UC SANTA BARBARA HUMAN RESOURCES

Student (Staff and Academic) Employment Guidelines (UC and Non-UC) — July 2026

1. Employment Scenarios & Title Classifications

Employment Scenario & Conditions	Appropriate Titles	Employee Class	Benefits Eligibility
1. UC/UCSB Undergraduate Students (incoming, current, on-break, or newly graduated): Currently registered at UCSB or another UC location (min of 6 units). Taking one quarter off with intent to return. Working during summer and planning to re-enroll in fall. Just graduated and staying on for one quarter in an existing position to finish up projects or help with transition/training of new student employees. Just graduated, and working in a student summer program position in Conference Services, Recreation, Family Vacation Center, etc. Incoming student starting school in upcoming quarter and working during quarter prior to starting school. Note: Job Descriptions ARE required and retained by the department. Submission of the JD to HR is NOT required. JD template is on HR website, under the section labeled Student Asst/Casual Restricted Job Descriptions.	Option 1: Regular Student 4922 Student 1 (ST grade 1) (REG)	Class Casual Restricted	Benefits Group B (see Section 5)
	Option 2: Reader (Student) 2851 Reader - Non-GSHIP - A and C only	Class Academic	Benefits Same as above (Group B)
	Option 3: Reader (Non-Student) 2500 Reader - Non-Student - B only	Class Academic	Benefits Group A
2. Non-UC Students (performing duties normally reserved for student assistants): 1st Priority: Student from a non-UC college or university (domestic or international). Limit to one quarter only. 2nd Priority: High school student (HS interns should be hired into Non UC Student Intern title - see #9). Limit to one quarter only. Student from a special needs school (i.e. PathPoint, UCP Work Inc., etc). No duration limit. Note: Request to use a Non-UC student title must be submitted to HR for review and approval via HR/ServiceNow. Job Descriptions ARE required and retained by the department. Submission of the JD to HR is NOT required. JD template is on HR website, under the section labeled Student Asst/Casual Restricted Job Descriptions. All minors under 18 years of age employed in the State of California hired as an employee (and not as a trainee or intern) must have a permit to work regardless if school is in session, unless the minor has a high school diploma or a GED.	Title 4927 Student 1 Non UC (ST grade 1) (REG)	Class Limited (subject to 1000 hr rules under PPSM 3)	Benefits Group A
3. UC/UCSB Graduate Students Note: Job Descriptions are required for Casual Restricted Graduate Students and retained by the department. Submission to and review by HR is NOT required.
Condition 3a: New Matriculating (Registered) Currently registered at UCSB or another UC location (min of 8 units). Enrolled in summer session. Registered for Fall, but prior to start of quarter, doing summer work continuing into Fall. (NOTE: Newly admitted International Students must be enrolled in minimum units during summer session term to be eligible for summer employment.)	Option 1: Academic Title Graduate Student Researcher, Teaching Assistant, Instructor, Reader, Remedial Tutor or Associate	Class Academic	Benefits Group B
	Option 2: Student Title 4922 Student 1 (ST grade 1) (REG)	Class Casual Restricted	Benefits Same as above (Group B)
Condition 3b: New Matriculating (Not Registered) Not registered yet for Fall and not enrolled in summer session: May NOT be employed in academic or student assistant titles. Must hold regular staff titles (e.g., SRA, Lab Assistant, etc.).	Title Regular staff title such as: SRA, Lab Asst, etc.	Class Limited	Benefits Group A
Condition 3c: Continuing Students in Summer Enrolled in Spring and has an open degree objective in summer (e.g., holds student status). If on Leave of Absence in Spring, but wishes to work in Summer as a student, must enroll in summer (min 4 units) or register for Fall (min 8 units).	Option 1: Academic Title Graduate Student Researcher, Teaching Assistant, Instructor, Reader, Remedial Tutor or Associate	Class Academic	Benefits Group B
	Option 2: Student Title 4922 Student 1 (ST grade 1) (REG)	Class Casual Restricted	Benefits Same as above (Group B)
Condition 3d: Filing-Fee Leave Quarter* Not a registered student any longer: May not be employed in an academic student title. May not perform research work contributing to personal degree objectives. May continue a pre-existing Student Asst title by exception for one quarter only (no new student positions). Must re-enroll if degree is not completed after filing-fee leave to be eligible for student employment. *Excludes Summer Filing-Fee Leave (may continue employment in academic student title until summer degree conferral date).	Option 1: Staff / Academic Title Regular staff or Academic title such as: SRA, Lab Asst, Specialist, etc.	Class Limited or Career	Benefits Group A
	Option 2: Pre-Existing Student Title 4922 Student 1 (ST grade 1) (REG) (Continuation of pre-existing position only; 1 quarter max)	Class Casual Restricted	Benefits Group B
Condition 3e: Post-Degree Graduates No longer registered and degree awarded: May not hold an academic student title. Eligible to work as regular staff or non-student academic employee. May continue a pre-existing Student Asst title by exception for 1 quarter immediately following degree completion (no new student positions).	Option 1: Staff / Academic Title Regular staff title (e.g., Staff Res Assoc, Lab Asst, etc.)	Class Limited or Career	Benefits Group A
	Option 2: Pre-Existing Student Title 4922 Student 1 (ST grade 1) (REG) (Continuation only; 1 quarter max immediately following degree)	Class Casual Restricted	Benefits Group B
