The Off-Campus Work-Study (OCWS) Program allows eligible UTA students to earn part of their financial aid award by working in approved part-time positions with Off-Campus partner organizations.
The program helps students earn money for educational and living expenses while developing professional skills and exploring potential career fields. Participating employers gain access to UTA student talent and may receive reimbursement for a portion of the student’s eligible wages.
Work-Study eligibility is determined by the UTA Office of Financial Aid. Students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), demonstrate financial need, meet enrollment requirements, and receive and accept a Work-Study award.
Before employment begins, the employer must obtain the student’s current Work-Study Eligibility Form and verify that the student has sufficient funding available. A student may not begin working, attend orientation, or complete training until eligibility has been verified and all hiring and onboarding requirements have been met.
Receiving a Work-Study award does not guarantee a student employment position.
Eligible organizations may include nonprofit organizations, schools, government agencies, community-based organizations, and qualifying for-profit businesses.
All organizations must complete UTA’s application and approval process before hiring Work-Study students. Proposed positions must meet Work-Study Program requirements and provide students with appropriate supervision and meaningful work experience. Positions with for-profit organizations must also be academically relevant to the student’s program of study.
UTA reserves the right to approve organizations and positions in accordance with federal, state, institutional, and program requirements.
Reimbursement rates are based on the organization and position classification:
The organization is responsible for paying the students directly and submitting the required reimbursement documents by the established deadline. The final reimbursement rate will be confirmed during the organization and position approval process. Late, incomplete, inaccurate, or noncompliant submissions may not be eligible for reimbursement.
Prospective partners may be required to:
An organization may not recruit, hire, or employ a UTA Work-Study student until the partnership and proposed position have been approved.
Approved partners must post their Work-Study positions in Handshake, UTA’s online job posting platform. Each posting must accurately describe the position’s responsibilities, qualifications, pay rate, schedule, location, supervision, and application requirements.
Job postings are reviewed through the Career Development Center’s standard Handshake approval process. The Work-Study Coordinator also reviews OCWS postings to ensure they comply with program requirements. A submitted posting is not automatically approved or visible to students. Employers must complete any requested corrections before students can view and apply for the position.
Employers are responsible for reviewing applications, interviewing candidates, selecting students, communicating hiring decisions, and onboarding.
Each organization must designate an employee to provide direct and consistent supervision to its Work-Study students. The supervisor is responsible for assigning appropriate duties, monitoring attendance and performance, reviewing work hours, approving time sheets, providing feedback, and ensuring that students follow organizational and OCWS requirements.
UTA does not provide day-to-day supervision of students employed by Off-Campus organizations. Employers must notify the Work-Study Coordinator promptly if the designated supervisor or primary program contact changes.
Work-Study students may work no more than 19 hours per week and no more than eight hours in a 24-hour period.
Students may not work during times when they are scheduled to attend class, even if a class is canceled or dismissed early. Employers must obtain and review each student’s class schedule before establishing the work schedule.
The students’ available Work-Study funding may require them to work fewer than 19 hours per week. Employers and students are responsible for monitoring earnings throughout the semester to prevent the student from exceeding the approved award.
Work-Study students must be paid at least the applicable minimum wage. The hourly rate should be appropriate and reasonable based on the position’s responsibilities, required skills, experience, and comparable wages within the organization.
Employers may pay more than the minimum wage; however, reimbursement is limited by the student’s available Work-Study award and the organization’s approved reimbursement rate. Students must be paid hourly for all time worked, including required orientation, training, and meetings. Work-Study students may not receive unpaid training, stipends, commissions, or benefits in place of hourly wages.
Employers must pay Work-Study students according to the organization’s established payroll schedule and at least once per month. Employers may pay students weekly or biweekly if that is the organization’s standard payroll practice.
The employer must pay the student directly before requesting reimbursement from UTA. Reimbursements may not be used as a substitute for paying students on time.
The student’s designated supervisor must review, approve, and sign the timesheet. The supervisor’s signature confirms that the reported hours are accurate, the student completed the work, and the hours did not conflict with the student’s class schedule or exceed program limits. The student will also need to sign the timesheet.
Students and supervisors should not sign blank or incomplete timesheets. Employers must maintain accurate payroll and timekeeping records and submit the required reimbursement documentation through the designated OCWS process.
No. Students may not begin working, attending orientation, completing training, or performing any job-related activity until their Work-Study eligibility has been verified and all required hiring and onboarding steps have been completed.
Orientation and training are considered paid work time and must be recorded on the student’s timesheet. Students may not complete required training on an unpaid basis or before the official Work-Study employment period begins.
Employers must submit the required Report-a-Hire Form through the designated OCWS SharePoint process within two weeks of the student’s start date.
Employers must also maintain the students’ current Work-Study Eligibility Form and class schedule and complete any additional onboarding documents required by UTA or the employer. Hiring a student in Handshake does not replace the Report-a-Hire requirement.
The student must stop earning wages through the Work-Study Program once the available award has been exhausted. Employers and students should monitor earnings throughout the semester to avoid exceeding the award.
If the employer wishes to continue employing the student after the award is exhausted, the employer must receive guidance from UTA and be prepared to pay 100% of the student’s wages without Work-Study reimbursement. Students may contact workstudy@uta.edu to ask about a possible funding increase, but increases are not guaranteed.
Employers must submit a Separation Form within two weeks of the student’s final workday. The employer should also update the student’s status in Handshake, submit any outstanding reimbursement documents, and retain the required employment and payroll records.
Employers should notify the Work-Study Coordinator promptly if the separation involves misconduct, payroll concerns, safety issues, or a potential program violation.
Yes. Participating organizations must complete the annual contract renewal process and any required meetings, training, documentation, or site visits by the communicated deadlines.
Renewal is not automatic. Organizations must remain in good standing and satisfy current OCWS requirements to continue recruiting and employing Work-Study students.
The Career Development Center uses a progressive Employer Compliance Process to address incomplete documentation, missed deadlines, repeated concerns, and other program violations. Depending on the concern, an employer may receive a courtesy reminder, delinquency notice, Partner Improvement Plan, or formal partnership review.
Continued noncompliance may result in delayed or denied reimbursements, removal of Work-Study access in Handshake, suspension, or termination from the OCWS Program.
Notify the Work-Study Coordinator promptly of any changes to the organization’s primary contact, student supervisor, address, payroll process, or banking information.
Banking information must be updated directly through the approved PaymentWorks process. Employers should complete updates as early as possible to prevent reimbursement delays. Sensitive banking information should not be sent by email.
For questions about becoming an OCWS partner, job postings, hiring requirements, employer compliance, reimbursements, or program procedures, contact the UTA Career Development Center at offcampusworkstudy@uta.edu.
Questions about an individual student’s Work-Study eligibility or award should be directed to the UTA Office of Financial Aid at workstudy@uta.edu.