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Wages & Hours

Wages

Federal Work-Study student employees must be paid according to local jurisdiction minimum wage laws.

 Please refer to the Student Employment website for additional resources and policies on, 

  • Wages including,
    • Current Minimum Wage
    • Wage Groups and Pay Raises
    • Pay Increases
  • Timekeeping

Fringe Benefits

Federal FWS program regulations prohibit the payment of fringe benefits including paid sick, paid leave, and overtime. 

  • For FWS student employees only, paid sick and paid leave time are paid from a central university account, not FWS wages or department funds. Any unused Paid Leave will also be paid from the central account upon termination. Additional information on Paid Sick and Paid Leave is outlined on the Timekeeping webpage on the Student Employment website. 
  • Students are paid time and a half strictly from department reserves for every minute that exceeds 40 cumulative hours among all paid Northwestern positions.

Pay Increases

Merit and longevity pay increases are at the supervisor’s discretion, however, we do suggest a $.05 hourly pay increase for each quarter of continuous service.

The pay increase added to the base salary should, ideally, not exceed the range of the wage group . We recommend that supervisors and students have a one-on-one performance review conversation at the end of the academic year with increases in effect for the following year. 

Pay Advances

Students must work in order to earn their FWS. Pay advances are not permitted. 

Hours and Schedule

To be compliant with the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), we recommend that students paid FWS wages work no more than 20 hours per week during the academic year (fall, winter, and spring quarters). Students may work during academic breaks (winter recess and spring break).

Most students work between 6-10 hours per week on average based on job requirements and students' academic responsibilities. 

Federal Work-Study is not available during the summer months. 

Please review the Student Employment website to learn more about required Timekeeping policies. 

Preferred Hours Calculator

Once you have determined your employee's hourly wage, it is wise to use this calculator to determine the optimal schedule so they do not exceed their FWS wage limit. Supervisors and employers may request this information from the student, the student’s financial aid office, or the Federal Work-Study program. If a student has multiple jobs, it is their responsibility to tell their supervisor, which may impact the total hours they may work in your area.