4. Student Aid Outside Agency (Financial Aid dept only) - Registered, work-study students working for an eligible outside agency (usually non-profit), which in turn reimburses the University for their portion of the work-study program. This is virtually a pay vehicle for the non-profit agencies. If the agency at which the student is working has fewer than 25 employees, their minimum wage may be different from that of UC. Note: Job Descriptions are NOT required for these positions. Approval by HR is NOT required. JD template is on HR website, under the section labeled Student Asst/Casual Restricted Job Descriptions.	Title 4000 Student Aid Outside Agency (REG)	Class Casual Restricted	Benefits Group B
5. Appointed Official, Student Activities - Registered students appointed to and serving official time on a Board or Student Activity committee (i.e. Chairperson of the Programming Board, Director of Activities Fairs, Pep Band Director, etc.). Compensation must comply with minimum wage regulations. Note: Job Descriptions ARE required and retained by the department. Submission to and review by HR is NOT required. JD template is on HR website, under the section labeled Student Asst/Casual Restricted Job Descriptions.	Title 4329 Appointed Official, Student Activities (BYA or REG)	Class Casual Restricted	Benefits Group B
6. Elected Officer, Student Government - Registered students elected to a student government position. Compensation must comply with minimum wage regulations. Note: Job Descriptions ARE required and retained by the department. Submission to and review by HR is NOT required. JD template is on HR website, under the section labeled Student Asst/Casual Restricted Job Descriptions.	Title 4331 Elected Officer, Student Government (BYA)	Class Casual Restricted	Benefits Group B
7. Student Volunteer - Registered students who are volunteering may receive a nominal payment for services and expenses as a volunteer. One example is students volunteering to be notetakers for other students through the Disabled Students Program. Compensation is paid as a BYA flat dollar amount through UCPath additional Pay. Note: Students who volunteer for more than one day without compensation require entry into UCPath. Note: Job Descriptions are NOT required for volunteer positions.	Title 9920 Student Volunteer (BYA)	Class Casual Restricted	Benefits None (n/a)
8. Student Resident Assistant (Housing only) - Live-in or non-live-in Resident Assistants who work daily with students on an individual or group basis in a residence unit. Payment for hours worked must equal at least current minimum wage. Note: Job Descriptions are required and retained by the department. Submission to and review by HR is not required. JD template is on HR website, under the section labeled Student Asst/Casual Restricted Job Descriptions. Spouses of UCSB students who are hired as Resident Assistants should be placed into the 4126 Resident Asst title as limited appointments (family/student housing only). Note: Job Descriptions ARE required and must be submitted to HR for review and approval via Job Builder.	Option 1: Student RA 4944 Student Residence Hall (BYA)	Class Casual Restricted	Benefits Group B
	Option 2: Student Spouse RA 4126 Resident Assistant (REG)	Class Limited Appt	Benefits Group A
9. UC Student Intern (Paid) - UC students who perform duties primarily focused on providing training for the student's educational benefit. Non-UC Student Intern (Paid) - Non-UC students who perform duties primarily focused on providing training for the student's educational benefit. Paid internships must meet minimum wage requirements. Internships for foreign undergraduate students visiting UCSB under a J-1 Visa: (1) must be primarily for the educational benefit of the student, not the employer; (2) must be a minimum of 32 hours per week (80% time); and (3) can be paid or unpaid. Note: Request to use an Intern title must be submitted to HR for review and approval via HR's ServiceNow portal. Job Descriptions ARE required and retained by the department. Submission of the JD to HR is NOT required. JD template is on HR website, under the section labeled Student Asst/Casual Restricted Job Descriptions.	Option 1: UC Student 4740 Student Intern (REG)	Class Casual Restricted (registered students)	Benefits Group B
	Option 2: Non-UC Student 4247 Student Intern Non UC (REG)	Class Limited Appt (non-UCSB students)	Benefits Group A
10. UC or Non-UC Student Intern (Unpaid) - Students who perform duties primarily focused on providing training for the student's educational benefit. According to revised UCSB Volunteer Guidelines, unpaid student interns require entry into UCPath as a Student Volunteer (9920). Unpaid internships must meet all seven of the Dept of Labor (DOL) internship criteria (see criteria at DOL Internships Fact Sheet). Internships for foreign undergraduate students visiting UCSB under a J-1 Visa: (1) must be primarily for the educational benefit of the student, not the employer; (2) must be a minimum of 32 hours per week (80% time); and (3) can be paid or unpaid. Note: Job descriptions are NOT required for Student unpaid internships.	Title 9920 Student Volunteer (BYA)	Class n/a	Benefits n/a
11. Student Clinical - Same employment scenario as UC Undergraduate Students (#1, 4922-Stdt 1) or UCSB Graduate Students (#3d, 4922-Stdt 1), except the position is also covered by the healthcare minimum wage Senate Bill (California SB 525). Healthcare workers are defined as "employee[s] of a health care facility employer who provides patient care, health care services, or services supporting the provision of health care." This includes all student staff working in Student Health Centers and psychology clinics. Note: Job Descriptions ARE required and retained by the department. Submission of the JD to HR is NOT required. JD template is on HR website, under the section labeled Student Asst/Casual Restricted Job Descriptions.	Title 4930 Student Clinical (ST Grade 11) (REG)	Class Casual Restricted	Benefits Group B

