STUDENT HIRE GUIDELINES:
- Hire must be requested at least 2 weeks prior to their start date.
- This ensures proper time to process the hire and obtain all required documentation and approvals.
- A student cannot work with you/for you prior to or after their start and end dates.
- Allowing a student to work prior to or after their start and end date is a Department of Labor violation. The university will be fined, and the college would be responsible for any fines associated with the violation.
- A student cannot work for you unless their hire is officially approved within the University of South Carolina HR system (notification will be sent to you).
- University HR is no longer approving hires in the system until all HR paperwork is completed (i.e. I9 paperwork).
- Undergraduate students cannot be salaried workers. They must be hired as hourly workers.
- We are unable to pay students in lump sums at specific times.
- After a student is hired officially within the University HR system it takes one month for them to receive their first paycheck because they are hired on a pay lag. After this they receive a paycheck every 15th and 30th of the month (pending on the length of their employment).
- FTE employees cannot be hired as a student.
- Important student hire resources for supervisors can be found here.
- Be as accurate as possible in establishing the number of hours the student is expected to work each week. Many students have multiple jobs and inflating the hours per week may cause issues given the recommended limit of 20 hours per week.
Undergraduate Students
For more information regarding student employment, review policy HR 1.86.
- Academic Year Enrollment Requirements
- An undergraduate student enrolled at the university in at least six (6) credit hours is eligible for student employment.
- Summer Enrollment Requirements
- Students enrolled for the summer term - no minimum.
- Students registered during the prior spring term who are planning to continue as students during the fall semester.
- New students who are accepted for the next fall term and have registered for fall classes. Students who qualify for summer employment on this basis will be eligible for hire no earlier than June 1.
- Pay Requirements
- At least minimum wage which is currently: $7.25 per hour.
- Work Hours
- Undergraduate students working multiple jobs must not work over 40 hours per week across all active on-campus appointments.
Federal Work Study Positions
- Federal Work Study students cannot work more than 20 hours per week.
- Academic Year Hire Dates: August 10, 2025 through May 9, 2026
- Summer Hire Dates: May 11, 2026 through August 9, 2026
Graduate Students
For more information regarding Graduate Assistantships, review policy ACAF 4.00.
- Academic Year Enrollment Requirements
- Graduate Students with Assistantship
- The minimum enrollment requirement for a graduate assistant is
six (6) graduate credit hours per semester.
- For under-enrolled students approved for special enrollment (Z-
status), the minimum enrollment requirement is one (1) credit hour per semester.
- Graduate Students without Graduate Assistantship
- Have a one (1) credit hour minimum enrollment requirement to be eligible for student employment (for fall and spring semesters).
- Summer Enrollment Requirements
- Graduate Students with Assistantship
- The minimum enrollment requirement is three (3) graduate credit hours.
- For under-enrolled students approved for special enrollment (Z-
status), the minimum enrollment requirement is one (1) credit hour per semester.
- Graduate Students without Graduate Assistantship
- Do not have an enrollment requirement.
- Pay Requirements
- Graduate student workers, both salaried and hourly, on the Columbia campus should make at least $15.00 per hour.
- Work Hours
- Recommended to work no more than 20 hours per week.
- Students with assistantships are not permitted to work more than 20 hours per week.
- With an approved appeal by the Graduate School, students with assistantships can work 21-25 hours per week.
- During the summer months, students with assistantships are permitted to work up to 28 hours without the requirement of an appeal.
- Students without an assistantship can work up to 40 hours a week across all active positions.
- For more information, review university policy ACAF 4.0.
International Students
- Can work up to 20 hours per week during the academic year and up to 40 hours during official school breaks.
- For more information, visit International Student Services.