Work-Study

Work-study gives you the opportunity to obtain an on campus or approved off-campus job and earn income that you can use toward your educational expenses. It also gives you the opportunity to gain experience and pursue your professional goals and interests.

Pitzer offers Federal Work Study for U.S. Citizens and Eligible non-citizens who demonstrate financial need. Institutional Work Study is available for international students who demonstrate financial need.

Pitzer’s work-study program is managed by multiple campus departments including Career Services who post on-campus jobs and the Office of Human Resources & Payroll Services who processes hiring paperwork and your checks.

  • Eligibility

    Work-study eligibility is determined during the review of the student’s financial aid application. All students who apply for need-based financial aid are automatically considered for work-study, regardless of whether or not they received, declined, or used work-study in prior years.

    A student’s eligibility is determined by their financial need and year-in-school (grade). The following are the maximum work-study allotments based on year-in-school for the 2020-2021 academic year:

    First-year $2,500
    Second-year $2,750
    Third-year $3,000
    Fourth-year $3,250

    All students receive notification of their eligibility through their financial aid notification letter. For incoming students this letter is released electronically during the admission decision process. For returning students, this letter is posted through your MyCampus2 Portal over the summer.

  • Accepting/Declining Work-Study

    If work-study was part of your financial aid package, you have to actively accept it by completing the Self-Help Agreement (available on the forms section of our website). The Self-Help Agreement must be submitted before you complete hiring paperwork with Human Resources, see Hiring Requirements below.

    Due to limited work-study funds and the high demand for work-study positions, students cannot reinstate their work-study after it has been declined. Students are encouraged to accept their work-study, just in case you change your mind or need it at a later date. If by the end of the academic year you have not earned any or all of your work-study, there are no consequences or payments owed, you simply don’t receive that portion of your aid.

  • Finding a Job

    All student employment positions (whether or not they are work-study positions) are posted on Handshake. Students are encouraged to find jobs that best suit their interests as well as their class schedule.

    Students are expected to perform the job for which they have been hired. You have a responsibility to be reliable, arrive on time and perform your job duties to the best of your ability. Work-study is not a guarantee of funds or a job. If you do not perform the tasks required, your supervisor is not obligated to continue your employment. Thus, it is important that you seek jobs where you can successfully complete the tasks assigned.

    If you have additional questions about employment opportunities, please contact the Career Services at 909.621.8519 or stop by their office in Scott Hall, Suite 126.

  • Hiring Requirements

    All students employed at Pitzer are required to complete hire paperwork with HR to verify their eligibility to work in the U.S. This usually entails providing HR with original and unexpired I-9 documents.

    In addition, all students need to complete an Authorization to Hire Form for each position they have on campus (work-study or non-work-study). Visit Student Employee FAQs on HR’s website for complete details regarding paperwork, time-keeping, direct deposit, and employment policies.

    Work-study students cannot start working until they have completed the hiring process with HR and receive an email from the Office of Financial Aid authorizing them to work. If a student starts to work before they receive an authorization email, their department will be responsible for the hours worked prior to receiving the authorization email. These hours will not be paid through work-study funding.

  • Allotment & Hours

    Your work-study eligibility (aka allotment) is the maximum amount you are able to earn from all work-study positions during the academic year. This amount is split evenly between the fall and spring semester and you are encouraged to earn it evenly throughout the academic year.

    Students enrolled for one semester or participating in study abroad will only receive a work-study allotment for one semester.

    Maximum Hours
    Most students can work approximately 6 – 9 hours per week for all work-study positions combined. You are able to work up to 8 hours per day and 20 hours per week; however, continually doing so will cause you to run out of funding mid-semester. We recommend that you plan a work schedule with your supervisor(s) to ensure that your allotment extends over the entire school year.

    Managing Earnings
    Enrolled students can view their allotment and year-to-date earnings online: log into your MyCampus2 Portal, go to on the FinAid tab and click on Student Employment. It is important that you keep track of your work-study earnings and share this information with your work-study supervisor(s).

