I would like to hire a student; what do I do?
Hiring an Undergraduate Student:
What Job Title should I use?
ISBER only hires undergraduate students into the Student Assistant Job Title:
Student Assistant (Job Title 4922)
Under supervision, Student Assistants perform duties ranging from unskilled to skilled and/or specialized in a variety of positions that typically require the use of manual, clerical, advising, public contact, and/or analytical skills, and perform other related duties as required. The series is characterized by the generally temporary nature of appointments, the general absence of continuing responsibility for the work performed, and the diversity of duties that may be assigned.
How much should I pay them?
As of January 1st, 2026, the current salary range is $16.90 - $40.00 per hour. The California minimum wage increases yearly on January 1st.
The current Composite Benefits Rate as of 7/1/26 is 1.2%, so when budgeting for the position please keep this in mind.
If your funding source is one that gets charged GAEL (General, Automobile, Employment Liability), when budgeting please keep in mind that the new rate as of 7/1/26 is 2.42%.
How many hours can they work?
Most undergrads work 50% FTE (20 hours per week) or less
They can work up to 100% FTE (40 hours per week) total between all active appointments
International students can only work up to 50% FTE total during the academic quarter, but are allowed to work more during the inter-quarter break periods and over the Summer quarter. Please visit here to see the current Academic Year’s inter-quarter break periods and the maximum amount of hours that are allowed to be worked during those times.
The Student Assistant job description doesn't sound like what I need, are there other options?
If you are unsure if the Student Assistant position fits your needs, please contact the ISBER Student Payroll and Personnel Assistant, Danielle Crowder (dcrowder@isber.ucsb.edu) for further discussion.
Hiring a Graduate Student
What Job Title should I use?
Please read the following sections to determing which Job Title best suits your employment needs:
Student Assistant (4922)
Under supervision, Student Assistants perform duties ranging from unskilled to skilled and/or specialized in a variety of positions that typically require the use of manual, clerical, advising, public contact, and/or analytical skills, and perform other related duties as required. The series is characterized by the generally temporary nature of appointments, the general absence of continuing responsibility for the work performed, and the diversity of duties that may be assigned.
As of January 1st, 2026, the current salary range is $16.90 - $40.00 per hour. The California minimum wage increases yearly on January 1st.
The current Composite Benefits Rate as of 7/1/26 is 1.2%, so when budgeting for the position please keep this in mind.If your funding source is one that gets charged GAEL (General, Automobile, Employment Liability), when budgeting please keep in mind that the new rate as of 7/1/26 is 2.42%.
Graduate Student Researcher (3284)A Graduate Student Researcher is a registered UC graduate student who performs research related to the student’s degree program in an academic department or research unit under the direction of a faculty member or Principal Investigator. Graduate Student Researchers are selected for high achievement and promise as creative scholars; they may collaborate in the publication of research results as determined by supervising faculty members. Graduate Student Researchers may not be assigned teaching, administrative or general assistance duties.
Graduate Student Researchers are paid salaries on a Step rate scale, the minimum Step required being based on the amount of previous quarters of GSR experience.
The current Step rates for the 2026-27 Academic Year are as follows (amounts are shown at 50% FTE):
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During the academic year (Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters), GSR appointments qualify for fee remission.
Appointments between 25% - 34% FTE qualify for Partial Fee Remission. This includes payment of 100% of the University’s mandatory fees; Student Services Fee, Tuition, Non-Resident Tuition when applicable, and Health Insurance (GSHIP). Partial Remission does not currently include the payment of UCSB Campus Based Fees.
Appointments at 35% FTE and above qualify for Full Fee Remission. This includes payment of 100% of the University’s mandatory fees; Student Services Fee, Tuition, Non-Resident Tuition when applicable, and Health Insurance (GSHIP), as well as UCSB Campus Based Fees.
The current Composite Benefits Rate as of 7/1/26 is 1.2%, so when budgeting for the position please keep this in mind.
If your funding source is one that gets charged GAEL (General, Automobile, Employment Liability), when budgeting please keep in mind that the new rate as of 7/1/26 is 2.42%.
Please see this document for more specific information and estimates of the current costs to employ a Graduate Student Researcher.
I still don't know which Job Title best fits my needs, what should I do?
If you are unsure which position fits your needs, please contact the ISBER Student Payroll and Personnel Assistant to discuss further.
How may hours can they work?
Graduate student employees are limited to 50% FTE (20 hours per week) during the academic year (Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters).
During the Summer quarter or during the inter-quarter term periods (breaks), a graduate student employee can be employed above that limit. If further employment is desired during the academic year that would put the student above 50% FTE, please let us know and we will work with the student’s home department to determine if they are eligible for an Exception to this policy.
International students do not qualify for this possible exemption. If they are employed at 50% FTE total during the academic quarters, they are only eligible to be hired additionally during the inter-quarter break periods or over the Summer quarter. Please visit here to see the current Academic Year’s inter-quarter break periods and the maximum amount of hours that are allowed to be worked during those times.
I know who I would like to hire, where do I send my request?