2. Student Employment Title Codes & Pay Ranges

Non-Academic Student Titles

Title Code	Non-Academic Student Titles	Appt Type	Salary Plan	Salary Grade	Salary Range Per Hour (Eff 12-21-25)
4000	STDT AID OUTSIDE AGENCY	CASUAL RESTRICTED	BYA	BYA	BYA*
4329	STDT ACTIVITIES APPT OFFICIAL	CASUAL RESTRICTED	BYA	BYA	BYA*
4331	ELECTED OFCR STDT GOVT	CASUAL RESTRICTED	BYA	BYA	$16.90 – $40.00
4740	STDT INTERN (PAID)	CASUAL RESTRICTED	STSB	ST GRADE 1	$16.90 – $40.00
4247	STDT INTERN NON UC	LIMITED	STSB	ST GRADE 1	$16.90 – $40.00
4922	STDT 1	CASUAL RESTRICTED	STSB	ST GRADE 1	$16.90 – $40.00
4927	STDT 1 NON UC	LIMITED	STSB	ST GRADE 1	$16.90 – $40.00
4930	STDT CLIN	CASUAL RESTRICTED	STSB	ST GRADE 1	$25.00 – $40.00 (Eff 7-1-26)
4944	STDT RSDNC HALLS	CASUAL RESTRICTED	BYA	BYA	BYA*
9920	STDT VOLUNTEER	CASUAL RESTRICTED	N/A	N/A	None or BYA Nominal Payment for Notetakers Only

*BYA: HR recommends an hourly pay rate no less than $16.90/hr and no higher than $40.00/hr.

Academic Student Titles

Title Code	Academic Student Titles
2310	TEACHG ASST-GSHIP
1506	ASSOC IN-AY-1/9-GSHIP
2850	READER - GSHIP
2851	READER - NON-GSHIP
2500	READER - NON-STUDENT
2280	REMD TUT I-NON-GSHIP
2288	REMD TUT I - GSHIP
2289	REMD TUT II - GSHIP
2290	REMD TUT II- NON-GSHIP
3284	GSR-TUIT & FEE REM
3284*	GSR-FELLOW-TUIT REM
3155*	GSR-TRAINEE-TUIT REM
3160	GSR TRAINEE/FELLOW SUPPLEMENT

*Consult with AP/Graduate Division on the use of Paid-Direct Title Code (3143-Fellow/3153-Trainee). Academic Salary Scales can be found at Compensation and Benefits.

