UCCS Student Pay Guide

Student Pay Guide

The following procedures and guidance on student payments at UCCS are in accordance with the CU PSC Procedural Statement: Student Payments and should be used to ensure proper payment.

Students may receive payments for a number of reasons. This relationship may take many forms and should be represented by payment in the appropriate manner to ensure that any payment is reported accurately. Review the following information for a description of the type of payment a student may receive and how that relationship is documented, payment is processed and taxation is reported

Payment Types and Definitions

Awards, Rewards and Prizes: These payments are monetary recognition provided by the University for Student Achievement, performance or competitions that are not related to employment services.

Employment (Hourly): Hourly employment where payment is made based on hours worked. For use with 41XX and 42XX series positions. Hired via Student Employment.

Employment (Contract): Employment where payment is made using a contract and the student receives a specific portion of the total contract amount each month for the duration of the contract. For use with 15XX series positions. Hired via Student Employment.

Fellowships and Trainees: Positions that allow for a student to be paid via a stipend. Use job codes 3204 and 3205. These payments are to aid students in pursuit of studies or research. There is no expectation of past, present, or future services in return for the support. Hired via Hired via Student Employment and Human Resources.

Grants: These payments are to aid students in pursuit of studies or research and are not related to employment services. Awarded via financial aid packaging through the Office of Financial Aid.

Scholarships: These payments are to aid students in pursuit of studies or research and are not related to employment services, typically awarded through an application process and financial aid packaging through the Office of Financial Aid, Scholarships.

Stipend: These payments are to aid students in pursuit of studies or research. There is no expectation of past, present, or future services in return for the stipend. Student must be in job code 3204, 3205 or 3207 and cannot be paid on an hourly basis. Students receiving a stipend may not receive any payments other than stipends through their 32XX position. Processed via Student Employment.

Tuition Remission: Tuition cost paid on behalf of the student by another source. A non-required benefit of eligible 15XX positions when paid by the University (see Tuition Remission section for detailed information). Processed by the Bursar.

Tuition Assistance/Waiver: Tuition waived by the University for a qualified CU employee or dependent. Processed by Employee Services and the Bursar.

Definition of Student Workers

A student employee is a part-time employee who is duly enrolled at the University, is registered for classes and whose primary purpose for being at the University is the achievement of a degree or certification. (See Internal Revenue Notice 2004-12 Section 7. Definitions for guidelines and FICA exceptions.) UCCS will have student employees in 4100 series hourly positions and in 1500 series contract positions.

When hiring a new student, the first step is to choose the correct student employee job code. Most student employee positions (both undergraduate and graduate) can be paid hourly and should therefore be hired into job code 4106 (4201 off-campus).

A position that cannot be quantified hourly and often engages the employee in teaching or research can be considered for a 1500 series student faculty job code. The hiring department must complete a Student Faculty Request to Fill form and submit it via Cherwell for review and approval by Student Employment.

Teaching
Research
Work cannot be quantified based on hours worked

Payments made for teaching, research and/or other activities performed for the benefit of the University, including activities for the University that may be associated with the student’s course of study and educational experience are considered employment payments. Payments received in connection with the performance of service by a student are taxable income and may be subject to federal, state and FICA tax withholding. Please note tuition remission cannot be used as compensation. Typically, payment for services is in the nature of a stipend and is taxable as income.

Student job code information can be found in the following table.

