Enrollment requirements applicable to graduate assistants are defined by university policy ACAF 4.00 Graduate Assistantships.

An undergraduate student enrolled at USC in at least six (6) credit hours is eligible for student employment. Graduate students without graduate assistantships do not have a minimum enrollment requirement. For more information, please review Student Employment Policy.

International students are permitted to work on-campus as part of their immigration status. There are different types of work authorizations depending on the purpose of employment and the student’s immigration status. Visit International Student Services for more information.

Student employees should not work more than 20 hours per week during the academic term.

Undergraduate Students

Recommended to work no more than 20 hours per week during the academic year, cannot exceed 40 hours a week across all active positions.

Federal Work Study Positions

Limited to work up to 20 hours per week during the academic year and up to 40 hours per week during official school breaks.

Graduate Students

Recommended to work no more than 20 hours per week. Students with assistantships are not permitted to work more than 20 hours per week. With an approved appeal by the Graduate School, students with assistantships can work 21-25 hours per week. During the summer months, students with assistantships are permitted to work up to 28 hours without the requirement of an appeal. Students without an assistantship can work up to 40 hours a week across all active positions.  For more information, review university policy ACAF 4.0.

International Students

Can work up to 20 hours per week during the academic year and up to 40 hours during official school breaks. For more information, visit International Student Services.

Accurately establish the number of hours a student is expected to work each week to avoid issues with the recommended limit of 20 hours per week.

Most student employees do not require a background check unless they fall into certain categories. For example, student employees who are handling money, working with minors, involved in direct patient care, or have key access will require a background check.  For more information, please review HR Policy 1.90 Background Screenings and Professional References.

All U.S. employers must complete and retain Form I-9 for each employee, including citizens and non-citizens. At USC, student employees must complete Form I-9 to verify their eligibility to work in the U.S. before starting their job.

• On or before the first day: The student hire representative initiates the electronic process in I-9 Advantage and ensures section one is completed by the student.
• Within the first three days:  The student employee will need to present UNEXPIRED and ORIGINAL documents from the Form I-9 List of Acceptable Documents to the student hire representative to complete section two of the verification. Review the Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification Employee Information Sheet for more information.

Schools and units must verify students' employment eligibility and correct any issues before allowing them to work. Non-compliant students cannot work.

Contact your assigned Human Resources Contact for further assistance.

Along with Form I-9 and the potential background screening, there are several other onboarding steps that a student employee must complete once they have been hired into the HR/Payroll system. Visit the New Student Employee Checklist for more information.

International students may have additional onboarding steps to complete before they can be hired and before their first day of work. Visit the International Student Employment Guide for more information.

All USC students must have health insurance per university policy STAF 7.00 . Information on the Student Health Insurance Plan can be found on Student Health Services webpage. Student employees are generally not eligible for the SC State Health Insurance. However, an offer of employer coverage will be extended to student employees who qualify based on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and university guidelines. Contact the Benefits Office for further information.

Student employees do not receive paid vacation, sick leave, or holiday pay. If they are sick, they must notify their supervisor each day of absence. On holidays, they are paid at their regular hourly rate if they work. For more details, refer to the USC Holiday Schedule.

Student employees are generally not required to work if classes are canceled and the university has reduced or suspended operations.

Graduate student employees may be eligible for tuition and fee awards based on their appointment type and other criteria. Visit the Graduate School for more information.

To receive a paycheck, student employees must:

• Complete Form I-9 with original, unexpired documents verified on their first day.
• Set up or update direct deposit information.
• Complete Form W-4 and Form SC-4 (international students must submit paper copies to Payroll Services).
• Log hours worked in the Time and Absence System (hourly employees only).
• Have their supervisor approve timesheets before the payroll lockout date.

For more details, refer to the International Student Employment Guide .

Student employees might be exempt from FICA taxes if they meet specific IRS criteria. However, if their student status changes, such as working over the summer, their FICA exemption could be affected. For more details, check USC's policy on FICA exemptions for students.

The International Student Employment Guide provides an overview of and instructions for navigating the student employment process for international students as well as supervisors or student hire representatives involved in hiring an international student.

Visit International Student and Scholar Support (ISSS) for more information or to speak with an advisor regarding on-campus student employment.

Student employees with concerns about discrimination or harassment connected to their employment with USC should contact the Office of Civil Rights & Title IX.