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Student Payments - L&S

The L&S process for making payments to students, including non-service lump sum payments to UW students. For service-related payments to students, please contact the appropriate HR representative assigned to your department.  Information about service-related payments are not included on this page.

Resources

Forms and Procedures

L&S Guide to Processing Student Payments - NEW 9/11/2025

Bursar's Office Scholarship Form for US Persons 

Non-Credit External Internship and Research Support Payments Form - this is only for approved items using the special Item Type and Program Name.  These requests must be sent to busservapprovals@ls.wisc.edu for processing.

If you need the special Student Travel Award Item Type, send an email to busservapprovals@ls.wisc.edu.

L&S Meetings

SC Ledger Accounts for Student Payments
Financial Aid Type Fund Ledger Ledger Description Spend Category Category Description Function System Old SFS Value
UW-Person - Non-Foundation Scholarships   Funds other than FD0233  5500  Financial Aid  SC00153  Scholarships/Fellowships  FN0900  SIS - Department processes upload  5711-9
Resident Alien (RA) - Non-Foundation Scholarships, Awards and Student Support Payments  Funds other than FD0233  5500 Financial Aid SC00401  Scholarships/Fellowships w. Support (Resident Aliens only)  FN0400 or FN0900 SIS - Dept processes scholarships and awards. Division processes student support payments.  5715 
Nonresident Alien (NRA) - Scholarships, Awards and Student Support Payments  ALL funds  5500 Financial Aid SC00400 Scholarships/Fellowships w. Support (NRA)  FN0400 or FN0900  Workday - Payroll  5714
Awards (including travel)-Education - US Person  Funds other than FD0233  5500 Financial Aid SC00153  Scholarships/Fellowships  FN0900 SIS - Department processes upload  5711-9 
Awards (including travel)-Research - US Person  Funds other than FD0233  5500 Financial Aid SC00151  Scholarships/Fellowships - Support  FN0400  SIS - Department processes upload  5709-4  
Awards (including travel)-Instruction - US Person  Funds other than FD0233  5500 Financial Aid SC00151 Scholarships/Fellowships - Support FN0200  SIS - Department processes upload  5709-2 
Approved Non-Foundation Student Support Payments (Research or Internship) - US Person  Funds other than FD0233  5500  Financial Aid  SC00151  Scholarships/Fellowships - Support  FN0400 SIS - Division must process the upload.  5709-4 
Foundation Funded Scholarships, Awards and Student Support Payments - US Person and RA FD0233  1302  AR - University Related Org  SC00659  Foundation Aid  FN0900 SIS 5711-9 
Non-UW Student transactions
Non-UW Student Support Funds other than FD0233  5500 Financial Aid SC00152 Non-Employee/Non-UW Student - Support FN0900 Workday - SIR  5710
Prize - Non-UW Student/Non-employee Only Various 6016 Awards & Prizes SC00112 Awards & Prizes Various Workday - SIR  3750

International Student Payments

If the student is an international student, the process starts by contacting your department’s assigned Human Resources ART Member.   The procedure is located on the L&S Student Assistants page. Go to the collapsible headings > Appointment Titles > Scholar SA010 > Scholars Process or Scholars SA010 Handbook document  New process as of September 2025.

Non-Credit External Internship or Research Support Payments 

Must meet these five criteria and be approved by Campus

  1. Not associated with a course requirement
  2. Not required for degree or certificate completion
  3. For educational experience enrichment only
  4. Requires participation in regular activities outside of the normal curriculum
  5. Payment not restricted for a specific use 

Gift Cards, Gifts, Surveys or Contests 

IRB Approved Human Subject Payments – For the purpose of human subject payments, a student (or employee) lose their identity as a student and are paid like any other human subject participant following the Payments to Research Participants Policy UW-3005.

Surveys or Contests Only Open to Students – In general, if students receive payment for things only open to students, then it must be considered a scholarship.  Students are not allowed to receive gift cards or anything that can be construed as contributing to their cost of attendance.  In these cases, it is recommended to provide them with UW branded items or have a pizza lunch where you gather and discuss the survey topic. 

Surveys or Contests Open to the General Population – These would be surveys or contests that are open to the general population, including students.  Since these are not based on their status as a student, they would be treated as a prize or award and would not be paid through a scholarship.  UW System Policy 330 for Prizes, Awards and Gifts would need to be followed for payment.

More information on the student payment aspect of prizes, awards, surveys and competitions can be found on page 18 of the Student Payment Guide.


Keywords:
award, prize, scholarship, fellowship, resident alien, nonresident alien, lump sum, welcome check, student payment, student, NRA, gift card, student payments 
Doc ID:
84553
Owned by:
Michele G. in L&S KB
Created:
2018-08-07
Updated:
2025-09-12
Sites:
L&S KB