Paying or Hiring Students
Use the Student Hiring Webform to arrange the hire of a student worker or to arrange the payment of a student stipend. When determining the start date, please allow a lead time of two weeks (10 business days).
It is the responsibility of the faculty member to first confirm funding and then to submit a request prior to the start of employment. Failure to follow the process may result in complications including the unavailability of funds or other consequences for the student, not to mention extra effort for the staff. Your cooperation with making the department run smoothly for all is greatly appreciated.
When determining the details of your hiring or stipend request, please considering the guidelines outlined on this page.
Hiring an Undergraduate Student
Hourly Employment
- Student may not exceed 15h / week of work across all university job assignments and may be fully employed during summer or between quarters.
- Student and supervisor will have access to a timecard to track and approve worked hours.
- Undergraduate student wages are subject to the University's Undergraduate Wage Scale and schedule of Job Categories
- The start date for a fall hourly position should be the first day of fall quarter or later. If earlier, the position is considered to start in summer quarter and needs to be re-classified with the start of fall quarter.
- All hourly student positions are automatically terminated at the end of the Academic Year (June 14) unless otherwise directed.
One-time stipend
- A stipend is a token payment to recognize a student for a one-time event or support for a project such as an undergraduate research project. Stipends are not used as compensation for employment.
- Because there is no timecard mechanism, stipends should only be paid after the student's work is completed.
Hiring a Graduate Student
Hourly Employment
- Student may not exceed 8h / week of work across all university job assignments during the academic year and may be fully employed during summer or between quarters.
- International graduate students funded on assistantships are ineligible for hourly employment during the academic year but can work up to 20 hours per week in summer and between quarters.
- Student and supervisor will have access to a timecard to track and approve worked hours.
- The department's standard wage rate for graduate students is $20 - $25. To increase hourly rate based on a requirement of specific knowledge and skills, please email rationale to iklaps [at] stanford.edu (Inge Klaps).
- The start date for a fall hourly position should be the first day of fall quarter or later. If earlier, the position is considered to start in summer quarter and needs to be re-classified with the start of fall quarter.
- All hourly student positions are automatically terminated at the end of the Academic Year (June 14) unless otherwise directed.
One-time stipend
- Appropriate payment method for special accomplishments or assistance provided to a project.
- Stipends for graduate students incur a 12% fringe in AY23.
- Because there is no timecard mechanism, stipends should only be paid after the student's work is completed.
Research Assistantships
- A graduate student must be hired as a Research Assistant if the assistantship is not incidental to a graduate student's course of study ("part of the student's academic and professional training and development"). If the assistantship is incidental to a graduate student's course of study, they should be hired as an hourly employee.
- A Research Assistantship is a form of student employment, earning a compensation package including both salary and tuition allowance for the performance of research or teaching services to the University as part of the student's academic and professional training and development.
- Hourly employment is not a substitute for an assistantship appointment.
- To request a Research Assistantship, please contact the Student Services Officer.