The College of Letters & Science follows UW-Madison policy for Student Help/Hourly eligibility (UW-5003 Policy). Departments/units and ART HR staff are responsible for verifying and documenting a student’s eligibility.

To be hired as a Student Hourly employee, an individual must:

1. Be a Student First

• • The job must be secondary to the individual’s primary role as a student.
  • Taking classes just to qualify for employment is not allowed.
  • Units must assess whether the student is genuinely pursuing a degree (e.g., credit load, enrollment pattern).
    
    

2. Be Enrolled for Academic Credit

         Acceptable institutions include:

• • Accredited colleges/universities (associate degree or higher)
  • Technical colleges
  • Vocational/trade schools
  • High schools
    
    

3. Be at Least 16 Years Old

• For more on minor employment, refer to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.
  
  

• • Verification must be done each semester and documented.
  • Acceptable verification methods:
  • Departments/units and ART HR staff  are responsible for verifying and documenting a student’s eligibility. Suitable methods of verification include:
  • ISIS record (for UW–Madison students)
  • Letter from home institution
  • Phone call to home institution's Registrar
  • Copy of current registration and course schedule
  • Current tuition payment receipt or on-line verification.
    
    

5. Graduate Students

• • A graduate student may be employed as Student Help/Hourly only if their expertise is not required for the job. If graduate-level expertise is needed, the position should be classified as a Graduate Student
  • May be hired as Student Hourly employees only if the work is not that of a Teaching Assistant, Project/Program Assistant, or Research Assistant.
    
    

6. International Students (F-1 and J-1 Visas)

• • Must be employed only at the school listed on their immigration documents.
  • F-1 students: No special authorization needed for up to 20 hours/week during school or full-time during breaks.
  • J-1 students: Require written authorization for the same work limits.
  • Departments/units and ART HR staff  must verify that the I-20 or DS-2019 is issued by UW–Madison.
  • Questions should be directed to International Student Services (608-262-2044).

Semester and Summer Eligibility

Semester Employment:

• Students may not begin work before the first payroll day of their first semester.
• Students who graduate or complete a semester may work only until the end of that semester’s pay period.
• Students who withdraw are no longer eligible as of the withdrawal date.
  
  

Eligible for Summer Employment if:

• Enrolled in summer classes,
• Continuing in the fall after spring enrollment, or
• Newly accepted for fall enrollment.
• Non-UW–Madison students must still meet all eligibility criteria.

ID Cards

• UW–Madison Students: Eligible for a standard UW student ID card.
• Non-UW–Madison Students: Eligible for a Visitor WisCard after:
  • Their appointment is entered into Workday, and
  • Their NetID is activated.

Student Help/Hourly jobs are classified into three levels to help determine appropriate pay:

• Basic Level
• Intermediate Level
• Advanced Level

Basic Level

Intermediate Level

Advanced Level

Business Titles for SH Appointments

Wage Setting:

Departments/units and ART HR staff can set starting hourly wages anywhere within the designated pay range for the job level (Basic, Intermediate, or Advanced).

• Any wage above the maximum of the Advanced level must be pre-approved by the Dean or Director’s office responsible for the budget.
• Current wage ranges are listed in the Title Guideline.
  
  

Pay Rates:

• Minimum pay rate: $10.00/hour.
• Maximum pay rate: $25.00/hour.
• Pay over $20.00/hour requires justification for advanced-level work requiring specialized knowledge, skills, or abilities.

Overtime Pay:

Student Hourly employees are covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and are eligible for overtime pay.

• Overtime is paid at 1.5 times the regular hourly rate for any hours worked over 40 hours in a week.
• If a student holds multiple jobs within the UW System, all hours are combined to determine if overtime applies.

Affordable Care Act (ACA) Monitoring:

All hours worked—including overtime—count toward the Affordable Care Act (ACA) threshold and must be monitored by the department(s).

Type of Appointment (Hourly vs. Lump Sum)

Hourly Appointments:

All Student Hourly employees must be paid hourly, and their hours must be tracked in Workday.

• Exceptions require approval from the Student+ Team HR Manager.
• Students must average fewer than 30 hours per week across all UW System jobs.
• Example: A student can work 40 hours one week and 20 the next, as long as the average stays below 30 hours/week.
• This includes all jobs across all UW System institutions.