3. UCPath Instructions: Hiring & Termination

Positions: A position in UCPath is required for all paid student hires. If the position is new, a Position Control Request Form must be submitted and approved prior to hire. If the student holds multiple jobs, ensure that all FLSA and pay cycle conflicts are resolved. Refer to the Concurrent Jobs FLSA Status Determination Chart.
Student Terminations:
1. If a student employee resigns from their position, the Voluntary Termination Template should be completed with the appropriate Reason Code.
2. All other student employee separations should be processed through the Involuntary Termination Template:
  - For UCSB Students, the Reason Code selected should be "No Longer Student, Appointment Expired, or Never Started Employment."
  - For Non-UCSB Students, the Reason Code selected should be "Appointment Expired, or Never Started Employment."

4. Guidelines on Hours Worked

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS: Undergraduate students are encouraged to work less than 50% time in order to focus on their studies, however they can potentially work up to 100% time.

GRADUATE STUDENTS: Graduate Students are permitted to work up to 50% time (an average of 20 hrs/wk) see Academic Appointments | Graduate Division for exceptional approval to work more than 50% time.

POSSIBLE IMPACTS FOR STUDENTS WORKING 50% OR MORE:

FICA Exemption: If the student's total FTE adds up to 80% or more for the entire month, then the student is ineligible for the FICA exception. If a student has an FTE of less than 80% for even one day during the month, then the student is eligible for the FICA exception. (Please refer to the Business and Financial Services website regarding FICA exception rules and UCSB Student Employee FICA Exemption document regarding eligibility criteria and participation details.)
Benefits Eligibility: Students may become eligible for Core Benefits if they work 75% or more time for 3 months or more. (Please refer to the Benefits Eligibility section of the HR website for more information.)
Retirement Benefits: Regardless of time worked or appointment percentage, student titles are not eligible for retirement system benefits but will qualify as Safe Harbor Participants (DCP) based on FICA status.
Holiday Pay: Students may become eligible for holiday pay if they work 50% time or more during a qualifying QWC or month. For more information on Holiday Pay administration and calculations (especially for split appointments), please refer to the Holiday Pay Resources section on the Paid + Unpaid Time Off Resources web page.
Sick Leave Accruals: Students (with the exception of academic student titles) accrue sick leave if their title is designated as a sick-leave-accruing title, regardless of appointment percentage. Effective January 1, 2025, UC removed the 50% appointment threshold for sick leave eligibility under PPSM-2.210. Please refer to UC's Expansion of Paid Sick Leave for additional information.
Work Study: Departments may require student workers funded by work study to limit their work hours due to the maximum funding allowed per student.
Visa Restrictions: International students are restricted to on-campus employment of 50% time during the academic terms—no exceptions. Employment may increase up to 100% during the inter-session breaks (winter break, spring break, and summer). Please refer to the Office of International Students for additional information.

5. Benefits Group Definitions

BENEFITS GROUP	BENEFITS DESCRIPTION
Group A	Core (if appointment ≥ 43.75% for any duration of time) = minimum of 17.5 average hours of service weekly, measured after each standard measurement period. May meet eligibility for other level of benefits. Refer to the Benefits Eligibility section of the UC Net website for additional information.
Group B	Core (if appointment is ≥ 75% for 3 months or more) = minimum of 30 average hours of service weekly, measured after each standard measurement period. Refer to the Benefits Eligibility section of the UC Net website for additional information.

6. Contacts & External Resources

Questions on:

Non-Academic student employment: Contact your Recruiter or Compensation Analyst.
Non-UC student employment: Contact your Recruiter or Compensation Analyst.
Academic student employment: Contact Academic Personnel or the Graduate Division.
Position Management for non-academic student positions: Submit a ticket via the UCSB HR ServiceNow Portal.

Other Resources:

Academic Employment: Academic Personnel Department Analyst Resources
Academic Salary Tables: Academic Personnel Compensation & Benefits Scales
Graduate Division Policies & Procedures on Graduate Employment: Graduate Division Academic Employment Guidelines
Job Code Lookup System (formerly TCS) for non-academics: UCOP Job Code Lookup System (TCS)
Benefits Eligibility section of the HR website: UCSB HR Benefits Directory
Benefits Eligibility section of the UC Net website: UCnet Benefits Eligibility Section
UCSB Student Employee FICA Exemption: UCSB Student Employee FICA Exemption Guide (PDF)

Revised 3/30/26