Wage Authorization for the Academic Areas

This page provides guidelines for the employment of, as well as schedules for rates of pay for:

• Student workers; including all student wage employees (ie those employed on an hourly basis), as well as graduate research assistants, and graduate teaching assistants,
• Postdoctoral Research Associates,
• Professional Research Staff, and
• Individuals appointed as faculty in order to engage in short-term and/or part-time academic work at the University of Virginia (within the academic division and/or health system).

Individuals who hire and prepare the wage actions for these employee types must do so in accordance with this authorization.

For technical information on entering these actions in the Workday system, please refer to the Job Aids posted on the Human Resources' website under Compensation -> Period Activity Pay or contact the HR Solution Center.

 All other (non-technical) questions about the policies outlined herein may be directed to the Provost’s Academic Personnel Team.

1. 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).

2. Limitations

a. 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 (including UVA Health) this hour limit is inclusive of all hours worked across all assignments, even non-wage.

Students may work more than 20 hours per week when not enrolled, such as between the end of the fall term and the beginning of the spring term. In accordance with federal and state law, the University will enforce paid overtime when students work time exceeds 40 hours per week in any given workweek. In such cases, overtime is paid at a rate of one and one-half times the regular rate of pay. Students are not eligible for overtime leave. Managers should be aware that students may be working multiple assignments.Student wage employees who have worked a total of 1,500 hours since October 1, 2024, may not return to work as a wage employee again until October 1, 2025

b. Flexwork

Flexwork is work from alternative work locations, or on alternative work schedules, or a combination of the two. Students are eligible for Flexwork consistent with school or unit level policy at the discretion of their manager(s). Managers who allow students to use Flexwork are strongly encouraged to establish clear written expectations for Flexwork, either through an agreement (such as this one created by HR) and/or through a unit level policy.

c. Working Outside the United States

The University prohibits remote work, including Flexwork, outside the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia unless required as a part of the responsibilities of the position.

3. 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).

In some circumstances employment at an off-Grounds location may be considered as on-Grounds employment if compensated directly by the University. 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 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 (40 hours per week) when school is not in session or during official university holidays. For additional information on federal regulations concerning international student employment, contact the University’s International Studies Office.

4. 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 submit hours worked in Workday.

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.

5. Hourly Wage Payments for Student Workers

In order to employ students using the student wage job profiles, hourly rates must be entered into Workday.

*Managers and unit administrators should note that the minimum wage in Virginia is set to increase on January 1 of each year in alignment with the consumer price index (see § 40.1-28.10. Minimum wages and Statutory Minimum Wage Increase) and begin to plan for these increases. UVA HR will automatically increase any students below these minimums on the effective dates as indicated.

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.

6. 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 (see A.10). 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 (three credits) 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).

7. 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.

8. The Payroll Calendar for Students

There are typically 26 bi-weekly pay periods in a calendar year. The academic year for payroll purposes for 2025-2026 is defined as the 19 biweekly pay periods extending from August 25, 2025, to May 17, 2026.

Notably, there will be seven biweekly pay periods extending from May 19, 2025 (which is the end of the 2024-2025 academic year for student payroll purposes) to August 25, 2025 (the beginning of the 2025-2026 academic year for student payroll purposes).

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. For more information, please visit UVA Finance’s Student FICA website.

9. Federal Work Study Program (FWS)

The hourly wage rates noted in section 5, above, as well as the payroll calendar noted in section 8, above, may be superseded by the terms required under the Federal Work Study program. Information about FWS is available on UVA’s Student Financial Services website.

10. Exceptions

Exceptions to the policies above may not be granted for international students.

Exceptions to the 20 hour per week limit and the ability to remain in a student position the summer after a student graduates may be granted on a case-by-case basis. To request an exception, please contact the Provost’s Academic Personnel Team directly.

Student exception requests to work beyond the 20 hour per week limit must include:

• Confirmation from the student’s academic advisor that the progress toward degree will not be adversely affected;
• Approval from the student’s dean (or the dean’s designee);
• The proposed maximum number of work hours per week across all student wage positions; and
• The dates over which the student will work beyond the 20 hour limit (ie, from January 6, 2025 through January 31, 2025).

Supervisor requests for graduating students to remain in student wage positions for the summer following graduation should be submitted as far in advance of graduation as possible and must include:

• Confirmation that the student’s wage assignment began at least 30 days prior to the end of the Spring term; and
• Confirmation of the end date of the student wage appointment (before the start of the fall semester).

Evidence of any approved exception must be saved in Workday in the student’s profile.

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. Further, the payscales below apply to all Graduate Research and Graduate Instructor job profiles in Workday.

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.

1. Faculty Overload Payments

Overload assignments for full-time salaried faculty members are subject to policy HRM-045, Faculty External Consulting and Internal Overload. Faculty members are eligible for overload only during the months when they are receiving salary and when their effort is already at 100% (ie 1.0 FTE). Salaried faculty members who are employed on a part-time basis (less than 1.0 FTE) are not eligible for overload.

Overload is paid as period activity pay and must be set at a rate that is commensurate with the faculty member’s current salary.

Before an overload 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.

2. Wage Payments to Faculty

a. Eligibility & Limitations

When a faculty member is paid “period activity pay”, a form of compensation in which a lump sum payment divided and paid out more or less evenly over a specific period of time for a designated activity, it is referred to as “wages” or “wage payments”.

Faculty members who are employed on a twelve-month basis may not receive wages.

Wage payments may be made to faculty members on 9-, 10, or 11- month appointments during the months when they are not receiving salary. Wages may be used to compensate faculty members for such activities as teaching in Summer Session, conducting research, and/or taking on temporary administrative work.

With the exception of Summer Session teaching, which is covered below, faculty wages must be set at a rate that is commensurate with their prior academic year salary.

The total allowable wages from all sources for the summer period is limited in proportion to the faculty member’s prior academic year full-time equivalent salary and available effort. For example, for nine-month faculty members, total wages from all sources for the summer period may not exceed 1/3rd of the faculty member’s salary during the prior academic year.

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 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.

b. Summer Session Teaching

Appointments for summer teaching are made by the director of the Summer Session through the schools and departments. A full load consists of teaching two courses (three semester hours each) over the eight-week session or one course over a two, three, or four week period. A special wage schedule prepared by the Director of the Summer Session, determined by the Summer Session budget, is the normal basis for compensation.

The summer session faculty handbook explains the details of summer appointments and other administrative matters.

Please refer to the policy on the Employment of Professional Research Staff for additional information.

1. 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.

2. Hourly Wage Payments for Research

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.

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.

• Guide to UVA Student Employment
• Graduate Assistantships Policy
• Faculty External Consulting and Internal Overload
• Employment of Professional Research Staff
• Student Enrollment
• Student FICA Tax Exemption Policy
• Faculty Wage Employment