Work-Study Job Opportunities
The Federal Work-Study Program provides students who have financial need with an opportunity for flexible part-time employment. In order for students to establish work-study eligibility, they must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Students work an average of five hours per week and are eligible to earn a specific dollar amount, as determined by their financial need. The average work-study award is $2,000 per school year.
Work-Study Positions at USF
Job Title: Student Assistant
Description: Your primary task is to sit at the front desk of the Thomas Kilian Academic Success Center (ASC), a centralized office for career, disability, counseling and academic support services. You will answer the phone and respond to visitors, which can include students, alumni, employers, faculty and staff. You will also post jobs and internships into USF’s online database, Cougar Careers. Given the sensitive nature of the work in the ASC, confidentiality and strong interpersonal skills are essential.
Required skills include good customer service, phone skills, computer skills, ability to handle confidential information and good time management skills.
Description: Students will call prospective families to promote USF, complete data entry, filing, organize mailings and promotional materials, clean office, lunch buddy with visits and assist in front desk coverage.
Job Title: Tutor (Reading Coach)
Description: Visit a local school in Sioux Falls and help students strengthen their literacy skills. Tutors may help in other subject areas or assist with classroom preparation. Must be able to work during the day.
Tutors set up schedules with the classrooms teachers and report to them if they are sick or need to adjust their schedule. They will work on average 5-7 hours per week during the school day. Usually between 7:55 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. Tutors are expected to always wear their USF ID and go through the necessary background checks prior to starting in the classroom. Any work study status changes must be reported to their classroom teacher and USF supervisor.
Job Title: Assistant to the Athletic Office Administrators
Description: Helping with various day to day tasks in the athletic department (filing, organizing compliance information, game day set up, etc). Staffing athletic events as a table worker, ticket seller, camera operator, etc. Writing bios and assisting with the back end of the athletics website. Other duties and projects as they arise in the ever-changing world of athletics. A background in sports, general knowledge of sports, experience in sports media or a love for sports is preferred, but not required.
Job Title: Business Office Assistant
Description: Duties include filing invoices, scanning journal entries, removing holds, invoice matching and filing.
Job Title: Cougar Central Student Assistant
Description: Previous Cougar Central experience preferred; quality customer service; trustworthy, reliable and able to work unsupervised; available in the afternoons (until closing) and during football games and other Saturday events; capable of critical thinking and problem-solving; retail experience is useful.
Job Title: Stewart Center Monitor
Description: Students will monitor front desk of the Stewart Center (check student ID’s), report misuse of weight room equipment or destruction and some general cleaning. Nights, early mornings and weekend work schedules available.
Job Title: Office Assistant
Description: Filing, assisting with office tasks and projects, texting students, answering phones, light cleaning and general office duties. Given the sensitive nature of the work in Financial Aid, confidentiality and strong interpersonal skills are essential.
Required skills include good customer service, phone skills, computer skills, ability to handle confidential information and good time management skills.
Job Description: Organize costume/prop storage rooms and theatre library, assist in theatre production projects, make copies of scores for directors, file, organize music, stuff music programs, check mail, maintain the music library and may help with the mailings and making sound recordings at concerts and recitals. Act as student representative on Scholarship Audition Day, in addition to assisting organize and train other students for the event.
Job Description: Record data accurately in database, filing, scanning, complete mailings, organizational tasks, assist with special event arrangements and other duties and projects as assigned. Detail-oriented, proficient with Microsoft Office Suite, ability to handle confidential information, multi-tasking, prioritization, organization, professionalism and must be able to carry 20 lbs.
Job Title: IT Assistant
Description: Duties will include data entry, PC and hardware support and web programming and design.
Job Title: Library Student Assistant
Description: Help visitors find information resources, answer reference questions, answer the phone, shelve and organize resources, keep library neat and orderly and help with printers in the library and labs.
Job Title: Mailroom Clerk
Description: Assist with the distribution of incoming/outgoing mail. Customer service skills required.