    The Office of Financial Aid will send email updates to notify you of your earnings and remaining balance; however, it is ultimately your responsibility to ensure that you do not earn more than your allotment. When you have earned your allotment, you must stop working under the Work-Study Program.

    Not Earning Full Allotment
    There are no consequences for not earning all or any of your work-study allotment. Any unearned work-study funds are relinquished at the end of the academic year. Work-study funds cannot be carried forward to following years and cannot be earned during the summer.

    Exceeding Allotment
    If you earn more than your allotment, your supervisor(s) will be notified and their department(s) will be responsible for the repayment of funds. To remain equitable to all students, work-study allotments cannot be appealed or increased.

  • Pay & Timekeeping

    Beginning January 1, 2020, the minimum wage is $13.00.

    Work-study earnings are paid directly to you in the form of a bi-weekly paycheck (either by paper check or by direct deposit). Your earnings are yours to use as needed; they can go toward paying your bill or personal expenses, such as books and toiletries.

    Clocking Hours
    All students must record hours worked electronically—there are two options based on your supervisor preference:

    • Timecard entry at claremont.edu or
    • Time clock entry (5 student locations throughout campus)

    Students are required to enter hours after every shift and approve their timesheet at the end of each pay period (which is every other Friday by 5pm). Pitzer’s workweek is Saturday thru Friday and the pay period is two weeks in length.

    You can only enter actual hours worked, not scheduled or expected hours. Entering hours prior to working a shift is prohibited. Hours entered late will have to be entered by the supervisor as a historical correction and will result in a delay in pay.

    Breaks & Overtime
    A meal break of at least 30 minutes must be taken before the 5th consecutive hour worked.

    Overtime is paid at time-and-a-half, regardless of the number of jobs you have at Pitzer. Overtime will be paid if you work more than 8 hours in a workday, over 40 hours in a workweek or on the 7th consecutive day in a workweek (Saturday through Friday). Overtime will reduce your work-study allotment faster than you anticipate and may effect non-work-study jobs as well.

    Visit Student Employee FAQs on HR’s website for complete details regarding paperwork, time-keeping, direct deposit and employment policies.

  • Taxes & IRS Forms

    All work-study earnings are subject to federal and state taxes. To determine if you should elect to have taxes withheld from your paychecks, we encourage you to speak with your parents or a tax professional. Payroll Services and HR are unable to provide guidance on tax withholding options.

    The Office of Financial Aid is also unable to provide guidance on whether or not you should file a tax return with the Internal Revenue Services (IRS). However, you can reference IRS Publication 501, which outlines filing requirements for dependents (reference Table 2) and non-dependents (reference Table 1).

    W-2 Forms
    At the end of the calendar year, Pitzer will issue you a W-2 form for your earnings. It is important that you retain a copy of this and any other W-2 forms you are issued, as you will be required to provide them as part of your financial aid application in future years.

    For example, if you earned any income from January 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019, you will be given a 2019 W-2, which you will be required to submit as part of your 2021-2022 financial aid application. See chart below:

    Calendar Year Financial Aid Application Cycle
    2018 2020-2021
    2019 2021-2022
    2020 2022-2023
    2021 2023-2024

    The Office of Human Resources will issue 2019 W-2s by January 31, 2020. If you have misplaced a W-2 from a previous year, please reach out to HR. The Office of Financial Aid cannot access or obtain a copy of your Pitzer W-2.

    Impact to Aid Eligibility
    Students are required to report all earnings (work-study and non-work-study) on their financial aid application and to the IRS (if filing a tax return).

    When determining financial aid, work-study earnings are protected and essentially do not impact the family contribution. Depending on the total amount of income earned, earnings outside of the work-study program may impact your financial aid eligibility. For most students, if their total income/earnings is less than $6,000, there is usually no impact to aid eligibility.