Summer Hours for Student Workers and Graduate Assistants

Removal of Hours Limitation for Student Employees and Graduate Assistants for the Summer Work Period

For the summer work period (May 16 to August 15), student employees and graduate assistants can be hired to work up to 37.5 hours per week. The usual hour limits for these positions will be removed during this period. 

To ensure that the university complies with the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the following guidelines have been established for this work period:

Possible Full Time Equivalency (FTE) for the Summer Period

During the academic year, student employees can only be hired at 50% FTE or less. Graduate assistants are hired at 50% (20 hours), 38% (15 hours), or 25% (10 hours) FTE. For the summer work period, these higher FTE percentages are also allowed for both employment groups: 

• 64% (up to 24 hours per week)
• 75% (up to 28 hours per week)
• 88% (up to 33 hours per week)
• 100% (up to 37.5 hours per week) 

Please see the detailed information below on pay rates, required paperwork and ACA considerations. The information applies to all student employees and graduate assistants, including international students. 

Student employees and graduate assistants are expected to work no more than 7.5 hours per day, five days per week for a total of 37.5 hours per week. Any alternative scheduling should first be approved by Human Resource Services. Overtime should be approved in very limited circumstances.  

The student employment policy will be updated to reflect this information soon. There are no planned changes to the hours limitation for employees hired in the extra-help classification.

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Graduate Assistants 

Pay Rates

The university has established minimum stipend amounts for employees hired as Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs), Graduate Research Assistants (GRAs) and Graduate Staff Assistants (GSAs).  Given the potential increase in FTE and hours worked, the following are the increased pay period rate minimums and hourly stipend amounts for the summer period:

FTE	Weekly Hours Maximum	Salaried Masters Rate (per pay period)	Salaried Doctoral Rate (per pay period)	Hourly Masters Rate	Hourly Doctoral Rate
25%	10 hours	$426.00	$512.50	$21.30	$25.63
38%	15 hours	$639.00	$768.75	$21.30	$25.63
50%	20 hours	$852.00	$1,025.00	$21.30	$25.63
64%	24 hours	$1,107.60	$1,332.76	$21.30	$25.63
75%	28 hours	$1,292.20	$1,554.89	$21.30	$25.63
88%	33 hours	$1,522.95	$1,832.55	$21.30	$25.63
100%	37.5 hours	$1,730.63	$2,082.44	$21.30	$25.63

*Please note, this chart includes all possible FTEs for the summer.  Additionally, because of the transition from a standard 40 hours per week to 37.5 hours per week in the summer work period, the salaried pay rates above 50%FTE are calculated based on the established hourly minimum rate.  

Required Paperwork

If you have a currently employed graduate assistant that has an appointment end date of May 15, you can reappoint them for the summer work period and raise their FTE to one of the options listed above. The reappointment contract will need to reflect the hours and corresponding pay rate and should be submitted with the respective Personnel Action Form (PAF) and Position Request Form (PRF) to update the FTE. Please follow our normal procedures to submit to HRS (GradAssistantshipEmp@niu.edu).  

For summer start appointments that cross into the academic year, you can also indicate in the comments section of the PAF and PRF the desired FTE for the fall semester (50% or below) and the effective date of the change. The contract will need to list the change in hours and rate on the specified effective date.  

Affordable Care Act Considerations for Graduate Assistants

To ensure compliance with the ACA, hiring units have two alternatives for hiring during the summer and academic year for graduate assistants:

• Option 1: Employees that are hired full time during the summer (FTE of 100%) cannot be permitted to have an exception in work hours above 20 the following fall or spring semester. This includes exception REEGAs that will not be permitted.
• Option 2: Employees that need the option to have an exception in work hours or an exception REEGA in the fall or spring semester should be limited to 33 hours per week in the summer (FTE of 88%). 

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Student Employees

Required Paperwork

If you have a currently employed student employee that you would like to raise the available work hours to for the summer period, please submit a Position Request Form (PRF) to HRS (StudentEmployment@niu.edu) and indicate the desired FTE and effective date.  You can also indicate in the comments section of the same PRF the desired FTE for the fall semester (50% or below) and the effective date of the change. 

If you are hiring a new student employee for the summer period, please indicate the desired FTE for the summer period.  Additionally, you can indicate in the comments section of the same PRF the FTE the desired FTE for the fall semester (50% or below) and the effective date of the change.  If you are hiring above 50% FTE for the summer and do not intend to hire for the following fall semester, please indicate “seasonal hire” in the comments section of the hiring paperwork. 

Affordable Care Act Considerations for Student Employees

To ensure compliance with the ACA, hiring units have two options for hiring during the summer and academic year:

• Option 1: Student employees that are hired full time during the summer (FTE of 100%) cannot be permitted to have an excess hours permit the following fall or spring semester.
• Option 2: Student employees that need the option to have an excess hours permit in the fall or spring semester should be limited to 33 hours per week in the summer (FTE of 88%). 

Please direct any questions to StudentEmployment@niu.edu and GradAssistantshipEmp@niu.edu.