Provost
Wage Authorization for the Academic Areas - 2023-24
This page provides guidelines for the employment of, as well as schedules for rates of pay for student wage employees, professional research staff, and faculty engaged in short-term and/or part-time work within the academic areas (the schools, the University Library, and the units reporting directly to the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost). Individuals who prepare the wage actions for these academic employee types must do so in accordance with this authorization.
For technical information on entering these types of payments in the Workday system, please refer to the Job Aids posted on the Human Resources' website under Compensation -> Period Activity Pay.
CONTENTS
- Student Wage Employment
- Eligibility for Student Wage Employment
- Maximum Hours
- Employment of International Students
- Student Wage Worker Job Profiles
- Hourly Wage Payments for Student Workers
- Federal Work Study Program (FWS)
- Summer/J-term Payment Instructions for Student Workers
- Overtime Compensation
- The Payroll Calendar For Students
- Graduate Student Assistantships
- Faculty Wage Assignments
- Professional Research Staff
Student Wage Employment
Eligibility for Student Wage Employment
Students enrolled full-time (12 credits or more during a fall/spring semester and six credits during Summer Session or January Term) in a degree program at UVA are eligible to be student wage employees for the University of Virginia. In addition, students in their last semester of enrollment prior to graduation who need fewer than 12 credits to graduate are eligible to work in a student wage capacity.
Individuals wishing to hire students are responsible for confirming and documenting eligibility for student wage employment as described in UVA HR’s Guide to UVA Student Employment (PDF).
Exceptions to these eligibility rules may be granted on a case-by-case basis with the support of the student’s academic advisor and dean. To request an exception, please contact the Provost's Office policy team directly at vp-admin@virginia.edu.
Maximum Hours
Students may be employed for no more than 20 hours each week during any session in which they are enrolled. For students holding multiple assignments/positions at the University, this hour limit is inclusive of all hours worked across all assignments, even non-wage.
The dean of the school, or their designee, may grant approval for a student wage employee to work in excess of the 20-hour limit based upon the recommendation and assurance of the student’s major advisor that progression toward the degree will not be adversely affected. The advisor’s assurance and the exception granted must be documented and kept on file in association with the student’s profile in Workday. Exceptions may not be granted for international students.
Student wage employees who have worked a total of 1,500 hours since October 1, 2022, may not return to work as a wage employee again until October 1, 2023.
Employment of International Students
International students must have the appropriate and valid visa status and work authorization to be employed while enrolled at the University of Virginia. Based on federal guidelines, international students’ employment must be performed on the school’s premises (including on-location commercial firms which provide contractually direct services for students on campus, such as the school bookstore or cafeteria). If the employment is at an off-Grounds location or for an off-Grounds employer, the employment must be approved in advance by the International Studies Office (ISO) and in most cases by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS).
International students’ employment, if on F-1 or J-1 status, must not exceed 20 hours a week while school is officially in session. No exemption from this policy can be granted.
An international student with appropriate work permission (either through visa status, or work authorization granted by the USCIS) may, however, work on Grounds full-time when school is not in session or during official university holidays. For additional information on federal regulations concerning international student employment, contact Adrienne Kim Bird at the International Studies Office, University of Virginia.
Student Wage Worker Job Profiles
Student wage employees perform a variety of duties ranging from entry level service and administrative support responsibilities to work in support of academic programs.
Both undergraduate and graduate student wage employees should be paid on an hourly basis and complete timesheets for hours worked.
Graduate students performing work that is directly related to their training and degree attainment should be placed into positions classified as, and under the higher pay rate schedules for, graduate assistantship (for more information see item B. Graduate Student Assistantships).
Student wage employment does not qualify graduate students for tuition remission.
UVA has established a "Job Family" for student workers. Within this family, student wage workers are classified using several job profiles, depending on undergraduate vs. graduate student status, Federal Work Study (FWS) status, and whether or not the student worker may come into contact with a minor or a patient as a part of their regularly scheduled duties. Please refer to UVA HR’s Guide to UVA Student Employment (PDF) or consult with an HR Business Partner to determine which specific job profile to use.
Hourly Wage Payments for Student Workers
In order to employ students using the student wage job profiles hourly rates must be entered into WorkDay.
The minimum and maximum rates Job Profile Hourly Rate Max Hours Per Week N/A Minimum* Maximum N/A Undergraduate Wage $12.00 $26.00 20 hrs. Graduate wage $12.00 $32.00 20 hrs. *Managers and unit administrators should note that the minimum wage in Virginia is set to increase to $13.50 effective January 1, 2025; and to $15.00 effective January 1, 2026 (see §40.1-28.10. Minimum wages) and begin to plan for these increases.
Appointing units are responsible for maintaining consistent and equitable pay practices across student positions based on factors such as the knowledge and skill requirements necessary to perform the job; required relevant experience and training; and the variety and complexity of assigned duties.
When setting pay, unit administrators and managers are encouraged to consult the Federal Work-Study (FWS) Pay Ranges in Appendix A of the FWS Employer Handbook. These pay ranges are aligned to the duties and responsibilities of the student wage position.
Federal Work Study Program (FWS)
These hourly wage rates may be superseded by the hourly rates required under the Federal Work Study program. Information about FWS is available on UVA’s Student Financial Services website.
