment, a student must first apply for financial aid in accordance with the procedures outlined in the College Catalog.

Students will be notified by the Financial Aid Office of their Federal Work-Study eligibility. Students should report to the Financial Aid Office after they have been awarded work-study to:

• Complete an I-9 Form for Employment Eligibility Verification with appropriate required documentation (e.g. Driver’s License and Social Security Card or unexpired U.S. Passport, etc.)
• Complete a Form W-4 Employee Withholding Allowance Certificate
• Obtain the Work-Study Authorization Form and other supplemental information

Additional details about job placement are available through the Federal Work-Study Coordinator in the Financial Aid Office and online.

No student should be permitted to begin working before the signed authorization forms have been returned to the Financial Aid Office. The only office that can authorize a student to work is the Financial Aid Office. Additionally, all required employment forms listed above must be received and verified by the Office of Human Resources prior to a student starting their work-study assignments. If eligibility to work in the United States cannot be verified, the offer of a work-study assignment will be rescinded.

Student timesheets are approved through Kronos by the student’s supervisor.

Regular Payroll Students

Federal regulations involving financial aid eligibility require that regular payroll earnings at the College be taken into consideration in the determination of financial need the following year. Therefore, all regular payroll authorizations for students must originate in the Financial Aid Office.

A department seeking to place a student on its regular payroll will send the student to the Financial Aid Office to obtain an authorization form. The department referring must ensure that it has regular payroll money in its budget to cover all such wages.

Depending on what financial aid, if any, the student is receiving, the Financial Aid Office will make one of the following determinations:

• The student will be hired on regular payroll. In this case, the student will be given an authorization form to be signed by the supervisor. This authorization will be valid for either the duration of the academic year or the summer.
• The student is eligible for FWS. In this case, the student will be placed on FWS payroll instead of regular payroll.

Authorizations signed by the appropriate supervisor should be returned to the Financial Aid Office. No student is to begin working until the signed authorization form has been returned to the Financial Aid Office from the supervisor to whom the student will report.

Non-FWS students also must complete an I-9 Form for Employment Eligibility Verification with appropriate required documentation (e.g. Driver’s License and Social Security Card or unexpired U.S. Passport, etc.); and Complete a Form W-4 Employee Withholding Allowance Certificate.

Worker's Compensation

Should a student be injured while performing authorized work duties, the supervisor should immediately contact the Benefits Office in Human Resources to evaluate eligibility for worker’s compensation benefits.

Wage Rate

Effective July 1, 2023, the wage rate for all student employees shall be set at a minimum of $15.00 per hour. An increase or exception to the standard wage rate may be granted by the College President or his/her/their designee. The minimum wage rate for students may be adjusted by the Board of Trustees from time to time and shall comply with all federal, state, and local laws.