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• You must report to the Business Office to receive your CLEARANCE FORM. There should be three signatures on this form: one from the Financial Aid Office, one from the Business office and one from Payroll. If any of these signatures are missing, you must go to that office to collect the signature. You then report to the Work Study Coordinator with the form.
• You meet with the Work-Study Coordinator at which time job availability will be discussed, and a job description will be issued to you. You are responsible for calling the supervisor to interview for the position. If you are hired, the supervisor will return the signed job description to the Work-Study Coordinator.
• Once you are working, you will enter your time every other Friday (on schedule stipulated by Payroll) on WebAdvisor. When you complete this task, your supervisor will receive an email asking them to review your time and approve or disapprove. You will receive an email when your supervisor has finished.
• Once employed, you should perform all assigned tasks in a mature and responsible manner.
• You must follow all rules, policies, and procedures of the FWS program as outlined in this guide and in the department in which you are employed.
• You should be dependable and punctual. You should be on the job when expected and keep busy. You should complete all duties as assigned by the supervisor in a thorough and timely manner.
• You should inquire about the position/department dress code and adhere to the policy.
• You should give your employer as much notice as possible if you are going to be late or absent or if you are leaving the job for any reason. You must also contact the Work-Study Coordinator if permanently leaving the assigned position.
• You cannot work during the hours you should be in class. Even if a class is canceled for the day or dismissed early, you cannot work during the hours your schedule indicates there is a class. Also you may not work past graduation unless you are registered in a class.
• You must notify the Financial Aid office if the following should occur: a change of name, address, phone number, financial status or enrollment pattern. NOTE: You must enroll at least half-time (6 hours of course work) each semester to remain eligible for a work-study award. You should notify the Financial Aid office if changing enrollment status and before dropping any class.

Eligibility:

FWS employment is awarded based on eligibility as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You should enroll full-time (at least 12 hours of course work) and must be enrolled at least half-time (at least 6 hours of course work) to qualify for a work-study award. Enrollment of less than a half-time basis will result in a cancellation of the work-study award and a reduction to your financial aid award. In order to remain eligible for FWS employment, you must remain enrolled in good academic standing throughout the semester. Under the FWS program, you are in good academic standing if:

1. you are eligible to continue attending Coker College.
2. you are making Satisfactory Academic Progress toward the completion of your course of study. A statement of this policy is available in the Financial Aid Office.

NOTE: Do not drop any classes without first contacting the Financial Aid Office. Failure to maintain enrollment throughout the semester on at least a half-time basis will result in dismissal from the FWS program for the duration of the semester and may ultimately compromise your financial aid in the future.

Hourly Employment:

The FWS program bases wages on an hourly rate. Compensation is made only for actual hours worked, excluding lunch breaks, sick time, holidays, or any other time you are away from work. The timesheet should reflect only time worked (ending at the start of a break and beginning again at the end of a break, etc.). Breaks and other short interruptions are allowed only when approved by the supervisor.

In the Coker College FWS program, you are considered a temporary employee and are not eligible for regular employee benefits including group insurance, retirement, sick leave, vacation time, etc. However, you are eligible for workers compensation if you are injured in the course of performing your job duties. (See the section on the College Safety Program.)

Weekly Hours Worked:

You must not exceed 40 hours per week. Overtime is NOT allowed! If you are working more than one job, the combination of these jobs cannot exceed 40 hours per week. During periods of regular enrollment, it is not recommended to work over 20 hours per week in order to allow time for studies, sports, and/or other extracurricular activities.

You and your supervisor should determine a feasible schedule before employment begins. The Work-Study Coordinator will keep both you and your supervisor informed throughout the year on the amount of your hours remaining. Again, this is only accurate if all timesheets are turned in on time.

Limitations on Earnings:

The amount of your award is the maximum that can be earned during the award period. The award period for the academic year is July 1 through June 30. The award period may vary for students who are not enrolled for the full year. The award amount represents the gross salary paid to you. If you desire a change to the total award amount, you should notify the Financial Aid Office.

