Student Employment Eligibility

All new employees must comply with the immunization policy and show employment eligibility verification as required by the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service before beginning work at WWU. For more information regarding employment eligibility:

HR Onboarding Resources

Enrollment Eligibility

Undergraduate and post baccalaureate student employees must be enrolled for a minimum academic load of six credit hours, or half-time, and must be accepted for admission in a degree or certificate granting program.

Work Study student employees must meet financial aid eligibility enrollment criteria.

Exemptions to Enrollment Eligibility

Break Period Eligibility

Break period employment eligibility requires that the student be accepted in a degree or certificate granting program during the prior quarter and plans to enroll as a matriculated student the following quarter. Work Study student employees who graduate are not eligible to work after their last final exam or during break periods.

Enrollment break periods begin after a student’s last final exam, scheduled last class or last assignment submission, whichever is later. Students who do not have final exams, scheduled class or a last assignment due during finals week, their break period begins on Monday of finals week. Break Periods end the first day of classes of the following term. 

Student employment during enrollment breaks such as summer break is excluded in the 516 hour-limit to maintain the exemption from civil service rules.

Graduate Student Exception

Graduate student employees who have completed all coursework on their approved Plan of Study and are enrolled in at least two credit hours of thesis or non-thesis work such as research or field project required for program completion, are eligible for student employment. Graduate students enrolled for a minimum of two credit hours of departmental 699 coursework (for example, GEOL 699) are also eligible for student employment. GRAD 699 continuous enrollment credits do not count toward enrollment level for student employment purposes.

Credit Load Waiver

A waiver of the credit load requirement may be provided once each academic year for one quarter for matriculated students enrolled in less than half-time (the student needs to be enrolled in at least 1 credit for the quarter they are using the credit load waiver), with the understanding that either the student will enroll for the full credit requirement in succeeding quarters, or the student is currently enrolled in a terminal or graduating quarter.

The Credit Load Waiver does not extend to Work Study students. To remain eligible for Work Study employment, students must be enrolled at least half-time.

Background Check

A student must successfully pass a background check for employment in certain positions that are deemed security sensitive.  Department hiring officials determine which positions require background checks. 

POL-U5315.01 Conducting Background Checks

Washington State law (RCW 49.60 and WAC 162-12) prohibits pre-employment inquiries that unnecessarily reveal protected status. For more information:

Pre-Employment Inquiry Guide

Student Employees Under the Age of 18

WWU may hire students under the age of 18, but must follow specific regulations outlined by Washington State's Labor and Industries (L&I) Department:

L&I: How to Hire Minors

Eligibility Determination and Monitoring

It is the responsibility of the employing department to confirm an individual’s eligibility for a position as an hourly student employee by verifying enrollment with the appropriate registrar’s office. Student hourly employees are responsible for notifying their manager if they no longer meet minimum enrollment requirements.

Students whose enrollment no longer meets the requirements for student hourly employment must be immediately terminated from their student position. Depending on the circumstances, even if a student no longer meets the requirements for student hourly employment, it may be possible to appoint the individual as a nonpermanent employee.