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WORK-STUDY FOR FIRST YEAR STUDENTS

The following information is geared toward entering traditional-age first year students. First year International students link here. If you are an entering Transfer student, link to Work-Study for Transfer Students, and if you are an entering Ada Comstock Scholar, link to Work-Study for Ada Comstocks.

The Student Employment Guide is required reading for any student planning to use the work-study portion of the aid package.

Your Work-Study Opportunity

If you have applied for and been offered financial aid, your official financial aid award letter may offer you an opportunity to earn money at a work-study job. There are two types of Work-Study; CWORK is Campus Work-Study, meaning you can only work on-campus (IWORK for international students), and FWS, which is Federal Work-Study and can be used to do federally funded work off-campus at an America Reads Tutoring job. Check your BannerWeb financial aid award for specifics on what kind of Work-Study you have. First year students have priority for all jobs offered in the campus houses for Dining Services and may also seek positions in housekeeping, catering, and in the Campus Center Cafe. Students are responsible for seeking and obtaining their own jobs up to 10 hours per week. Jobs are not guaranteed or reserved. Other campus jobs open up to students in their sophomore year and are not open to students in their first year at Smith. Without exception, the jobs listed on JobX, the student employment jobsite, are for upperclass students only.

Earnings may be used toward your bill, to buy books and supplies, or to use for other expenses. Students are not required to work if they do not wish to do so. However, the College will not replace the unearned work-study with grant aid.

Obtaining Hours

If you have FWS (Federal Work-Study) or CWORK (Campus Work)or IWORK (International Work-Study)in your financial aid package, and if you intend to work, you will be required to attend a mandatory Training/Informational meeting for all first year work-study eligible students interested for Dining Services and the Job Sign-Up Meeting:

Employee Shift Sign UP
Friday, August 30, 4 - 5:30 pm
Location: Carroll Room, Campus Center

Employee Meeting
Monday, Sept. 2,11 am - noon
Location - Weinstein Auditorium, Wright Hall

You will be sent an email invitation to the event and should bring your Smith ID. Dining Services Coordinators will be there hiring as will staff from Facilities Services. Shifts are offered on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you miss the meeting you will have to contact Dining Services (extension 2300 on campus or slentner@smith.edu) to see what options are available to you at that point.

If you have Federal Work-Study (FWS) in your aid package, the 'America Reads/America Counts Tutoring Program'  is another option for first year students. Please note: FWS is different from CWORK (Campus Work), which does not allow you to take part in America Reads. America Reads/Counts is a community service program that allows Smith students to earn their work-study by going out into local schools and agencies to assist children up to grade 6 with their reading and/or math skills. You cannot apply for these jobs until your arrival on campus in September, though you must acquaint yourself with all aspects of the program and mandatory training on America Reads/America Counts and the Five College America Reads/America Counts webpage (which has detailed information on training). There are only a limited number of approved sites and shifts available, and a list will be made available when you arrive on campus.

Tutors earn a higher rate of $9.00 per hour (the campus base rate is $8.50), but are also expected to attend some training sessions (also paid).  First year students may choose to combine shifts working for Dining Services with America Reads/America Counts tutoring shifts.

New students find it very convenient to have work readily available to them in their houses or a house nearby while they are getting familiarized with the Smith campus instead of embarking on a campus-wide job hunt. First year students do not have priority for any of the other jobs available on campus until they are sophomores. Each house is assigned a Kitchen Coordinator who reports back to Residence and Dining Services (RADS) with responsibility for the house work schedule and approval of online payroll timesheets.

Assistance is available from the Student Employment Office if a student has difficulty locating work due to medical restrictions or a class or athletic conflict.

Payment Details

Before you can legally work or be paid, you must complete several forms with the Student Payroll Department. You need an I9 Employment Verification Form, a W-4 Employee's Withholding  Allowance Certificate and a Form M-4. You are also encouraged to sign up for Direct Deposit of your paycheck since Smith Payroll has gone paperless and you will have to complete a Direct Deposit Decision form. It is very important to set up a bank account immediately upon arriving to the area. Remember, Student Payroll is a completely separate entity from Student Employment. Your Student Work Coordinator cannot hire you and you cannot work without the payroll requirements fulfilled. Representatives from Student Payroll will be set up at Central Check-In when you arrive in the fall so you can take care of these forms before the work sign-up meeting.  The W-4 is required by the IRS, the M-4 by the state of Massachusetts, and the I-9 is required by the INS. You can download them from Payroll's website.Be prepared to show the required documentation at Central Check-In. All forms must be originals, no photocopies accepted. International students are required to show their passport, I-20 and I-94 form. Resident Aliens must show their Resident Alien card. U.S. citizens usually present a passport, or a combination of a picture ID such as a license and a Social Security Card or Birth Certificate.

When you are hired into a position, that information is fed to the Student Payroll Office. Student Payroll will build a timesheet for that position which you can then access using BannerWeb. You will use BannerWeb to input all of your hours worked over a 2 week period, submit it for approval on schedule, and your supervisor will then approve your hours online. Details regarding the payroll schedule and instructions on how to use BannerWeb can be found on Student Payroll's website. Please direct all payroll inquiries to that office. NEVER go without being paid for more than 2 weeks without speaking to someone in Student Employment or Payroll.

Arrangements can also be made with Student Financial Services to direct all or part of your paycheck to your tuition account. If you are interested in this option, pick up a Student Payroll Deduction Authorization Form in the office.

College Policy: First year students may work up to10 hours a week. Any Spot Job Work you do counts toward your Work-Study, though work during Interterm is not. Students with internships, STRIDE stipends,housing positions, etc. are not eligible for a second regular campus job. All students, particularly those granted Work-Study, deserve the opportunity to obtain the hours for which they are eligible.

EARNINGS DETAILS

Earnings limit: on your award letter (standard is $2250)

Maximum # hours per week: 10

Work Dates:9/6/2012 - 5/10/2013

Campus Pay Rate: $8.50 per hour

America Reads/Counts Pay Rate: $9.00 per hour

Payment: Bi-weekly

If you find that this informational page and the Student Employment Guide do not answer all your questions, please email us at studemp@smith.edu.

To check if you have Work-Study in your aid package or to do your Web Time Entry connect to BannerWeb:

Information about Financial Aid
for First Year Applicants

America Reads
America Counts Tutoring

Student Employment
Guides

Student Payroll Information

CDO Help With Resume Writing

Contact Student Employment

 
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