Before hiring a student employee, email cireshr@colorado.edu to discuss your hiring needs.

Please provide:

• Position duties and responsibilities
• Anticipated start date
• Estimated hours per week
• Funding source/speedtype
• Whether you have identified a candidate
• Whether the position needs to be advertised or if you already have a student in mind
• Whether the student employee may qualify for work-study funding

CIRES HR will help determine the appropriate job classification, pay rate, posting requirements, and next steps.

As the hiring manager, you will need to identify the duties, responsibilities, and qualifications needed for the position.

CIRES uses the Student Assistant job descriptions, job codes, and pay ranges established by CU Boulder to determine the appropriate classification and compensation for student hourly positions.

Supervisors should review the Student Assistant classifications to identify the level that best aligns with the duties, responsibilities, and skills required for the position.

Resources:

• Student Assistant Job Descriptions, Pay Ranges, and Job Codes
• CU Student Employment Website

*Current minimum student hourly rate: $16.82 per hour.  

Effective January 1, 2027, the student employee minimum rate will be $18.17 per hour

CIRES HR will review the proposed duties and assist with determining the appropriate student job code and pay rate.

Note: Student hourly positions should be classified based on the duties being performed rather than the individual's experience, degree program, academic standing, or length of employment. Using the appropriate Student Assistant job code helps ensure consistency and compliance across campus.

If recruitment is necessary, student positions may be posted through:

JOBS@CIRES 

A CIRES-specific posting option that can help reach students already interested in CIRES opportunities.

Handshake

CU Boulder’s student employment and career platform used for broader campus recruitment.

Work with CIRES HR to determine the most effective recruitment and advertising strategy for your position.

After reviewing applications and conducting interviews (if applicable), notify CIRES HR of your selected candidate.

Do not allow a student to begin working until all hiring, onboarding, and employment eligibility requirements have been completed and approval has been received.

All student hires require a CIRES Student Employee Hiring Checklist.

Supervisor Responsibilities

The supervisor is responsible for:

• Completing the applicable sections of the checklist
• Providing position details, funding information, and hiring information
• Indicating whether the position may qualify for work-study funding
• Reviewing information for accuracy before submission

Approval Process

Once completed:

• CIRES HR will create the position number.
• The checklist will be routed through DocuSign by CIRES HR
• The supervisor and finance manager will review and approve the request via DocuSign.
• CIRES HR will use the approved checklist to facilitate the hiring process.

Submitting a complete checklist helps prevent delays and ensures all required approvals are obtained before the student begins work.

Work Hour Limits

Academic Year

Student employees may work up to:

• 20 hours per week while classes are in session

Summer and Academic Breaks

Student employees may work up to:

• 40 hours per week

International Students

International students may work a maximum of:

• 20 total hours per week across all campus jobs while school is in session

If a student holds multiple positions on campus, supervisors are responsible for ensuring work-hour limits are not exceeded.

Once hired, supervisors are responsible for:

• Providing job-specific training
• Establishing work expectations and schedules
• Monitoring hours worked
• Ensuring work-hour limits are followed
• Approving time worked by payroll deadlines
• Ensuring compliance with student employment policies

Some students receive Federal or State Work-Study awards.

Benefits of Work-Study

For eligible students:

• Approximately 70% of wages are funded through the work-study program.
• CIRES is responsible for approximately 30% of wages.
• Once a student runs out of their work-study funds, 100% of their wages will charge the CIRES speedtype

If a student indicates they have work-study funding, notify CIRES HR as early as possible so funding eligibility can be reviewed. You can also indicate this on the CIRES Student Hourly Hiring Checklist when you submit it. CIRES HR will then determine if they are eligible based on their information in the system.

For a student to be appointed more than 50% during the academic year in any capacity, the department must petition the Graduate School for an exception to the 50% rule prior to hiring. 

A student may be appointed up to 100% during the summer without filing an exception. 

IMPORTANT: The total of all appointments during the academic year should never exceed 25 hours/week. This is equivalent to a 62.5% position. Approval to exceed 25 hours/week will be strictly limited. Please note that international students may never work over 20 hours/week while classes are in session due to visa restrictions.

Fully online petition process:
 

1. The overload petition process is now fully online: https://grad.apply.colorado.edu/register/GSfundingadmingeneralform (select Overload Petition from the drop-down)
2. As a first step, there's a signature page that needs to be signed by the student, the Academic Advisor, and CIRES HR: https://www.colorado.edu/graduateschool/sites/default/files/attached-files/graduate_student_overload_petition_signatures.pdf  
   1. Once the student and their academic advisor sign, they can send it to CIRES HR, and we'll sign and send it back.
   2. Once it’s all signed, the student will need to fill out the overload petition online and upload the fully signed form.
3. After everything is submitted, the Grad School will reach out directly to the student to let them know they've reviewed it and if it's approved – please forward their approval to me or CIRES HR at that time.
    

Student employees are paid on a bi-weekly basis.

Hiring managers should review the Bi-Weekly Payroll Calendar and ensure time is approved by published deadlines to avoid payroll delays.

MyLeave Instructions for Bi-Weekly Student Employees

All CU student employees are automatically enrolled in a retirement plan if they either: work 40 or more hours a week or are enrolled in less than 6 credit hours (undergraduates) or 3 credit hours (graduate students). Graduate students enrolled in only 1 credit hour to complete a thesis or dissertation are exempt unless working 40 or more hours a week. 

• CIRES Student Hourly Hiring Checklist
• Student Assistant Job Descriptions, Pay Ranges, and Job Codes
• CU Student Employment Website
• JOBS@CIRES
• Handshake
• Bi-Weekly Payroll Calendar
• CIRES HR: cireshr@colorado.edu