Description	Code	Suggested Use
Student Assistant	4106	Student employees who are paid hourly for work performed. Paid hourly.
Off-Campus Work Study Student Assistant	4201	Student employees who work for a contracted Off-Campus Work Study employer and are paid hourly for work performed. Paid hourly.
Administrative Intern	1501	This title is used for enrolled graduate students doing work that is not research or teaching but contributes to the student’s graduate training. Examples include assisting with the organization of workshops or other training opportunities, serving as the liaison between the home unit and other offices, or other administrative/service positions not adequately defined by another job title. Paid via a contract.
Graduate Assistant	1502	Used to designate graduate students who have assignments in the department but are not involved directly in instruction. Paid via a contract.
Graduate Part-time Instructor	1503	Used for enrolled, advanced degree students who hold a master’s degree or its equivalent, and who have demonstrated competence in classroom teaching; generally have responsibility for a class or classes at the undergraduate level. Paid via a contract.
Research Assistant	1505	Used to designate enrolled graduate students who assist in research and are not involved in instruction. Paid via a contract.
Teaching Assistant	1506	Used to designate enrolled graduate students engaged in classroom or lab instruction and supervision. Normal assignment is to assist faculty members in instructional tasks. Paid via a contract.
Undergrad Assistant	1507	Enrolled upper division undergraduate students engaged in assisting in research. Paid via a contract.
Pre-Doctoral Trainee	3204	Graduate students enrolled in pre-doctoral program and participating on a training grant. Training grants are awarded to the institution or PI and not to the student directly. It is up to the PI of the award to determine which students are awarded these trainee positions. Not eligible for employment benefits; no service is expected. Paid as a stipend.
Student Stipend	3205	This title is used to designate trainees who are not graduate students but enrolled in high school or undergrad programs and participating on training grants. Traineeships which are awarded to the institution or PI and not to the student directly. It is up to the PI of the award to determine which students are awarded these trainee positions. Not eligible for employment benefits; no service is expected. Paid as a stipend.
Participant Stipend	3207	This title is used for support payments made to individuals who participate in specific training activities; examples are: participant costs at conferences, symposia, workshops, or other specific training activities. Participants, who are not employees, related to sponsored projects that are entitled to receive stipends for their participation in the sponsored project protocol. Generally, these stipends are in accordance with the National Science Foundation (NSF) Grants Policy Manual definition of Participant Stipends. No service to the university is expected. Paid as a stipend.

For detailed information on hiring a student employee, please see the Student Employment website and Student Employment Handbook.

Student Pay Matrix

A student pay matrix has been created to assist with selecting appropriate payment types and understanding the flow of payments as well as what offices support/process each type of payment. To utilize the matrix follow these steps:

Access the Student Payment Matrix
Begin at the Start indicator on the top left of the matrix.
Answer each question as it relates to the payment you wish to make, as you answer progress to the next box/step on the matrix
When you have landed on the type of payment you wish to make and located the office that supports/processes that payment please follow the link. This link will take you to the specific instructions you need to begin the payment process.

If there is a possibility that a payment could be revoked or require repayment please contact the Student Employment Office to discuss the specific requirements around repayment and for guidance on how to use the Pay Matrix in this situation. Please note, payment for hours worked cannot be subject to revocation.

Should you have questions while using the student pay matrix please contact the Student Employment Office or the appropriate office for the payment you wish to make.

Tuition Remission

Tuition remission, when eligible under I.R.C. § 117(d)(5)[4]- Qualified Tuition Reduction, is a benefit where tuition or a portion thereof is paid by the employer for graduate level courses offered to employees of an educational institution only if the recipient of the waiver is a graduate student engaged in teaching or research activities for the institution.

UCCS allows tuition remission benefits to be offered to graduate level students in eligible 1500 series positions. Graduate Readers, Pre-Doc Trainee (fellowship) appointments, and Undergraduate assistants are not eligible.

Tuition Remission Eligibility

Graduate students who have received a graduate assistantship in the form of a TA-1506, GPTI-1503, GA-1502, or RA-1505.
As a benefit of holding a GA, GPTI, TA, or RA appointment, a student receives tuition remission as detailed in the Student Employment Position Offer.
A student must work in their eligible position for a minimum of 12 weeks. If a student does not work a minimum 12 weeks the tuition remission may be removed. In the event the tuition remission is removed the student is responsible for the tuition originally covered. The 12 weeks starts on the first day of classes in the fall and January 1 for spring.
The student must be employed on the UCCS campus.
Withdrawal from a course after the census date will result in loss of tuition coverage for that course.
The student must be enrolled in a main campus graduate program.
A student must use the tuition remission in the semester in which they hold the position. For example, a student with a fall TA appointment cannot carry over the tuition remission to the spring semester. Tuition remission must be applied directly against actual tuition charges on the student’s bursar bill. In order to comply with federal requirements, it may not be paid out as a general scholarship or as an increase in salary.
It is recommended that tuition remission be entered prior to the date when students can view their billing information for that term.

Tuition Remission should not be confused with the University of Colorado’s Educational Assistance Program, sometimes referred to as a tuition waiver. This applies only to benefits eligible staff and faculty as detailed here: https://www.cu.edu/docs/benefit-eligibility-matrix . Student employees, no matter their job code, are not eligible for this benefit.