Work Awards are issued by the Office of Financial Aid as part of a student’s financial aid package. A student's eligibility for a work award is determined by their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) submission each academic year.
Work Awards are set amounts students can earn by participating in the Student Employment Program on campus. They are NOT loans that are to be paid back. Any remaining money not earned by the end of the awarded academic year is forfeited. Whittier College offers a Federal Work Award and a Whittier Works Award.
Have questions about your financial aid package or eligibility for work awards? Contact or visit the Financial Aid Office.
To find a student employment position on campus or off campus with an approved partner, students are encouraged to utilize their Handshake account. Handshake is a job and internship platform provided and overseen by the Career and Professional Development Office. All available student employment positions are posted by the hiring department(s) throughout the year as the need for student staff emerges. Students seeking employment with a specific department or faculty member may also inquire directly with the desired department or individual.
First-time on-campus hires must submit a SEAR (Student Employment Action Request) form, Hourly Wage Acknowledgement Form, Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification), Form W-4 (Employee's Federal Withholding Allowance Certificate), and Form DE4 (Employee's State Withholding Allowance Certificate) to Human Resources prior to their first day of work.
While students are responsible for completing all hiring forms, their hiring supervisor must complete Section II of the SEAR form, otherwise the SEAR form will be considered incomplete. As required by federal law, all newly hired students must provide documentation verifying identity and authorization to work in the United States. All documents must be the original, physical, unexpired documents; no photocopies, scans, or digital files are accepted.
Students with previous work history on campus are considered rehires/returning students, and will only submit SEAR and Hourly Wage Acknowledgement forms to Human Resources at the beginning of each academic year or with each new job.
Student positions are compensated at an hourly rate equal to California minimum wage. The current student hourly wage is $16.50 per hour. Pay rates will be determined and set by the Office of Human Resources in conjunction with the Finance office based upon the state minimum wage prior to each academic year, or as needed to comply with minimum wage requirements.
Students can work a maximum of 18 hours per week. Pay periods are two weeks long, so students can work a maximum of 36 hours per pay period. This applies year-round, regardless of break periods such as winter, spring, and summer breaks.
Yes, students may hold a maximum of two active positions at one time. This applies to both the academic year and summer Student Employment terms. If students hold two positions at once, the combined hourly total across both positions must not exceed 18 hours per week, or 36 hours per pay period. Students may also not exceed their work award or non-work award allocation(s).
Students who repeatedly violate these guidelines are subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination.
Students are responsible for accessing their timesheets online via My.Whittier and submitting their hours worked for each pay period by the designated due date. Review the Web Time Entry for Students video tutorial for instructions on accessing and submitting hours, available via the confirmation email Human Resources sends students once their paperwork and position(s) have been processed.
Students are paid on a bi-weekly basis (every other Friday) in the form of a live check or direct deposit. Pay checks will be mailed to the student's permanent home address unless the student has signed an agreement with the Business Office to apply paychecks towards their tuition balance.
If you are interested in enrolling in direct deposit, visit the Forms page to obtain a digital form or visit the Payroll office for a physical form.
Timesheets are due online via My.Whittier on the Monday of a payroll week by 12:00 p.m. Email reminders are sent prior to timesheet deadlines. If a student misses the submission deadline, they should first contact their supervisor for assistance inputting and submitting their hours. If supervisors are unable to assist, students must obtain a manual timesheet from the Human Resources office, and submit for processing.
Students are eligible to receive one (1) manual time sheet per academic year and/or summer term if they have missed an electronic submission deadline. Students are not to surpass the need for more than one manual time sheet. Students who request a manual time sheet(s) beyond the one will be held to the following disciplinary process:
Student staff must adhere to all Federal Work-Study and Whittier College Student Employment Program guidelines while participating in the Student Employment Program. Although workplace policies and procedures may differ between departments, below are some examples of policies all student employees are expected to follow:
Be enrolled full-time (12 credits) during the academic year. Students must cease working immediately following a withdrawal, leave of absence, graduation from the college, or dropping below full-time status.
Students will be terminated immediately if found to have participated in gross misconduct such as but not limited to: breach of confidentiality, theft, fraud, falsifying hours on a timesheet, failing to perform essential duties of the job (i.e. locking up study areas, appropriately checking out equipment to students, etc.), violence and/or harassment of another employee, and will be reported to the Dean of Students Office for disciplinary action as applicable.
All general student employment inquiries can be directed to the Human Resources Office at whittierhr@whittier.edu, or at 562.907.4208. The Human Resource Office is in the Science and Learning Center (SLC), Suite 117. Office hours are Monday – Friday, 8am – 5pm.
All payroll inquiries should be directed to the Payroll Office at payroll@whittier.edu, or 562.464.4546. The Payroll Office is located in SLC Suite 117C. Office hours are Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
