RF Human Resources

Student Titles Policy                                          Hiring Forms

The RF encourages the employment of full-time SUNY students on sponsored programs relating to their fields of study. In order to do this, a separate student fringe benefit rate charge, which is lower than the standard rate, has been established. This rate is allowed if all of the criteria in this Student Titles Policy are met. In order for an employee to be appointed to a student title the employee must meet all of the following criteria:
• The employee is enrolled as a full-time SUNY student. To be certified full-time study, graduate students must hold a full assistantship and be enrolled in 9 credits, or be registered for one dissertation load credit (see Graduate Requirements) undergraduate students must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credits (see Undergraduate Requirements). An employee is a SUNY student during the period that begins on the first day of the first semester in which he or she is enrolled and ends with the last day of the last semester during which he or she is enrolled.  Please note: Reduced Course Load (RCL) approvals are reviewed by the Graduate School; this will require the RCL form when requesting a reduced course work load waiver.
• The employee is engaged in work related to the student's education and training that leads to the fulfillment of academic program.
• The employee is working part time during the academic year when classes are in session.
When any one of the three criteria is not satisfied, the employee must be appointed to a nonstudent title. Then the current established Research Foundation fringe benefit rate would be applied to salaries and wages earned, and the employee would be eligible for fringe benefits on the same basis as other employees.

Academic Year
Students work part-time during the academic year when classes are in session. Full-time SUNY students can work a maximum of 20 hours per week during the academic year. Students with good academic standing may work more hours (but no more than 25 hours per week) during the academic school year to support the business need. A statement from the Dean of Undergraduate or Graduate Studies indicating good academic standing must be sent to Human Resources prior to working more than 20 hours. Students who are struggling academically should continue to be limited to 20 hours per week.

International students are limited per USCIS regulations to working no more than 20 hours per week while classes are in session.

Summer Period
During the summer period, students may work full time (no more than 40 hours per week). Students appointed in the summer must be enrolled as a full time student in the preceding academic semester and the upcoming fall semester.

Hiring Forms
Providing your student(s) meets the eligibility requirements outlined above for a student title, please proceed to the New Hire Forms page for the new hire packet.