International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS)

On-Campus Employment

SIUE offers a variety of on-campus employment opportunities for students. Students must interview for such positions in person after arrival. Students have to be enrolled in classes and financially cleared (current on their SIUE bill) in order to apply for on-campus employment.

Government regulations and University policy limit F-1 and J-1 student worker employment to 20 hours per week in an on-campus position while classes are in session. SIUE non-degree students (exchange, visiting, etc.) are not permitted to work on-campus. International students are not eligible to work in full-time permanent positions on campus.

Enrollment Requirements 

Student workers

Student worker employment position: Examples: dining services, building services, library, laboratories, residential buildings, administrative offices. 

•  Fall/Spring full-time enrollment 
  • 12 credit hours undergraduate 
  •  9 credit hours graduate, 6 credit hours graduate assistants  
    

• Summer semester enrollment
  • The student must be either: 1) enrolled in and maintain at minimum half-time status: 3 credit hours for undergraduates and 2 credit hours for graduate/professional; 2) maintained in the prior spring term a minimum of half-time status; or 3) enrolled for the upcoming fall term at a minimum of half-time status. 
  • For Summer semester and break weeks
    • students may work up to 37.5 hours per week during the Summer term and break weeks when classes are not in session. This policy applies to all student employees, including international students.
    • Refer to Student Employment regarding the summer start and end dates.

 Graduate Assistants

• Eligibility - Information on eligibility and enrollment requirements 
• Contract Duration and Responsibilities - Contract length requirements and GA responsibilities 
• Workload - Work hours required and limitations on total number of hours worked 
• Categories of Assistantships - Definitions of types of assistantships 
• International Graduate Assistants- Important information for international students that work as a graduate assistant 
• Fall/Spring 
  •  6 credit hours 
• Summer and break weeks
  • Effective summer 2026, continuing grad students who were enrolled in the preceding spring and are also enrolled in the upcoming fall are no longer required to be enrolled in the summer to be eligible to work as a GA.
  • Graduate Assistants who are also employed as a student worker
    • Examples: 
      • 50% assistantship and student worker position, students can work 20 hours for the assistantship and an additional 17.5 hours in the student worker position for a total of 37.5 hours per week
      • 37.5% assistantship and student worker position, students can work 15 hours for the assistantship and an additional 22.5 hours in the student worker position for a total of 37.5 hours per week
      • 25% assistantship and student worker position, students can work 10 hours for the assistantship and an additional 27.5 hours in the student worker position for a total of 37.5 hours per week

Graduating students who are enrolled in their final term are allowed to work until the official last day of university finals. 
If you will be underenrolled, you must complete the following to maintain your employment in your final semester:  

• enroll in final term course(s) 
• apply online for graduation on CougarNet for the semester you are in final courses 
• submit a Reduced Course Load Form. Graduate students must also complete the Graduate School Underload/Overload Approval Form 

J-1 students may not begin a job without written permission from their international advisor.

Find more information about on-campus employment (including wage information) on the Student Employment website.