Summer/J-Term Payment Instructions for Student Workers
Individuals not enrolled in Summer Session or January Term may be paid through the student payroll during the summer or J-Term only if they were enrolled as full-time students at the University during the previous fall/spring semester and intend to enroll in the following fall/spring semester as full-time students.
Undergraduate and graduate students who graduate in the spring may continue to work in their current student wage assignments through the summer following graduation until the first day of the fall semester on an exception basis. Such exceptions are only allowable for wage assignments that begin at least 30 days prior to the end of the spring term. Units interested in employing recent UVA graduates should consult with UVA HR on other non-student employment options.
Those students who are not enrolled full-time (six credits) during Summer Session or J-Term may work in excess of the 20 hour per week limit during the summer. Students who work in excess of 40 hours per week, however, may qualify for overtime compensation (for more information, see “Overtime Compensation” below).
Overtime Compensation
Student wage employees qualify for overtime compensation for all hours worked in excess of 40 hours per week (allowable only when classes are not in session). Overtime compensation is calculated at time and one half their regular rate of pay.
The Payroll Calendar for Students
There are typically 26 bi-weekly pay periods in a calendar year. The academic year for student payroll purposes for 2023-2024 is defined as the 20 biweekly pay periods extending from August 14, 2023, to May 19, 2024.
The academic year for payroll purposes for 2024-2025 will begin on August 26, 2024. As such, there will be seven biweekly pay periods extending from May 20, 2024, to August 25,2024.
IRS guidelines enable students who are enrolled for at least half-time (6-credits or more) to be exempt from payment of FICA when classes are in session and during any break in classes of less than five weeks, such as winter break. Students who work during Summer Term and are not enrolled at least half-time in summer courses or research hours must pay FICA. Students who fail to meet the half-time or greater enrollment threshold due to delays in their enrollment at the beginning of a term will also be charged FICA. Once withdrawn, FICA cannot be refunded.
Graduate Student Assistantships
Graduate student assistantships include Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA) and Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA). For more information regarding assistantships, including the procedures for paying wages associated with an assistantship, see the policy, Graduate Assistantships.
Please note that the amounts in the chart below are academic year (9-month) with an assumed 50% effort (i.e. 20 hours per week, the maximum allowable). This is paid as “period activity pay” in Workday.
9-month Academic Year Payscale Compensations Job Profile Academic Year Compensation
(9-month)N/A Minimum Maximum ACD_101504 Graduate Research Student A $12,500 $26,800 ACD_101505 Graduate Research Student B $12,500 $35,200 ACD_101506 Graduate Instructor A $12,500 $26,800 ACD_101507 Graduate Instructor B $12,500 $35,200 Graduate students appointed to a graduate assistantship for 12-months may earn an additional 1/3 of their 9-month compensation in the summer. Graduate students appointed to a graduate assistantship for 9-months may take on wage assignments during the summer.
Faculty Wage Assignments
Faculty Overload Payments
Overload wage assignments for full-time salaried faculty members are subject to policy HRM-045, Faculty External Consulting and Internal Overload.
Before an overload wage assignment begins, departments are required to complete the Faculty Internal Overload Authorization Form, obtain the required approvals, and enter the overload action in Workday as Period Activity Pay/Overload with the completed form attached. Overload actions entered into Workday without the appropriate documentation will not be processed.
Summer Wage Payments to 9-Month Faculty
Summer wage payments may be made to faculty members on 9-month appointments who are employed to teach in Summer Session, conduct research during the summer, and/or who take on temporary administrative work during the summer. Compensation must be based on previous academic year salary. Total pay from all sources for the summer period may not exceed 3/9ths of the faculty member’s salary during the prior academic year. Note that faculty members may not earn overload compensation for teaching in Summer Session.
Salaried faculty members who are paid using a wage assignment are not eligible for retirement contributions in association with that assignment.
Nine-month faculty members who have secured funding for one or more summer months for two or more consecutive years in a row may be converted to a 10-, 11- or 12-month salary bases, as appropriate. Once converted, retirement contributions will be made on the additional salary in accordance with the individual faculty member’s terms of employment.
Professional Research Staff
Please refer to the policy on Employment of Professional Research Staff for additional information.
Period Activity Pay & Pay Ranges
The following period activity pay amounts are based on an annual full time (1.0 FTE, for 12 months, 40 hours per week) rate. New offers of employment to full-time professional research staff must meet or exceed the minimum levels specified below. Professional Research Staff members working for a limited period not to exceed six months should be employed using the following job profiles and paid within these salary ranges.
Base Compensation Payscales Job Profile Annual Base Compensation N/A Minimum Maximum ACD_101723 Research Associate (Non 12 Month) $47,500 $89,300 ACD_100161 Research Scientist $55,000 $131,300 ACD_101090 Senior Scientist $64,000 $152,300 ACD_100621 Principal Scientist $100,000 $262,500 Hourly Wage Payment for Research Associates
Research associates who are hired for a period of three months or less may be compensated on an hourly basis using job profile ACD_101723 – Research Associate – Non 12 Month. If the wage position will continue for more than three days, the hiring unit must post and search the position through Workday.
Job Profile 40 hour per week rates Job Profile Hourly Rate
(Max 40 hrs/week)N/A Minimum Maximum ACD_101723 Research Associate $22.83 $42.93 Research associates paid on an hourly basis must complete a time sheet, and they qualify for overtime compensation for all hours worked in excess of 40 hours per week. Overtime compensation is calculated at time and one half.