Lump Sum Appointments:

Students paid on a lump sum basis are considered non-hourly for ACA purposes.

UW System uses two methods to track hours for lump sum employees:

1. Actual hours worked
2. Days-worked equivalency (8 hours credited per workday)

• • • If actual hours are not documented, the system defaults to the 8-hour/day rule, which may trigger ACA penalties for not offering health insurance.
    • Hiring units must track and report hours worked using a timesheet or another approved method in Workday.
• Federal Work Study Exception:
  • Hours credited through Federal Work Study do not count toward ACA hour calculations.

Compensation & Employment Considerations

• Hourly, nonexempt status – Students complete timesheets and are paid only for hours worked.
• Departments/units and ART HR staff must ensure graduate students are not inappropriately classified as Student Help/Hourly.

• • Contact the Student+ Team (studentplus@ls.wisc.edu) for questions, employment designation reviews, and approval of Student Help/Hourly appointments.

 Policy 5003 and the Affordable Care Act (ACA)

At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, student hourly employees are limited to an average of 30 hours per week across all UW-Madison and UW System positions. This restriction is in place to comply with the Affordable Care Act (ACA). While students can work more than 30 hours in a single week, the average must remain below that threshold over a 90-day rolling period.

Key ACA Requirements

1. Employer Mandate (Effective 2015):

• • Employers with 50+ full-time or full-time equivalent employees must:
    • Offer affordable, minimum essential health coverage to at least 95% of full-time employees (those working 30+ hours/week).
    • Avoid penalties by meeting this coverage requirement.

2. IRS Reporting Requirements:

• • Section 6055: Employers must report to the IRS about the health coverage provided and to whom it was provided.
  • Section 6056: Employers must report on coverage offers and results (i.e., who accepted or declined).

Failure to comply with these ACA provisions may result in financial penalties for the university.

The UW System is treated as one employer under the ACA. This means that if an employee works across multiple UW-Madison divisions or other UW institutions, all hours are combined to determine ACA eligibility.

Work Hour Restrictions for SH Detailed Breakdown

• General Limit: 

• The overarching policy is that student hourly employees should not exceed an average of 30 hours per week across all UW System employment.  
• ACA Compliance: 
• This 30-hour weekly average is a key aspect of complying with the ACA, which treats the UW System as a single employer.
• Flexibility within the Limit: 
• Students can work varying hours in different weeks, but the overall average must stay within the limit.

• Combining Hours: 
• Hours worked at different UW-Madison divisions or other UW System institutions are combined when calculating the average.
• Exceptions: 
• Some international students may have additional restrictions based on their visa status, potentially limiting them to 20 hours per week during the academic year.
• Break Periods: 
• During breaks like winter and summer, students may be able to work more than 30 hours per week, but it's essential to ensure the 90-day rolling average doesn't exceed the limit.
• Overtime:
• Student hourly employees are subject to FLSA regulations and are eligible for overtime pay (time and a half) for hours worked over 40 in a work week.

Guidelines for Hiring SH

To avoid ACA penalties, supervisors should:

1. Assess Employment Duration

• If an SH employee will work less than 90 days, ensure their end date is set accordingly.
• If employment will exceed 89 days, cap hours at an average of 29.75 per week.

2. Adjust Workload as Needed

If a position requires 30+ hours per week for 90 or more days, consider:

• Hiring two SH employees to split the workload.
• If the role is expected to last a year or more, hiring in an ongoing position (e.g., University Staff Fixed-Term Finite) with benefits.

Workday:

Student Help/Hourly Hire from Start to Finish rev 7.7.2025

Documents:

Student Help/Hourly Handbook .pdf

L&S Student Hourly Rate Request Form rev 7.7.2025

Related Policy Resources: 

• https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-5003
• https://kb.wisc.edu/ls/page.php?id=68221
• ACA Impact on L&S Student Hourly and TE Employees
• https://www.housing.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/132/2025/01/Hours-of-Work.pdf
• https://hr.engr.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/640/2022/05/COE-Student-Hourly-Guidelines-5-23-22-1.docx
• https://kb.wisc.edu/asu/search.php?cat=10787
• https://kb.wisc.edu/smphhr/page.php?id=98169