FAQs for Student Employment

No. You do not need to be a financial aid or scholarship recipient in order to seek student employment at LSU.

Many positions on campus are funded by the university, meaning any student can apply.

Some positions on campus are directly funded by financial aid awards or scholarships (Federal Work-study or President's Student Aid), and are therefore only open to students who have applied, been awarded, and accepted those awards or scholarships. If a position is only open to students with aid, that will be specifically noted in the job description for those positions.

Learn how to apply for federal financial aid and scholarships.

You must maintain at least a 2.0 overall gpa and not go on academic probation in order to work on campus. Your supervisor can submit an appeal on your behalf using the Online Appeal Form.

Timeline

• Most Fall semester jobs are posted in June and most Spring semester jobs are posted in November, but you are encouraged to check Handshake often for new positions as departments are able to post their jobs at any time.
  
  
• New Students: Beginning June 15, incoming students for Fall can search and apply for job opportunities in Handshake, LSU's online career platform. You will receive an email from the LSU Olinde Career Center once you have been given access to Handshake, instructing you on next steps to apply. Incoming students for Spring will begin this process in November.
  
  
• Continuing Students: Continuing students already have access to Handshake, LSU's online career platform, and can browse for jobs at any time. 

Application Materials

• Application Materials: Begin to prepare your application materials now so that you are prepared to apply. A résumé is preferred when applying for student employment; view our résumé templates for first-time applicants for additional assistance. While we encourage you to first try to create a résumé using the template above, you may prefer to submit a Student Employment Interest Form with your application in place of a résumé. 

Searching for Jobs and Applying

• Steps for Searching for and Applying to Jobs:
  1. You must have a résumé or Student Employment Interest Form uploaded into Handshake under the Documents tab, and reviewed by our office in order to apply for jobs.
  2. View this help article on how to upload your résumé or Student Employment Interest Form into Handshake for review. This review may take from 1-3 business days.
  3. View this help article on how to search for jobs and apply.
     • To view student employment opportunities you can click the “On-campus” filter. You can also search specifically for positions that require/prefer applicants with work study funding by typing “work study” in the search field. 

Most jobs are on campus.

There are also quite a few off-campus community service jobs available if you are awarded Work Study. Unfortunately, these off-campus jobs are not available with President's Student Aid.

You are paid every two weeks according to the number of hours that you have worked in that pay period. 

For most positions, you will enter your time in Workday and submit to your supervisor for approval. Please check with your supervisor to confirm how you should enter your time for payment.

The Federal Work Study Program is a need-based work program that offers students an opportunity to earn money while in school. After applying for, receiving, and accepting this award, you would then apply for student employment jobs. If you are awarded Work-Study and do not begin working in a Work-Study funded position by the second month of school your Work-Study may be canceled.

The President’s Student Aid Program is an LSU funded work program awarded with certain freshman scholarships that offers students an opportunity to earn money while in school. After receiving this award, you would then apply for student employment jobs. If you secure a job that can be funded by President's Student Aid, you will be paid from your President's Student Aid award amount. If you are awarded President's Student Aid and do not begin working in a President's Student Aid funded position, you will lose the funds for that year but can pick up again the next Fall with your President's Student Aid award.

President’s Future Leaders in Research is a part of the President’s Aid Program that is offered with certain scholarships.  This is an opportunity to be paired with a professor doing research while earning money.

Work Study is applied for through the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA). It is awarded on a first come first service basis and funds are limited.

Your Admissions application will automatically put you in consideration for the scholarships that come with President's Student Aid and President's Future Leaders in Research. 

Learn How to Apply for Federal Financial Aid and Scholarships

Work Study is usually $3,000 for fall/spring or $3,600 for summer/fall/spring but it can vary according to your need-based eligibility.  This is determined through the FAFSA and whatever aid you may already have. (Grants, scholarships, etc.)

President's Student Aid is $1,550 for fall/spring.

You will have to reapply for Work-Study each academic year. View the Maintaining Receipt of Aid section of this website.

President’s Student Aid is awarded for 4 years (8 semesters). 

View this help article for how to verify your aid status and upload verification of this within a Handshake job application.

You would have to apply for and be awarded Work-Study for the summer.  You must be enrolled in summer courses and maintain at least 6 credit hours in order to use summer Work-Study.

President's Student Aid can never be used in the summer.

That will depend on your employer.  If they have funding you might be able to continue working.  If they do not you would have to stop.   You may want to check on this in the beginning of your employment and if they will not have funds you may want to budget your hours so that you do not run out during the middle of the year.

You or your employer should track your earnings so you will know when you run out. You can always contact stuemployment@lsu.edu to inquire about your balance.

Anything not earned by the end of the academic year remains with the aid program.  You are only paid for time worked.

If you are awarded Work-Study and do not begin working by the second month of school your Work-Study may be canceled.

There is no specific time to start working if you are awarded President's Student Aid.  If do not work at all one year you will just lose the funds for that year but you will start again the next fall with $1,550.