FAQs about On Campus Jobs for Undergraduate Students
What kinds of jobs are available on campus for undergraduate students?
There are many opportunities for students to work on campus and they are available in many departments. Student Assistant (SA) positions may be funded by the State payroll, or by individual faculty members' grants. Students perform many functions for departments from clerical and reception work, to cooking and serving food, to officiating at sports events, to shelving books, to assisting a professor or graduate student with research. Virtually every department has at least one Student Assistant. You may want to watch this workshop on Finding an On-Campus Job.
What is work study and where can I find out if I am eligible?
Work study positions are jobs that are funded by a federal grant that is awarded to students with financial need. If you are interested in work study, you should inquire about your eligibility at the Student Response Center, 232 Capen. You must be eligible to apply for these positions.
Where can I go to find an on campus job?
Although there is not one place to search for ALL on campus jobs, Career Services receives many on campus listings. We post them at our web site www.ub-careers.buffalo.edu. You may want to check out some links to on campus employers found at: www.ub-careers.buffalo.edu/campusopps.shtml.
All work study positions are posted on our website. If you are awarded work study you will still need to apply for individual openings and go through a competitive process to secure a position.
You should also seek out unadvertised openings. One of the best ways to find employment is to identify departments you are interested in and approach them to see if they hire students. Some of the larger on campus employers are: Food Service (go to each area), the Libraries (go to each one), Recreation and Intramurals (Room 130 in Alumni Arena), Athletics (Room 102 in Alumni Arena), Residence Halls and Apartments, Student Unions/Student Activities, Facilities (maintenance), The Learning Center, EOP and the Computing and Information Technology Help Desks. For a directory of University offices, go to www.buffalo.edu/directory/ 
. In addition to SA and work study positions, you may also want to inquire with faculty about the possibility of a position as an undergraduate Research Assistant (RA).
You may also want to check the "Help Wanted" section of The Spectrum, UB's student newspaper that comes out each Monday, Wednesday and Friday during the academic year. Watch for notices on bulletin boards as well.
How much money can I expect to make?
Minimum wage is $7.15 per hour. Most Student Assistants start out at minimum wage and may receive a raise after time, depending on funding availability and performance. Work study students can expect to start at $7.50 per hour.
As paperwork must be processed both on campus and in Albany, your first check may be delayed as much as four weeks. Time sheets must be turned in on schedule. Payroll has no discretion; if a time sheet is late, it "rolls over" to the next pay period.
What documents do I need?
Some departments may require that you complete an application or submit a resume. All departments are required by USCIS law to verify authorization to work in the United States. In order to verify this information, you will need to fill out an I-9 form and present proof. Some examples are: Social Security card and driver's license, valid US passport, Alien Registration Receipt Card ("green card"), valid foreign passport and I-20. Other combinations are listed on the I-9 form. Be prepared with your documents: you are not allowed to begin working until this requirement is satisfied.
You will also need to fill out State and Federal Tax forms (W-4 forms) to determine how much tax will be taken from your check. A higher number of exemptions will result in fewer taxes being withheld, but you may end up owing a considerable amount at the end of the tax year.
You may also need to complete an Oath of Office form, depending on your position. This form asks you to take an oath to uphold the laws of the State of New York and of the University at Buffalo. Human Resource Services, located at 120 Crofts Hall or hr.buffalo.edu
can provide you with copies of specific regulations at your request.
