Student Employment gives college students the opportunity to work on or off campus while in college. Whether you have Federal Work Study or not, there are so many options that a university provides for a college student to work on and off campus and USF is no different. As far as your options for student employment please see the three types of student employment:
Three Types of Student Employment:
On-Campus – Temporary Student Employment (TSE) / OPS jobs:
- Part-time positions open to all students and do not require a FWS award.
On-Campus – Federal Work Study (FWS) job:
- Part-time positions open students who have been awarded FWS by the Financial Aid Office. See additional information below.
Off-Campus jobs:
- Part-time or full-time positions open to students and community members. These positions are not regulated by USF but can be found on Handshake.
For more information about student employment you can email tpa-studentemployement@usf.edu
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
To find a job on campus you will need to search on Handshake. Handshake is where most departments will post their jobs on campus. If a job title has FWS, it is limited to students who are eligible for Federal Work Study. When a job title has TSE or OPS in the title that shows that it is a non-federal work study job and open to all students who meet the qualifications. Here are some other areas that hire non-federal work study students:
Departments that also hire non-federal work study students (TSE or OPS) are Campus Recreation and the Marshall Student Center. You will need to check their websites or follow them on social media.
Starting in Fall?
Plan to start your search no earlier than July 1, as that is when most departments will begin posting new positions for the Fall semester. Departments will continue to post positions as they become available, with many positions being advertised within the first few weeks of the Fall semester.
Starting in Spring?
Start your search as early as October, but note that many on-campus departments that are hiring for FWS positions are hoping to fill these quickly. Take care to mention in your cover letter that you will begin classes in the Spring semester.
When students complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), they indicate if they are interested in receiving Federal Work Study. If interested students meet certain FWS eligibility requirements, they may be awarded FWS in their financial aid award package according to the availability of funds. This award can be viewed and accepted in a student’s OASIS account. For questions about how to receive an FWS award, contact the Office of Financial Aid.
FWS Requirements:
- FAFSA Forms Required
- January 1st Priority Deadline
- Awarded by Financial Aid
- Annual Maximum Amount is $8,000
- Need based program which requires FAFSA
- Must be Undergraduate Student, Maintain satisfactory academic progress, Minimum of 2.0 USF Cumulative GPA
- Minimum 6 USF Active credit hours with No Drops per semester to obtain disbursement each term
If awarded FWS, it is the student’s responsibility to secure an FWS job in order to earn their award money. Most FWS positions are on-campus, however some are off-campus community service-oriented positions. An FWS student who successfully secures an FWS position will earn their award money in the form of a paycheck every other week, equivalent to the number of hours worked and the hourly rate.
You will need to go to your Oasis account to check to see your financial aid status. To access OASIS, log in to single sign-on at my.usf.edu > enter OASIS > choose “Financial Aid” from the menu > choose “My Award and Loan Information” > click the “Award Overview” tab. If you have any further questions about your financial aid award letter you can go to the Financial Aid office for further assistance. For questions about how to receive an FWS award, contact the Office of Financial Aid.
FWS is awarded for fall and spring semesters only. SWS (Summer Work Study) is a separate program. If you have FWS earnings in the spring, you will be notified by the financial aid office during spring semester to complete a Summer Aid Request in OASIS if you wish to receive Summer Work Study (SWS).
No. Depending on your visa status, you may be limited to working on campus, but eligible for TSE or OPS positions.
No, you will be asked to provide a copy of your award letter and if you do not have Federal Work Study you will not qualify for the position. So do not apply for Federal Work Study jobs.
In the search bar type your campus (ie.. Tampa Campus) and the results will show the positions that are available on campus. If it states Tampa Campus – FWS it is a Federal Work Study job, if it states Tampa Campus – TSE or Tampa Campus – OPS, it is a non-Federal Work Study job.
There is no solid answer for this, but departments have to go through hundreds of Resumes. So the departments has to do their due diligence in reviewing resumes and selecting the individuals to interview. The application process can be very frustrating, but applying for a job does not guarantee a call back or even getting an interview. Do not let the application process frustrate you as this happens more than you think, and you should continue looking and applying for jobs.
