Eligibility Requirements

The eligibility requirements for student employment depend on the type of employment you're seeking.

General Student Employment

You must meet GPA and enrollment requirements in order to be hired as a student employee.

GPA Requirement

You must have a minimum GPA of 2.00 if you're an undergraduate, or 3.00 if you're a graduate student. If you don't meet this requirement, you need to get an academic probation permit from the academic advising dean, who may approve your employment.

Enrollment Requirement

To be hired for the fall and spring semester, you must be registered for a minimum of six credit hours. If you don't meet this requirement, you may be hired as extra help.

To be hired for the summer semester, you must meet one of the following criteria:

• Enrolled for at least three credit hours during the summer.
• Enrolled for at least six credit hours during the previous spring.
• Have indicated your intention to register for the fall semester with a minimum of six credit hours.

Please note: If you take less than three credit hours during the summer, you're subject to FICA deductions.

International Students

If you're an international student on a visa, you must meet the GPA requirement and be enrolled for a minimum of 12 hours during the fall and spring semesters. If you're a graduate student, you must maintain nine credit hours.

You're not required to attend summer session and may work 25 hours during the summer. If you take a summer class, you can work up to 20 hours.

Graduate Assistantships

You may be hired as a graduate assistant if you are:

• Admitted by the Graduate School to a degree-granting program on a regular or conditional basis.
• In good academic standing.
• Enrolled in nine credit hours for the fall and spring, or in six credit hours for the summer (as of the first day of class).

Please note: if you're a graduate assistant in the spring and remain a degree-seeking student, you don't have to enroll in the following summer term in order to maintain your assistantship. You must submit an underload petition.

International Students

If you're an international student on a visa, you must enroll for a minimum of nine hours during the fall and spring semesters.

Internships

You must meet the following general requirements to be eligible for an internship, in addition to any requirements associated with a specific position:

• Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 when entering the semester in which the internship begins.
• Have at least 30 credit hours from NIU or another institution by the time the internship begins.
• Work at least 120 hours in your student employment position during the internship.
• Complete an Internship Goals Assessment Form.
• Have mid-semester and end-of-semester evaluations completed by your employing department.

Academic Credit

See your academic adviser to discuss the requirements for an internship with academic credit. If you meet all the requirements, you'll earn a notation on your official NIU transcript documenting your work experience, as well as academic credit through the participating academic unit.