Changing a Job:

When you accept a job assignment, it is expected that you will stay on the job for the entire award period. A conflicting class and/or work schedule, or personal reason(s) may necessitate changing positions mid-semester or at the beginning of the next semester. Job changes should not occur without an appropriate reason, and you must receive permission from your current supervisor and the Work-Study Coordinator.

NOTE: You can only receive authorization for one mid-year job change. However, you may hold more than one position to fulfill all awarded hours.

You and your supervisor should determine a feasible schedule before employment begins. The Work-Study Coordinator will keep both you and your supervisor informed throughout the year on the amount of your hours remaining. Again, this is only accurate if all timesheets are turned in on time.

Release of Information / References:

If asked for a reference from a potential employer, the Work-Study Coordinator will only verify dates of employment.

Applying for Future Financial Aid and Work-study:

Awards are not automatically renewed from year to year or for the summer term(s). It is your responsibility to reapply annually for Federal Student Aid. Free Applications for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the next academic year are available each January in the Financial Aid Office. Financial Aid Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30am until 5:00pm. You can also access the FAFSA via the web at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Eligibility for a work-study award is determined by the Financial Aid Office when the FAFSA information is received in the office. Awards are based on fall and spring attendance and are given based on the date that federal aid information is received. Summer awards are not automatic and are contingent on the availability of funds. If you don’t work all of your awarded hours, your award may be reduced for the next academic year.

Coker College Safety Program:

Coker College takes seriously its responsibility as an employer for the safety of each employee. Each employee has the right to work in a safe environment; therefore, we provide safety training and equipment in work areas that have been identified as hazardous and which require special protection and worker’s compensation insurance.

The supervisor should inspect the work area for any safety hazards and make the needed modifications. It is crucial that we provide training for any employee who works with chemicals or lifting heavy packages weighing more than 35 pounds. The duties of the supervisor include notification to the Human Resources Office of any work-related injury and investigation of the accident.

All employees must follow safe work habit guidelines and use all safety equipment provided to prevent work-related injuries and illnesses. The employee should also take responsibility to inspect the work site for any potential safety hazards that need to be corrected (i.e. wires laying on the floor that could cause a fall) and alert the College of any problems. Please remember that you must let the supervisor know immediately about any injury or illness that is work related! You may lose benefits should you wait too long to notify your supervisor.

Worker injuries which are the result of horseplay will result in discipline or dismissal of all employees involved.

Workers Compensation Insurance premiums are paid by Coker College. It provides payment for medical care, prescriptions, and income benefits when an employee has an injury or illness that is the result of a work-related accident

Disciplinary and Appeals Process:

Employers have the option of disciplining/terminating a work-study student if work is unsatisfactory or if a student is not dependable. The following steps must be taken by employers for any disciplinary action toward work-study students:

1st Warning (Verbal): If a student’s work performance is unsatisfactory, he/she should receive at least one verbal warning. The supervisor should discuss the problem with the student and give the student the opportunity to improve performance. The supervisor should keep a written record of the conversation detailing specific problems and positive solutions.

2nd Warning (Written): For a 2nd offense, the student must receive a written statement defining specific problems and evidence that efforts have not been made to improve performance as discussed during 1st Verbal Warning.

3rd Warning (Written / Termination Option): For a 3rd offense, the student may be given final written warning and/or termination notice. A dated copy of this notice must be forwarded immediately to the Work-Study Coordinator.

Appeals Process: Within 10 calendar days of the date on the termination notice, the student may file a notice of appeal with the Director of Financial Aid and the Work-Study Coordinator. These representatives will assemble an appeals committee of Coker faculty, staff, and/or students. The Work-Study Coordinator and a Financial Aid representative will preside but will have no votes in the appeal proceeding. The scope of the appeals committee is solely to determine the validity of the termination.

It is important for supervisors and work-study students to remember that the Work-Study Coordinator can be used as a resource for conflict resolution. If at any point in the termination process, one or both of the parties wish to seek individual or group counseling on the situation, they should contact the Work-Study Coordinator for an appointment. It is possible for the work-study student to be reassigned to another position if the student is unhappy in the current job. REMINDER: Work-study students can only receive authorization for one mid-year job change.