With roughly 50,000 students across the three USF campuses, you have a lot of competition for any part-time job. Make yourself a stand-out candidate by getting help from the Center for Career & Professional Development early and having a strategic plan when applying to positions. Here are some things you can consider to help you stand out:
- Create a tailored resume and cover letter for each job applied for. Check out the Learn About page for help with creating these important tools.
- Address your cover letter to the hiring manager of the department for which you are applying. You should find the contact info for the department at the bottom of each job posting. If a specific contact isn’t listed, try reaching out to the department to determine who the hiring manager is. If you have tried that and still can’t find a specific person to address your cover letter to, you can use the default “Dear Hiring Manager” for your letter.
- When applying to FWS jobs, you will need to provide a screenshot of your award to attach to the application. Login to MyUSF > My Resources > OASIS > Financial Aid > My Award and Loan Information > Award Overview and your award will be shown as a line item in your financial aid package. Take a screenshot of the award and assure that it is clear and that your name and U# are included in the capture. The entirety of the award must be shown or it will not be able to be used when processing your hire paperwork.
- The job description may also ask you to provide your semester class schedule as part of the application process. You can find your schedule on the MyUSF homepage or a more friendly calendar view MyUSF > My Resources > OASIS > Registration > Week at a Glance.
- Handshake allows you to choose your attachments when applying for a new position. Click here for detailed instructions on how to attach documents to your Handshake account.
It will not hurt, but give it some time. Do not apply for a position and an hour later you are sending an email asking for an update. If you do send an email, be prepared that there is a good chance that you will not receive a response.
These departments have students and individuals bombarding them with questions all the time so they might not have the time. It can also send a negative connotation based on your attitude and your approach. So, if there is an opportunity then possibly you can do it but be very mindful of your approach. Also going to a department does not guarantee that you will get an answer or an interview.
Departments/offices will each have their own way to review applications which will likely include an interview. For help in preparing, view the Learn About page.
Once offered the position, you will be asked to fill out paperwork through USF Human Resources. If you get a position on-campus, you’ll need to have the right documentation to fill out your I-9 form. Check out the documents that you could use at uscis.gov/i-9. Make sure you have access to your checking or savings account number and routing number so that you can set up automatic deposit.
You should discuss their hours with your department and/or supervisor in order to determine how much of your award you can earn. Since departments are given limited funding to which they must adhere, departments are not required to ensure students earn their full award amount.
Students often do the best at balancing work and school if they limit their job hours to 15-20 a week.
For students on the Sarasota-Manatee campus:
The supervisor will write you a letter of job offer. Take a copy of this signed letter to Human Resources and schedule an appointment to complete your new hire paperwork (you can contact Carolyn Dyson at cdyson@usf.edu or 941-359-4224).
You should discuss their hours with your department and/or supervisor in order to determine how much of your award you can earn. Since departments are given limited funding to which they must adhere, departments are not required to ensure students earn their full award amount.
You will negotiate your start date with your supervisor. The majority of students who elect to do “work-study” start their jobs during the first three or four weeks of classes and work until finals week of the semester.
Work-study appointments may not exceed 20 hours per week when classes are in session, with most students scheduling about 12-15 hours per week. You can work up to 40 hrs. a week during USF-recognized breaks.
If you get a position on campus, you’ll need to have the right documentation to fill out your I-9 form. Check out the documents that you could use at uscis.gov/i-9. Make sure you have access to a voided check or bank document with an account number and routing number so that you can set up automatic deposit.
You can contact:
Tampa Campus: Edson O’Neale at eao2@usf.edu
St. Petersburg Campus: Christopher Lang at christopherdlang@usf.edu
Sarasota/Manatee Campus: Toni Ripo at aripo@usf.edu
If you are experiencing discrimination or sexual harassment in your TSE/OPS, or Federal Work Study (FWS) position, the USF Office of Compliance and Ethics and their partners offer services to assist you. Their contact information, along with additional resources for understanding your reporting options, can be found on their website at https://www.usf.edu/compliance-ethics/.
