America Reads/America Counts

Eligibility

Students with federal work-study are eligible for America Reads/America Counts tutoring positions. Verify applicants' federal work-study award granted. Earnings will be limited to the amount of federal work-study a student is awarded.

Ineligible

Students with institutional work-study are not eligible but may participate on an unpaid, volunteer basis.

Pay Rate

The Massachusetts minimum wage rate rose to $15.00 per hour as of January 1, 2023. Therefore, the base pay rate for students is now $15.00 for on campus jobs and $15.50 for off-campus work study.

Hour Limits

Students may not work more than ten hours per week. Further, these positions must be funded by federal work study and therefore may be limited more based on the award. Questions about your work study amount should be directed to student financial services.

Apply for Affiliation

In addition to the forms below, applicant schools and agencies must submit the IRS Form 501-C-3 to prove nonprofit, tax-exempt status.

Agency Information Form (32.45 KB)
Agreement for Participation Form (21.61 KB)
America Reads/America Counts Job Description (52.42 KB)

Email attachments to studemp@smith.edu along with your request to become an America Reads affiliate. 

Please let us know if you have ever worked for Smith College or if you are a previous student; you may already be in our system.

Advertise & Hire Students

Submit a Job Description

Once you have submitted all of the necessary paperwork, submit your job description to us, and we will post it for you. Please let us know when positions are filled and should be delisted.

America Reads/America Counts Job Description (52.42 KB)

Please submit a revised job description each year.

America Reads/America Counts positions are posted on both Workday and the Five College America Reads websites.

Remove a Position

Please contact us if you would like to remove the position or have it readvertised.

Background Checks

We do not conduct Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) checks on our students. It is the responsibility of the school or agency to conduct these checks.

Tutor Contract

When you hire a student, you must complete and sign the contract below. Return the contract to us immediately upon hiring. Your student may not work until we have received the contract and they have been hired online.

America Reads/America Counts Tutoring Contract (MS Word) (25.77 KB)

Training

Tutors are strongly encouraged to attend the Five College training sessions detailed below and will be paid for training time once a tutoring position is secured. Agencies and schools should also train tutors specific to their needs.

Overview Training

Students must attend a one-hour training session at any one of the Five Colleges before tutoring; however, they may start the process of interviewing before attending the training session. Sessions are offered at the beginning of each semester. Students must arrive on time and stay through the entire session to be paid for training. Training time should be added to your payroll time sheet. An America Reads position is required in order to be eligible for training pay.

Extended Training Workshop

Toward the beginning of a student's tutoring career, they must also attend an Extended Training Workshop (ETW). This workshop is intended for new tutors, so taking it at the first semester of tutoring will be most beneficial. Food is provided and students are paid for their time once they've begun working as a tutor.

Approve Timesheets

Smith College pays 100 percent of the student's wage under the America Reads/America Counts Tutoring Program; however, if the total amount the student earns during the academic year exceeds the amount specifically contracted, the agency is responsible for 100 percent of the earnings beyond the contracted maximum.

In accordance with federal regulations and Smith College agreement, the college acts as paymaster, keeps all records and issues W-2 forms.

Payroll is biweekly. Missing a payroll means the student will go without a paycheck for two more weeks.

Lost Password

Contact ITS User Support, at 413-585-4487.

Unexpected Departures

If a student ceases working before originally planned, contact the student employment coordinator to terminate the position.

Unsatisfactory Performance

If assistance is needed in dealing with a student concerning job-related problems, please contact us.

If a student's job performance is unsatisfactory, you must first discuss the situation with them. You must make an effort to assist the student in improving their performance by clearly communicating expectations. A verbal warning is appropriate at this point.

If the situation does not improve, employers must describe, in writing, problems with the student's job performance and maintain written records.

Termination & Dismissal

Employers are not obligated to retain a student if they do not meet the standards set upon employment or if they abuse any privileges; however, it is important to allow them to improve once they have been informed of any concerns with job performance.

A student may be terminated immediately in cases of:

  • falsifying a timesheet
  • stealing
  • insubordination
  • breach of confidentiality
  • physical or sexual abuse

If a student is terminated, a copy of the termination letter must be sent to the student employment coordinator.

Worker Recognition

Student assistance is very important to the operation of nearly all areas of the college, and the work experience students gain can be invaluable as they build career-level qualities such as honesty, diligence, ambition, time management and communication skills.

Letter of Recommendation

Students will ask you for letters of recommendation for their files at the Smith College Lazarus Center for Career Development, so your honest feedback is important and valued. In addition, the Student Employment Office frequently receives requests from companies asking for employment backgrounds of Smith graduates under consideration.