Student and Staff Employment:
Eligibility, Classification, Funding, and Compliance
STOP!: No work before clearance
Do not allow an individual to work, train, shadow, perform duties, or begin an appointment until the required Workday, eligibility, funding, immigration, I-9, and background-check steps are complete, as applicable.
Purpose
Use this guide to identify the likely employment path, determine required reviews, and know when to pause and contact the Human Resources Business Center (HRBC).
| Step | Decision | What to Confirm |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Who Are You Hiring? | Student, International student, Non-student, or current UCF employee. |
| 2 | What Work Will They Perform? | Teaching/research, academic support, temporary hourly work, or ongoing operational work. |
| 3 | Review Special Requirements | Funding source, combined appointments, immigration, assistantship, tax, and classification rules. |
| 4 | Clear the Start | Complete all approvals and hiring actions before work begins. |
*Important: This is a routing guide, not a substitute for current UCF policy, regulation, or central-office approval. When the facts do not fit clearly, stop and route the case to HRBC before work begins or continues.
1. Start Here: Decision path
| Question | If YES | If NO / Next Step |
|---|---|---|
| Is the individual currently enrolled at UCF? | Continue with the student path. | Review OPS Non-Student or Staff. |
| Does the student have an accepted FWS award? | Use the FWS path. | Review OPS Student, academic-support, or graduate options. |
| Is the student a graduate student performing teaching, research, or educational administration? | Review Graduate Assistantship or Graduate OPS. | Continue with the appropriate student path. |
| Is the student in F-1 or J-1 status? | Apply the international-student overlay to every path. | Continue with standard eligibility review. |
| Is the work temporary, hourly, and short-term? | OPS Student or OPS Non-Student may be appropriate. | If recurring or operational, review Staff classification. |
| Is the work ongoing or part of regular university operations? | Use the Staff classification/recruitment path. | A temporary path may be appropriate if all requirements are met. |
| Is the individual already a UCF staff or faculty employee? | Complete secondary-work/additional-compensation review. | Continue with the applicable hiring path. |
| Is the work part of a graduate student’s assistantship and research training? | GRA | Continue |
| Is the work funded by a grant for a defined project? | Review Sponsored Projects Services, GRA, or Student Employment Options. | Continue |
*NOTE: International status is an overlay, not a separate job type
An international student may be FWS-eligible only if federal eligibility requirements are met or may be hired through OPS Student or a graduate appointment. Apply UCF Global requirements to the underlying employment path. J-1 students require written on-campus authorization before beginning work.
1A. Funding Source Considerations
What funding do I have available?
| If funding comes from… | Common Employment Path | |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Work-Study Award | FWS | |
| Department Operating Funds | OPS Student, OPS Non-Student | |
| Research Grant | GRA, OPS Grad Student, OPS Sponsored Project Services, OPS Student | |
| Start-up Funds | OPS Student, OPS Non-Student, Postdoctoral | |
| Assistantship Funding | GTA, GRA, GA |
*Important: Always determine the nature of the work first, then confirm whether the available funding source supports the appropriate employment category.
2. Employment Path Summary
| Path | Use When | Key Requirements and Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Work-Study (FWS) | Need-based, part-time student employment supported by an accepted FWS award. | Accepted award; FAFSA-based eligibility; SAP; degree-seeking and at least half-time enrollment; annual FWS contract; class schedule and award summary; completed Workday hire; direct supervision. |
| OPS Student | Temporary hourly student work paid by department, grant, or auxiliary funds when FWS is not used. | Verify student status, duties, funding, Workday action, and any required background check. Confirm that the role is truly student/hourly work. |
| Academic Support: UTA / ULA | Course support such as grading, course preparation, lab support, office hours, or facilitated learning. | Program models vary. Some are paid employment; others are academic or non-employee experiences. Confirm the specific program, duties, training, payment/credit model, and HR treatment before assigning work. |
| Examples: – Grading assignments/exams – Holding office hours – Facilitation study sessions | Course support such as grading, course preparation, lab support, office hours, or facilitated learning. | Program models vary. Some are paid employment; others are academic or non-employee experiences. Confirm the specific program, duties, training, payment/credit model, and HR treatment before assigning work. |
| Graduate Assistantship: GTA / GRA / GA / GTG | Teaching, research, or educational-administration duties tied to a graduate assistantship agreement. | Graduate Studies eligibility and agreement; correct job code; training if teaching; .25 FTE = 10 hrs/week or .50 FTE = 20 hrs/week; supplemental approval for combined assistantship hours above .50 FTE in fall/spring. |
| OPS Graduate Student | Hourly graduate-student employment that is not an assistantship. | Workday hire, funding, scheduled hours, and student-status review. Do not represent the position as providing assistantship tuition remission or graduate assistant health insurance. |
| OPS Non-Student | Temporary, hourly, at-will employment for short-term or sporadic non-student staffing needs. | Written job description, posting/hiring requirements, funding, I-9/background requirements, and policy review. Generally intended for one year or less; not for ongoing staffing or a trial period before regular employment. |
| OPS Sponsored Projects Services | A sponsored project requires an individual for a set period to provide specific services, complete defined tasks, or deliver a particular product. | Duties and completion standards must be clearly defined. Employment ends when the supporting contract or funding expires and cannot exceed five years for the specific contract or sponsored project. The policy allows the Workday direct-hire procedure for this category. |
