Hiring Students for Your Department (in SOLAR)

This KB Article References: SOLAR for Faculty & Staff
This Information is Intended for: Instructors, Researchers, Staff
Created: 08/01/2012 Last Updated: 04/30/2024

How to become a Student Employment Coordinator

  • The Student Employment Coordinator's Supervisor must submit a request form to Human Resources Student Employment.
  • Once approved the Student Employment Coordinator will be invited to participate in an online training module. 
  • The Student Employment Coordinator must read the Student Employee Supervisor Guides to familiarize themselves with the policies and procedures governing the Student Assistant and Federal Work-Study programs.
Questions can be directed to Human Resource Services Student Employment/Payroll at 632-6388.

Advertising Jobs to Students

Stony Brook University departments use Handshake, the Career Center's Online Job Listing and Recruiting service to post jobs for students. Email in the Career Center (SBUCareerCenter@stonybrook.edu) for help and access.

Once a student has been selected, and if they are going to be hired as a Student Assistant (using the Department's State funds) or as a Federal Work Study Student (using the student's FWS award), they must be hired using the Student Employment process in SOLAR. Hiring departments may designate a Student Employment Coordinator to do this. 


Learn How to Use the Student Payroll System in SOLAR

  1. Hiring Students Video (~17 minutes): 
    https://youtu.be/Hw6VoXUUJ9M
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  2. Knowledge Base Articles:

Points to Remember about the Student Payroll System in SOLAR

  • The Job Codes for Student Assistant (SA) and Federal Work Study (FWS):
    • SA = 1971
    • FWS = 1721
  • If the Appoint link is not active when appointing a student into an assignment: 
    • After clearing a student, if "Appoint" is not a link, then you can' t appoint the student into that assignment. Please review the messages on the bottom of the Clearance Panel page to determine what actions need to be taken to allow you to appoint the student. The system will not let you appoint a student to a Federal Work Study assignment if the student either doesn't have a Federal Work Study award or the award is exhausted. Check the student's award by clicking View FWS Balance.
  • Updates I can make to assignments that are currently filled by students:
    • You can change timesheet authorizers and job skills/description. To make these changes, click Department Assignments, enter you department ID, choose Active assignments and then click Update next the assignment you want to update.
  • Changing a student's hourly rate:
    • Contact HRS Student Payroll (2-6388) so they can make the change.
  • Changing which department receives a student's paycheck:
    • This is the Mail Drop. Contact HRS Student Payroll (2-6388) so they can make the change.
  • Keeping a student on the payroll after his or her Federal Work Study award is exhausted:
    • You may terminate the current assignment by clicking on End Student Assignment. Then create a new Student Assistant (job code 1971) assignment and appoint the student into the new one.
  • Student Assistant appointments are limited to 29 hours per week.
  • Approving Timesheets:
    •  If you don't see timesheets to approve after you enter your Department ID, make sure that you are listed as a Time Sheet Authorizer for any student time sheets you are now charged with approving.