Campus Employment

• Student employment is ancillary to a student’s primary role as an enrolled student. Hourly student employees are not eligible for fringe benefits. Federal regulations require systematic tracking of hours worked by student employees (Fair Labor Standards Act, IRS taxation and the Affordable Care Act).
• Departments are responsible to monitor their own student employee hours using a Student Employment Eligibility Form for each student employee. 
• The University employs WMU degree seeking students who are a minimum age of 18 or older. The exception are degree seeking students who are 17 years old and will turn 18 during their first semester of enrollment. 
• Coordinate the pay rate with the student employee pay rate model. Pay rates must be assigned based on the position and skills necessary to complete assigned tasks. 
• Pay rates must be established before posting the job and hiring for the position. Review the WMU Student Financial Aid website for more details.

 WMU student employee work hour policy

*Enrolled student employees are FICA exempt, unless they hold a staff position.  Then all earnings are taxed. FICA is the combined Social Security tax and the Medicare tax of 15.3%. Employees pay half, and employers pay the other half. Requirements for FICA tax exemptions.

**International student requirements

***Graduate College requirements

For more information contact Career and Student Employment Services at (269) 387-2745 or @email.

Non-enrolled students (including international students) may work 39 hours per week in summer I session, summer II sessions if they: 

• were enrolled in the immediate past spring semester 
• are eligible to enroll in the upcoming fall semester

Non-enrolled students (including international students) may work 39 hours per week in the break periods during which no students are enrolled, which include: 

• the break period starting immediately at the end of fall exams and ending when spring classes begin
• the break period starting immediately at the end of spring exams and ending when summer I classes begin
• the break period starting immediately at the end of summer II exams and ending when fall classes begin

No students may work 39 hours per week during spring break or fall break, because students are still enrolled in classes during those times.

FICA tax applies to all earnings for non-enrolled student employees. The employing department and student are responsible for these costs.

• FICA is the combined Social Security tax and the Medicare tax of 15.3%.
• Employees pay half, and employers pay the other half.
• Requirements for FICA tax exemptions.

If a student is enrolled in one or more classes through WMU during either summer semester, they must adhere to the 25 hour per week limit for domestic students or 20 hour per week limit for international students, for the semester during which they are enrolled.

For more information contact Career and Student Employment Services at (269) 387-2745 or @email.

Under University policy, non-exempt (hourly paid) employees are entitled to take breaks as outlined below. Breaks are not cumulative.

1. One 15-minute break for each four hours worked.
2. Two 15-minute breaks in a day when working six or more hours, with one break during the 1st half of the workday and one during the 2nd half of the workday.
3. One lunch period during regular University hours. Lunch schedules may vary by department and can be adjusted to meet departmental needs. A lunch period of 30 minutes or more is non-paid time. Lunch period is optional, not a requirement. 

College work-study is a need-based financial aid program funded by the federal government and Western Michigan University. It is awarded to students based on need who are enrolled at least half time during the period of their employment. Unlike grants and scholarships, work-study awards are earned and paid through the payroll process in the form of a bi-weekly pay. Work-study awards and amounts are subject to eligibility requirements and fund availability. 

Students with a work-study award are subject to the same employment definitions and expectations as other student employees.

Visit the Federal Work Study page for more information.

• Graduating international students can work until the end date on their Form 1-20, which is typically the "Semester ends" date listed on the Registrar's official academic calendar.
• View the Registrar's academic calendar here.
• The exception to this rule is if the international student is graduating AND is enrolled in a new program at WMU for the next semester. In this instance, they may continue working.