| OPS Special Project | A person is needed for a defined, university-wide, time-limited project with an identified result. Work may include administrative, research, technical, fiscal, design, analysis, configuration, or reporting duties. | Limited to two years unless Human Resources provides written approval. It cannot be used for grant-funded employment or for someone named as a party to a contract. |
| Postdoctoral Scholar | When a department is hiring an individual who has recently earned a doctoral degree and will engage primarily in advanced research and scholarly training under the supervision of a faculty mentor. | The individual must have earned a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree before beginning employment. Appointments are typically 12-month positions and may be renewed for up to four years for eligible candidates. |
| Faculty: Research Scientist/Scholar | Soft Money grant that will run out. Time-limited | 12-month faculty line that may be funded through the availability of existing funds. |
2A. Common Hiring Scenarios
| I Need Someone To… | Likely Starting Point |
|---|---|
| Grade assignments, exams or assist with course preparation | UTA |
| Hold office hours (to support learning) or support learning in class | ULA |
| Assist with undergraduate research | FWS or OPS Student |
| Conduct graduate-level research as part of a graduate program | GRA |
| Teach a class or discussion section, hold office hours | GTA |
| Grade assignments, exams or assist with course preparation | GTG |
| Provide temporary office or administrative support | OPS Student or OPS Non-Student |
| Work on a grant-funded project | GRA, OPS Graduate Student, or OPS Sponsored Projects Services |
| Fill an ongoing operational role | Staff |
3. Hours, Multiple Appointments, and Key Overlays
| Category | General Rule | Supervisor Note |
|---|---|---|
| FWS | Up to 20 hrs/week while school is in session; up to 29 hrs/week during breaks. | Only one FWS position at a time. An additional OPS job may be allowed, but combined standard hours must be reviewed and monitored. |
| International student | No more than 20 total hrs/week during fall and spring while maintaining status. | The 20-hour limit applies across all on-campus appointments. More hours may be permitted during designated breaks or summer depending on status and UCF Global guidance. |
| Graduate assistantship | .25 FTE = 10 hrs/week; .50 FTE = 20 hrs/week. | Combined assistantship appointments above .50 FTE in fall/spring require Graduate Studies supplemental approval. International students remain limited by immigration rules. |
| Student FICA threshold | Scheduled work must be under 30 hrs/week for the student FICA exception, along with enrollment and attendance requirements. | This is a tax threshold, not permission to schedule 29 hours. Apply the most restrictive program, assistantship, immigration, and employment rule. |
*Combined appointments require one coordinated review
Before adding a second job, review all active Workday appointments, total standard hours, duties, funding, student category, FTE, and immigration status. Designate one unit to coordinate monitoring across departments.
4. Ongoing Monitoring After Hire
| Review Point | What to Check |
|---|---|
| Each pay period / regularly | Hours worked, time entry, combined schedules, funding balance, and work performed. |
| Each term | Enrollment, eligibility, class schedule, FWS award/contract, assistantship status, and immigration requirements. |
| Before changes | Funding, duties, hours, FTE, end date, job type, supervisor, or additional appointment. |
| Before the final term or graduation | Whether the student-employment basis must end or transition to another eligible path. |
5. Glossary
| FWS Federal Work-Study | OPS Other Personnel Services | ULA Undergraduate Learning Assistant | UTA Undergraduate Teaching Assistant |
| GTA Graduate Teaching Assistant | GRA Graduate Research Assistant | GA Graduate Assistant | USPS University Support Personnel System |
| A&P Administrative & Professional | FTE Full-Time Equivalent | SAP Satisfactory Academic Progress | HRBC Human Resources Business Center |
6. Official UCF Reference Links
The linked pages below were reviewed to reconcile and expand the draft materials. Because web guidance, dates, and procedures can change, supervisors should use the live source and consult the responsible office before acting.
- UCF Global – Employment – International student employment definitions, on-campus limits, J-1 authorization, and work after program completion.
- UCF Financial Aid – Federal Work-Study Employer Procedures – Employer steps, Workday reports, one-FWS-job rule, hours, award monitoring, and term requirements.
- UCF Financial Aid – Federal Work-Study Program – FWS purpose and eligibility requirements.
- UCF Financial Aid – FWS Student Rights and Responsibilities – Pre-start requirements, class schedules, hours, combined OPS employment, and award-limit responsibilities.
- UCF Undergraduate Research – FWS Research Assistants – Use of FWS for mentored undergraduate research employment.
- UCF Policy 3-013 – Non-Student Hourly OPS Employment – Temporary-use standard, one-year framework, exceptions, posting requirements, OPS Secondary, and prohibition on trial-period use.
- UCF Human Resources – Federal Tax Guidelines – Student FICA exception, scheduled-hours threshold, and OPS Non-Student tax/FICA treatment.
- UCF Graduate Studies – Assistantships – Assistantship job types, FTE/hours, supplemental assignments, agreements, OPSGRD distinction, and support eligibility.
- UCF Graduate Studies – Student Funding – Assistantship stipend, tuition remission, health insurance, and complete funding packages.
- UCF Graduate Studies – GTA Training Requirements – Graduate teaching roles and required training.
- UCF Faculty Center – Learning Assistants – Academic/nonemployee ULA model, training, participation, and department-funded alternatives.
- UCF Human Resources – Additional Payments – Dual compensation, dual employment, overload, and additional-work routing.
- UCF FICA Replacement Plan Summary – OPS Non-Student FICA Replacement Plan information.
- Postdoctoral Scholar Hiring – College of Graduate Studies – Post Doctoral
- Human Resources Business Center – COS Business – COS HRBC Website