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College of Sciences 
Department of Biological Sciences

Hiring Student Workers

Hiring students is a multi-step process that takes an average of 7 days. Peak hiring times can take longer due to the volume of applicants.

Students paid from departmental funds, PEP (Provost’s Professional Experience Program), or Federal Work Study (FWS) programs require an additional step which may add to the total time needed for hiring.

Read on to learn the steps and documents needed for each type of student worker.

Peak Hiring Times

July – September
December – January
April – May

Hiring Student Workers: Basic Steps

Follow this guide for students paid 100% from your own funds, or AFTER approval has been granted for other types of student hires.

Additional steps to hire students with departmental funds, PEP, and/or Work Study (FWS) are required. Scroll down to see how these other types of hires are processed.

  1. Complete the kick-off form at this link: Student Worker Hiring Kick-Off
  2. Download and complete the Temporary Working Terms Certification form linked within the form above, and upload it to the final page when prompted.
  3. Your documents are routed to the business office where funding is checked and signatures are collected.
  4. The completed hiring documents are submitted by the business office to COS HR and the Payroll Office where they are reviewed and a position is created for the student.
  5. Finally, when the position is complete, you and your student will be notified of the official start date with an email from the business office. This email contains instructions for the student regarding mandatory I-9 verification and other essential information to get them started with their new jobs.

If the student’s wages are paid in any part from a grant (Ledger 5), there is an additional budget approval process routed through COS. This may add time to the approval process.

Using departmental funds requires departmental approval.

  1. To obtain approval from the Department Head, complete this link: Departmental Classroom Support Request
  2. You will be notified of the Department Head’s determination via email.
  3. When you identify the students you’d like to hire for any approved positions, complete the basic steps to hire a student worker outlined above for each student

PEP student funding is sponsored 75% from the PEP office and 25% from the department. You may use your own funds to supplement the 25% if you prefer. Using PEP funds requires approval from the PEP office. These are positions applied for and granted to specific faculty or staff, and can be used to hire any student eligible to work in the US.

  1. For more information about applying for PEP positions, click this link: PEP Information
  2. If you are granted PEP positions you will be notified by the PEP office. When you select the student you’d like to hire, you should begin within PEP Central by creating a voucher. This voucher is for the PEP office’s records and ensures that the same student is not hired for multiple PEP positions. This voucher does not officially hire the student, nor does it guarantee the students’ eligibility to work on campus. The voucher is electronically signed by the supervisor, the BioSci business office, and the PEP office within PEP Central.
  3. When the voucher is complete, the hiring process with COS and University Payroll begins by following the steps outlined in the basic hiring steps above.

For more information, how-to’s, and guidelines, please visit the PEP FAQ and the PEP website at the links below:

Please list Noel Thompson 000768967 (aka Kate) as a “hiring authority” and the payroll contact for each PEP position.

FWS student funding is sponsored 75% from the FWS office and 25% from the department. You may use your own funds to supplement the 25% if you prefer. Using work study funds requires approval from the FWS office. Work Study positions are posted by any faculty or staff, and are applied for by students who are eligible for work study funds. Only students who qualify for work study funding may be hired for these positions.

  1. For more information about FWS, click this link: Federal Work Study at NCSU
  2. After your position is posted in FWS Central, you can select your student within Work Study Central by creating a voucher. This voucher is for the FWS office’s records and ensures that the student is eligible for work study funding. This voucher does not officially hire the student, nor does it guarantee the students’ eligibility to work on campus. The voucher is electronically signed by the student, supervisor, the BioSci business office, and the FWS office within Work Study Central.
  3. When the voucher is complete, the hiring process with COS and University Payroll begins by following the steps outlined in the basic hiring steps above.

Please list Noel Thompson 000768967 (aka Kate) as the payroll contact for each FWS position.

PEP & FWS Contact: Marion Zanga