2021-2022 Student Payroll Guidelines

 

Student payroll occurrs every two weeks based on the annual student payroll calendar.  The weekly student work period runs from Sunday to Saturday and student time entry must be submitted for approval every other Friday by noon.  Students will receive payment bi-weekly into their designated, or if they have signed up for Direct Deposit, the money will be deposited into the designated Direct Deposit bank account. Directions for time entry may be found on the HRDirect website.

If a student forgets to submit a time sheet for approval, he/she need to complete a Late Pay form and have the supervisor approve it; the form needs to be submitted to HR and payment will be received in the next pay cycle. Please note that all student employees are expected to enter their time sheet(s) online by the deadline.  This allows employers to approve time sheets prior to the deadline in order for students to get paid on time.

 

  Student Wage Limits

Student wage rates and levels are determined by the Student Employment Office and are based on the level of responsibility, skills and requirements to perform the job.  The Student Wage Scale, located in the Student Employment Handbook, aids the Student Employment Office in assessing the wage rate in order to be consistent and fair across all UMass Dartmouth student positions. 

 

 

Level

Hourly Wage Range

Level 1

$13.50 - $14.49

Level 2

$14.50 - $15.49

Level 3

$15.50 - $16.49

Level 4

$16.50 - $17.49

    

 

 Earnings & Hour Limits

For students with a student employment allowance (FWS) in their financial aid package, the total annual earnings may not exceed the allotted award. A student may not work more than 20 hours/week during the academic year.

 

Class Year

Maximum Earnings Per Year

First Year

$1500

Second Year

$2000

Third Year

$2000

Fourth Year

$2000

 

 

*Please note that the chart above is for student positions during the academic year and are separate from break positions. Maximum earnings per year do not include winter, spring and/or summer break earnings. When school is not in session, students may work 8 hours/day, up to 40 hours/week, maximum. More information regarding student employment may be found on our website.

The Student Employment Office will be monitoring FWS earnings throughout the year and will contact the student and employer if the guidelines above are not followed.  For more information related to payroll guidelines, please see this section on the Student Employee website.

 

  Direct Deposit

We strongly enourage students to sign up for direct deposit. To sign up for direct deposit, complete the Direct Deposit Form, and bring the form to the Student Employment Office.  Direct deposit will take effect on the second pay cycle after you turn in the required forms.

 

  Student Employee Tax Information

The W-4 is used to determine how much (if any) tax should be withheld from a student’s pay. W-4 forms are available online. UMass Dartmouth also withholds Massachusetts State income taxes based on the W-4.  Students are not automatically exempt from having income taxes withheld. Even federal work study wages are taxable income. International students should check their country’s tax treaty status to determine if their earnings are exempt from U.S. taxes.  Students should direct questions regarding the W-4 and taxes to their parents, an accountant, or the IRS. The tax assistance hotline is 1-800-829-1040.

In accordance with the Internal Revenue Code, the college provides all students with a W-2 (Wage and Tax Statement) at year-end.  This is available by January 31 for the preceding calendar year’s earnings in your HRDirect account. W-2 forms from UMass Dartmouth should be used to file the federal and state tax returns.  A copy of the W-2 for current international students is also available in your HRDirect account. It is the responsibility of the taxpayer to file the appropriate income tax forms annually.