What is a Student Hourly Employee?

Student hourly employees are enrolled students who perform part-time and sometimes temporary administrative, clerical, technical, or manual work on behalf of the university. These positions range from administrative support roles in offices to jobs in Restaurant Operations. The Office of Human Resources maintains a separate Student Employment Manual for hourly employees with more information.

Student hourly employees are paid an hourly rate and must complete bi-weekly timesheets to be paid. Student hourly positions are not eligible for tuition remission at any appointment level. However, student hourly appointments are considered when assessing maximum appointments for graduate students, such as a student appointed as a 50 percent Research Assistant who also works 10 hours per week as a student hourly employee, the equivalent of a 75 percent appointment.

There are two main categories of student hourly employees:

Non-Federal Student Employment: This type of employment allows undergraduate and graduate students to work on-campus under a non-federal student employment account, paid 100% from the employing department’s budget. It is not a type of financial aid and is not based on need. Any UWM student may seek non-federal student employment.

Federal Work-Study (FWS): Limited in funds, this type of employment allows undergraduate and graduate students to work in specified positions, which are paid in part by federal work study funding (FWS). FWS is a form of financial aid and therefore a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the appropriate academic year must be completed in order to determine the financial need of the student. FWS awards are not disbursed in a lump sum as are other forms of federal aid.