Please submit your request via the ISBER Student Employment Request Form and fill out the required information, selecting the “New Appointment” option. You will be directed to the required sections based on the answers you select.
I want to change some details of my student employee's appointment, where do I sent my request?
Please submit your request via the ISBER Student Employment Request Form and fill out the required information, selecting the “Modify Current Appointment” option. You will be directed to the required sections based on the answers you select.
Once a student has graduated, can I still employ them?
If it is an undergraduate or graduate student who has just graduated and has an existing position, they are allowed to continue working for one more quarter in that same position to finish up projects or help with transition/training of new student employees.
If it is a graduate student, they may not hold an Academic Student title.
If the student did not have an active position, it may be possible to hire them for a limited period of time in a Limited Staff title. Titles such as Lab Assistant and Staff Research Associate are restricted to specific hourly rates, require a formal job description, and are represented by union contracts.
Lab Assistant Series ConceptsStaff Research Associate Series Concepts
Please contact the ISBER Personnel Team about this special circumstance.
My student employee has Work-Study, how does that affect their appointment and my funding source?
Undergraduate and Graduate students who have been awarded Work-Study may select to use it for the appointment they are being hired for. If they wish to do this, they will be asked to provide the ISBER Personnel team with their Work-Study Referral Form so we can fill it out and send it to the Financial Aid office for processing.
There is a 40/60 funding split when dealing with Work Study. The department funding source used for the student employee’s appointment is charged 40% of the gross earnings plus a 10% administrative fee, while the Work-Study Program is charged the remaining 60% of the gross earnings.
For example, if a student’s gross earnings are $100, $40 is the department’s cover, $10 is the administrative fee from the department, and $60 is the Work-Study program’s cover.
Benefits are fully charged to the department funding source.
The cut-off period typically falls during Winter quarters.
The recommended guideline for student Work-Study appointments is 37.5% FTE - 50% FTE (15 - 20 hours per week).
For more detailed information, please visit the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarship’s Work-Study Employers page.
I need to complete my Employment Verification Form I-9, how do I do that?
- You will submit your contact information and the contact information for your desired remote verifier via the corresponding Google Form. Our team will then pass that information along to the I-9 staff at BFS. The remote verifier must meet the following criteria:
- Over the age of 18
- Must meet with you in-person - video conferencing or email is not acceptable
- Must not be related to you by blood or marriageEmployees often use a friend, roommate, partner, or their intended supervisor/PI as a remote verifier.
- BFS will send you an email (from employment.authorization@universityofcalifornia.edu) with the subject line “For I-9 for New Hire: Must complete prior to work). The email will contain a link where you will complete Section 1 of the Form I-9. This must be completed by the your first day of work. Please see the list of Acceptable Form I-9 Documents here to determine which you will use for the process.
- After Section 1 has been completed, BFS will send the selected remote verifier an email with a link where they can complete Section 2 of the Form I-9. This must be completed within three days of your first day of work.
- This section must be completed in person. You must meet with your remote verifier to provide your verification document(s) (the same one(s) you used to complete Section 1).
- The remote verifier will use the documents to complete the required information on the form, and they will need to take a picture of the documents and upload them to the online form - no scans or PDFs will be accepted. Please ensure that there is no glare from light obscuring any of the document’s information in the picture, and do not alter or crop the image in any way before uploading. If this happens, it will be rejected and you will need to restart this step.
I have questions that have not been answered here, who do I contact for help?
For questions regarding regular Staff or non-student Academic employment, please contact ISBER’s Personnel and Payroll Manager, Anne Turley (anne@isber.ucsb.edu).
For questions regarding Student employment, please contact ISBER’s Student Payroll and Personnel Assistant, Danielle Crowder (dcrowder@isber.ucsb.edu).
When do I get paid?
Our campus has two pay cycles depending on your type of employment - Biweekly or Monthly.
Biweekly
If you are a Non-Exempt Staff employee, an Undergraduate Student Assistant, or a Graduate Student Assistant who does not have a concurrent Academic appointment (TAship, GSR, etc.), you are paid on the Biweekly Pay Cycle.
Please see the current year’s Biweekly Timecard and Paycheck Schedule here.
Monthly
Please see the current year’s Monthly Salaried Timecard and Paycheck Schedule here.
If you are an Exempt Staff employee, an Academic employee, or a Graduate Student Researcher with no concurrent hourly appointments, you are paid on the Monthly Pay Cycle.
Your pay period runs from the 1st of a month through the last day of that month, and you will be paid on the first of each month.
If you are a Graduate student who has concurrent Academic and Hourly appointments (eg. a TAship or GSR appointment as well as a Student Assistant position), you are paid on the Monthly Pay Cycle. Please see the current year's Monthly Hourly Timecard and Paycheck Schedule here.
Your pay period runs from the 11th of a month through the 10th of the following month, and you will be paid on the first of the month. For example, if your pay period is October 11th through November 10th, you will be paid on December 1st.
If the first of the month falls on a weekend, you will be paid on the preceding Friday. The exception for this is December, which is always paid on the first working day in January.