Student Employee Pay Rates

Karen Fooks, Director

As most of you know, the federal minimum wage will increase to $4.75 as of October 1, 1996 and to $5.15 as of September 1, 1997.

This increase will effect student pay rates at UF. The federal minimum wage applies to all hourly student work programs at the University of Florida, including the Federal Work-Study (FWS) Program and the Other Personnel Services (OPS) Program.

Students who are currently paid the minimum wage will receive an automatic increase as of October 1, 1996. Since the increase occurs in the middle of a pay period (September 20, 1996 to October 3, 1996), students will need to complete two time cards for the affected payroll period.

Pay rates for student jobs should reflect the skill needed for the particular job and level of responsibility and should not exceed the rates being paid to permanent or temporary staff employees doing the same work. FWS and OPS employees should be paid the same rates for doing the same job.

The enclosed Student Financial Affairs Job Classifications and Starting Student Pay Ranges table is intended to provide guidance in determining appropriate student assistant hourly pay rates based on the $4.75 minimum wage. You may want to adjust all pay classes accordingly. However, please be advised that there are no plans to increase student awards or OPS budgets, so current awards and budgets will still need to cover the entire academic year.

A new student employee pay rates memo and Student Financial Affairs Job Classifications and Starting Student Pay Ranges will be issued when the second minimum wage increase goes into effect on September 1, 1997.

Questions concerning student employee pay rates should be directed to Student Employment (Student Financial Affairs) at (352) 392-0296.