Before Working as a student
Before you can begin as a student employee, you must first confirm your eligibility to work and complete your required onboarding tasks. Please note that the tasks listed are the required tasks needed to be completed for employment at the University, but do not encompass specific onboarding tasks required by your department.
On this page
Eligibility
In order to be considered a student employee, the student must be enrolled or accepted in a degree-granting or certificate program and enrolled at least half time. High school students are considered over half time if they are currently enrolled in high school.
Half-time enrollment per semester:
Undergraduate
Graduate
If you are not enrolled at least half-time, you are not eligible for student employment.
Summer Enrollment: To be eligible for employment in the summer term, students must be enrolled in half-time or more in either the summer term or the upcoming fall semester.
Work Authorization
When a student is newly hired, and every academic year and summer term thereafter, the hiring department must complete a work authorization:
Students cannot begin working until the Student Authorization Form has been processed.
When a student is hired in a department for the first time, the employer will need to fill out the Student Authorization Form. This form is an electronic authorization that departments have access to via Mainestreet. Once completed, the student will receive a email to their maine.edu account stating that they need to approve their position before our office is able to process the authorization. Once the student employee has accepted their position within Mainestreet, our office will send the authorization to payroll to process.
I-9 Form
Federal Form I-9 verifies your eligibility to work in the U.S. Students must complete their I-9 within three business days of their first day of employment. If an I-9 is not completed for a student within 3 business days of beginning work, they will be required to STOP working until the I-9 is completed.
You must complete step 1 before moving on to step 2
Trainings
As a student employee, you are required to take online trainings. These trainings must be completed within 30 days of hire for new students, and must be completed annually for returning students.
Please note: Trainings will typically become available to students 5-7 business days after their job is set up on their MaineStreet account. Until your MaineStreet/ Employee Self Service is activated, the trainings will not be available to you.
You can access all student employee trainings through UMS Academy by logging in to your maine.edu account through mycampus.maine.edu. From here, click the UMS Academy logo (an apple on top of an open book with the State of Maine inscribed) under the LaunchPad to visit the training website:
There, you will see several training options. You should select the UMS Compliance Track for Student Employees.
Demonstrating Completion: Once you’ve completed your Compliance Training, submit proof to your department.
Tax Documents
Federal Form W-4 allows UMaine to withhold the correct federal income tax from your pay.
Payroll automatically completes a W-4 on your behalf when you are a new hire. You can make changes to your W-4 under MaineStreet → Employee self-service → ‘Pay’ Tile and then clicking “W-4 Tax Information” tab located on the menu.
Please note: Students will not have access to update their W-4 information until their required I-9 form and Authorization form have been completed, submitted to Student Employment, and processed.
The Office of Student Employment and the Payroll Office can answer basic questions about how to complete the form, but cannot offer any advice on what to file on the form. Students who have tax questions should speak with their family or a tax professional.
Additional Information
Direct Deposit
Direct deposit is mandatory for all student employees. Student employees can enroll in Payroll Direct Deposit in MaineStreet.
Please note: Students will not have access to enroll in Direct Deposit until their required I-9 form and Authorization form have been completed, submitted to Student Employment, and processed.
In order to be considered a student employee, the student must be enrolled or accepted in a degree-granting or certificate program and enrolled at least half time. High school students are considered over half time if they are currently enrolled in high school.
Half-time enrollment per semester:
| Undergraduate | Graduate |
| 6 or more credits | 3 or more credits 1 or more thesis credits for doctoral candidates |
If you are not enrolled at least half-time, you are not eligible for student employment.
Summer Enrollment: To be eligible for employment in the summer term, students must be enrolled in half-time or more in either the summer term or the upcoming fall semester.
When a student is newly hired, and every academic year and summer term thereafter, the hiring department must complete a work authorization:
- The employer fills out the Student Authorization Form in MaineStreet
- Then, the student will receive an email with instructions for accepting their position in MaineStreet
- Once the student has accepted their position, our office will send the Authorization to Payroll for processing
Students cannot begin working until the Student Authorization Form has been processed.
When a student is hired in a department for the first time, the employer will need to fill out the Student Authorization Form. This form is an electronic authorization that departments have access to via Mainestreet. Once completed, the student will receive a email to their maine.edu account stating that they need to approve their position before our office is able to process the authorization. Once the student employee has accepted their position within Mainestreet, our office will send the authorization to payroll to process.
- The Student Authorization Form needs to be completed every academic year and every summer (if the student is working during the summer term).
- The Student Authorization Form must be completed before a student begins working.
- Once completed the student Authorization Form must be submitted to the Office of Student Employment for processing.
Federal Form I-9 verifies your eligibility to work in the U.S. Students must complete their I-9 within three business days of their first day of employment. If an I-9 is not completed for a student within 3 business days of beginning work, they will be required to STOP working until the I-9 is completed.
PART 1: Complete after the job is activated via MaineStreet → Employee Self-Service → Personal Details
PART 2: Bring original, unexpired ID documents to the Office of Student Employment
- Passport
- If you do not have a passport, you must provide TWO forms of documentation:
- Photo ID (driver’s license, MaineCard, etc.) AND
- Original birth certificate or social security card
- International students must provide their passport and I-20
- We cannot accept copies, photos, or expired documents
A full list of acceptable documents is available here.
As a student employee, you are required to take online trainings. These trainings must be completed within 30 days of hire for new students, and must be completed annually for returning students.
Please note: Trainings will typically become available to students 5-7 business days after their job is set up on their MaineStreet account. Until your MaineStreet/ Employee Self Service is activated, the trainings will not be available to you.
You can access all student employee trainings through UMS Academy by logging in to your maine.edu account through mycampus.maine.edu. From here, click the UMS Academy logo (an apple on top of an open book with the State of Maine inscribed) under the LaunchPad to visit the training website:
There, you will see several training options. You should select the UMS Compliance Track for Student Employees.
Demonstrating Completion: Once you’ve completed your Compliance Training, submit proof to your department.
Federal Form W-4 allows UMaine to withhold the correct federal income tax from your pay.
Payroll automatically completes a W-4 on your behalf when you are a new hire. You can make changes to your W-4 under MaineStreet → Employee self-service → ‘Pay’ Tile and then clicking “W-4 Tax Information” tab located on the menu.
PLEASE NOTE: Students will not have access to update their W-4 information until their required I-9 form and Authorization form have been completed, submitted to Student Employment, and processed.
The Office of Student Employment and the Payroll Office can answer basic questions about how to complete the form, but cannot offer any advice on what to file on the form. Students who have tax questions should speak with their family or a tax professional.
Additional Information:
- Student earnings, including Federal Work-Study, are taxable.
- If you file “EXEMPT” on your W-4, your exempt status is only valid for one year. If you wish to continue your exempt status, you must file a new W-4 every January.
- All student employees are exempt from FICA (Social Security Tax) provided they are enrolled at least half time, including the summer term.
Direct deposit is mandatory for all student employees. Student employees can enroll in Payroll Direct Deposit in MaineStreet.
PLEASE NOTE: Students will not have access to enroll in Direct Deposit until their required I-9 form and Authorization form have been completed, submitted to Student Employment, and processed.