Work study Employment

Work Study programs at the University of Montana are programs designed to augment student educational goals with work experience. These programs aim to increase student skills while strengthening student connections to the campus and civic communities. Work study programs are funded with state and federal money and are administered by the Financial Aid Office, located in the Lommasson Center on the University of Montana Campus.

Students are awarded work study grants based primarily on need and availability of funds through the application process of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. All departments of the University of Montana are eligible to employ Work Study students, as are designated off campus agencies that are approved by the Financial Aid Office as work sites.

To comply with Equal Employment Opportunity guidelines, all UM hiring departments should publicize any and all of their student positions utilizing the UM Office of Student Employment job posting web site at: www.umt.edu/studentjobs/employer

Retention of incumbents in positions from year to year is encouraged as a means of increasing student skills and abilities and deepening the relationships that encourage student retention and academic pursuits. Some students work in full-time work study positions during the summer that further enhance their experience.

Once hired, students obtain their Work Authorization cards from the Financial Aid station in Griz Central. For student convenience, the Financial Aid office also provides all necessary payroll forms with the Authorization cards.

Hiring and supervision are responsibilities of the department, as they work in conjunction with the Financial Aid Office to ensure that regulations are met. It is important to note that Work Study is designed primarily for an educational experience. Many of the guidelines are specifically designed to create these opportunities for students and, as a result, may not always parallel employment guidelines for other types of employees. Federal and state mandates, rules and regulations and University policies governing work study programs are published in the Work Study Manual prepared by the Financial Aid Office and available on line at http://ordway.umt.edu/SA/FINAID/index.cfm/name/WorkStudy. Irregularities that involve the misuse of federal or state funds, such as misrepresentation of hours worked or employer interference with student academic pursuits must be reported to the administrator of the Work Study Programs in the Financial Aid Office.

For questions or further information, please call the University of Montana Financial Aid Office at 243-5373 or visit the website at www.umt.edu/finaid.