Job Title: Marketing Assistant
Description: Assists with daily activities. Duties include special projects that help support the University's brand identity. Basic web publishing, photography, writing and researching, video production and social media management are desired but not necessary qualifications. Most importantly, an energetic, creative, self-motivated individual who exudes professionalism, a strong work ethic and a desire to positively impact marketing and communication efforts on USF's behalf is sought for this position.
Job Description: Producing daily/weekly news packages for student radio, video editing and editing news on the website.
Job Description: Lab preparation and clean-up, chemical/specimen inventory, clerical assistance, routine office tasks. General laboratory, chemical, microbiological, zoological/botanical taxonomic skill sets desired. On the job training available.
Job Description: Students may help prepare materials/supplies for labs and classrooms, assist with inventory and organization of simulation lab and supplies, scanning files, filing and clerical duties, mail, light cleaning.
Job Title: Office Assistant
Description: Assist walk-in students, process and send transcripts, as well as additional duties including filing, answering phones and other office projects.
Job Description: Assist 11 faculty members on 4th Jorden with various projects, organization and task management.
Job Description: Operating the front desk, answering phones, filing, data entry, answering student and parent queries, assist visitors, research, etc. Customer Service a key component.
Job Title: Office Assistant
Description: Front desk help; answer student and campus guest questions; photocopy documents for faculty; filing; stock paper in building photocopiers; work on faculty projects; enter data for assessment reports; help faculty with fundraising projects (cake fundraiser, winter and spring fundraisers for local community organizations).
Work-Study Checklist
- Look at your financial aid award notice for the upcoming academic year to determine if you have Federal Work-Study eligibility.
- If you have been awarded Federal Work-Study, you will be sent a work-study application in May by the Financial Aid Office. You will be given the opportunity to indicate up to four different departments you would like to work in during the academic year.
- A work-study supervisor will contact you in August to confirm your job for the academic year.
- Complete an I-9 Form and W-4 Federal Withholding Form in the Human Resource Office. Be sure to have two forms of identification to demonstrate proof of citizenship when completing the I-9 Form. Possible forms of identification include: driver's license, social security card, or birth certificate. These forms must be completed and submitted to payroll prior to receiving your first paycheck.
- Sign your work-study contract. This form will be sent to your supervisor and must be signed by you and returned to the Financial Aid Office prior to the start of your employment.
- Complete ADP training. ADP is the online time clock software.
- Work an average of four to six hours a week at your work-study job. On-campus work environment provides flexibility to work with your class schedule.
- Paychecks are issued on the last working day of the month for hours worked during the pay period. You can use this money to help with tuition and other living expenses.
*Important note: Students receiving federal Title IV financial aid including Work-Study must be degree seeking USF students. Coursework taken each semester must count toward degree requirements. Federal financial aid cannot be awarded to students for classes that do not count towards their degree. Once students have met the graduation requirements, they are no longer eligible for financial aid unless they pursue a new degree program (different than a new major.) Upon seeking a new degree, only remaining federal loan eligibility is available.
Work-Study FAQs
No. We have more applicants than jobs available each year, but we recommend you complete an application.
You first need to qualify for Federal Work-Study. Please refer to your financial aid award letter or contact the Financial Aid Office. Each department has its own qualifications and we will match you up as best as we can.
Work-study employees are paid once a month. Students must sign up for direct deposit. Please see the USF Payroll Department for more information.
If the check is large enough, federal income rax is withheld according to the completion of the W-4 Form and applicable withholding regulations. Social Security Tax (FICA) and Medicare are not deducted when the work-study employee is enrolled as a full-time student. (12-17 credit hours)
Any unearned work-study award is forfeited. Amounts are not carried forward to future enrollment periods.
Yes. You must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year in order for work-study eligibility to be determined. USF has a priority deadline of January 1 to apply for federal aid.
Yes. A position is not guaranteed, and you'll need to fill out an application and contact the federal work-study coordinator to set it up.