Student Casual Employees
Students hired as Student Casuals are paid hourly. Employment as a Student Casual is different from employment as a Student Officer (paid a set salary over the period of their appointment) and work-study employment (a form of student financial assistance). Please review your hiring letter for details.
Please note that the University cannot process your hire and cannot pay you until:
- Have returned all the required hiring paperwork
- Have a completed I-9 on file
- And if applicable, have submitted a copy of the Social Security Number application receipt.
Students who are enrolled half-time or more may not exceed 20 hours of work per week across all compensated positions during fall and spring semesters, inclusive of spring break. During winter break, or during summer break provided they are not enrolled, students who work only as casual employees (and do not also hold an appointment as a Student Officer) are limited to 35 hours of work per week.
On or Before Your First Day
If you have not received the required hiring paperwork, you must contact your department administrator or human resources representative in order for your hire to be processed correctly and for you to be paid.
Employment Eligibility: Form I-9
The Form I-9 is required for all newly hired employees who will be working in the United States to verify that you are eligible to work. If you have previously completed an I-9, please check with your department administrator or human resources representative; you may need to complete another I-9 even if you have completed one previously.
The Form I-9 can be completed as soon as you have accepted your new position, and must be done no later than three (3) business days after your start date.
Form I-9 Instructions
If you are a new hire, you are required to complete Section 1 online and Section 2 of your Form I-9 in person at a University I-9 center. Please follow the steps below to complete this process:
- Access this online portal to complete Section 1 of the form.
- Do not provide a placeholder Social Security Number (e.g., 000-00-0000). If you have applied for but not yet received an SSN, please select the "SSN Applied For" checkbox.
- Once Section 1 is finished, visit one of the on-campus I-9 centers to complete Section 2.
Specific Schools and Departments
Certain departments manage the I-9 process internally. Your hiring department will notify you if you should complete your paperwork directly with them.
- Remember to bring the appropriate unexpired original documents with you, as listed in Section 1 of the I-9 online. The list of acceptable documents can be found on the USCIS website.
- Please confirm your date of hire with your department administrator or human resources representative. This is required for the Form I-9.
Morningside/Manhattanville
CU Human Resources, Studebaker Building
615 West 131st Street
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Note: Open to all new and returning hires; no appointment is necessary.
CUIMC
CUIMC HR, Georgian Building
617 West 168th Street
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Note: Open to all new and returning hires; no appointment is necessary.
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
Climate School HR
Lamont Administration Building, Room 208
Note: Serves all LDEO campus hires, including those from IRI and CIESIN.
Morningside (Students Only)
208 Kent Hall
Schedule an Appointment
International Students: If you do not have a Social Security Number (SSN), please refer to the International Student and Scholars (ISSO) website for information on how to apply for one.
All new hires must complete the Federal Form W-4 and state tax forms before receiving a paycheck. These forms provide the University payroll system with the required information to set up the appropriate tax withholding from your paycheck.
- Complete your Federal W-4 Form
- Note: If you are an international student, the IRS has special instructions for Form W-4 for nonresident aliens.
- Note: If you are an international student, the IRS has special instructions for Form W-4 for nonresident aliens.
- Complete the appropriate New York State tax withholding forms – IT2104 Form, IT2104.1, or IT2104.E Form. Guidance on completing the NY State forms can be found on the New York State Department of Taxation website.
- If you are a Non-Resident Alien, you may be eligible for a tax treaty exemption. See IRS Publication 901 on U.S. Tax Treaties to see if your country is listed for students. Questions on your eligibility for a tax treaty benefit and how to complete Form 8233 may be directed to the Human Resources Service Center.
This will be provided to you by your hiring department. You must review the information, sign and return it to your departmental administrator or human resources representative.
After You Start Working
In the Time & Labor and Absence Management (TLAM) System used by all student casuals, you will be able to enter your hours worked and submit to your manager electronically for approval.
Once your profile is active in the my.Columbia.edu portal you will be able to see the "Faculty & Staff" tab, which will grant you access to complete your timesheets and enroll in direct deposit. The available timesheets will be determined by your start date coinciding with your I-9 employment eligibility completion date; however, you will only be able to fill in the last two (2) bi-weekly pay periods from the current pay period.
Please remember you will not get paid if you do not submit a completed timesheet to the appropriate person in the department in which you are working.
Casual timesheets are due by Thursday at 5 p.m.
Note the early due dates in the pay calendar below highlighted in red due to University holidays.
Student casual employees may work a maximum of 20 hours/week except for the following dates when the maximum is 35 hours/week:
- 5/25/2026-8/31/2026 (Summer Break) - 35 hours per week
- 12/23/2026-1/15/2027 (Winter Break) - 35 hours per week
Additional notes:
- Timesheets must be submitted in the Time & Labor and Absence Management (TLAM) System by Thursday at 5pm, with above noted early submission exceptions.
- Student casual employees may not work more than 5 consecutive hours without taking an unpaid half-hour break.
- Late timesheets will be processed with the following payroll.
Once your hiring paperwork has been completed and you are entered into the University payroll system—People@Columbia (PAC)—we recommend that you sign up for the free direct deposit service. Your paycheck will then be automatically deposited to your bank account(s) each pay period.
All student casual employees are strongly encouraged to enroll in direct deposit in PAC.
See Direct Deposit Instructions
Please note that there are specific instructions for student employees.
Most student casual employees are paid on a bi-weekly basis (every two weeks). Confirmation of your pay frequency was provided on the Casual Employment Form or NYS 195 Form you signed as part of your new hire paperwork.
Once you are hired into the University's system, you will be able to view each of your paychecks via the my.Columbia portal.
Simply log in with your UNI and password, click on the People@Columbia tile, and click on "View Your Paycheck" under Self-Service.
Key Contacts and Resources
- my.Columbia: View paychecks and tax forms via the my.Columbia.edu portal using your UNI. Detailed instructions are listed above.
- Job Postings & Applications: Search for available campus casual roles through the Center for Career Education.
- International Student Questions: Check guidelines through the International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO).