Grant-Funded Student Hiring and Payments

Grant-Funded Student Payments

The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs is fiscally responsible for ensuring grant Project Directors stay within their budget and are in compliance with grant rules and regulations. Therefore, it is important that Principal Investigators and Project Directors understand Kean’s student payment types.

Grant Funded Student Payment Chart — The chart above represents the various types of grant-funded student positions and payments with their corresponding object codes required for payments.

Understanding Kean’s Student Payment Types

Definitions

Employment	Work for which one has been engaged and is being paid by an employer.
Training	The process of learning the skills you need to do a particular job or activity.
Salary	Compensation for performance of assigned work. Employer-employee relationship. Can be paid from sponsored project funds and other internal funding sources. Pay based upon hours of time worked performing assigned job-specific duties. Salary/wage disbursed by HR/Payroll. Applicable fringe benefits apply, and taxes are withheld.
Stipend	Stipends are not compensation, and cannot be paid, for services rendered. A stipend is distinct from wages or salaries because it is not intended to compensate a student for work performed. Rather, it is intended to free up astudent to undertake a role in connection with educational studies or research that would normally be uncompensated. Work without a direct connection to a student’s educational studies or research is not appropriate for stipends.
Fellowship	(Paid via stipend) Fellowships area type of financial aid. They support research, advanced study, or professional development. Fellowships are more common at the graduate or postgraduate level and may fund research projects, travel, or teaching assignments in addition to or instead of tuition.
Scholarship	(Paid via stipend) Scholarships are a type of financial aid. They are primarily awarded to support education costs, like tuition, fees, books, and sometimes living expenses. Often based on academic merit, financial need, or specific personal characteristics (e.g., ethnicity, field of study).
Internship	(paid via salary) An official program offered by a company to potential employees. It can be paid or unpaid. It can be part-time or full-time with specific start and end dates.

Understanding Grant-Funded Student Stipends

Many departments offer an additional source of funding to students in the form of stipends. Stipends may be awarded to students after the completion of some service (e.g., participation in a mentorship program), or they may be based on other criteria established by the department (e.g., academic merit). The funds for many of these stipend payments come from grants. For student stipend policy and definitions, see SP09 Policy, and additional information on student stipends, see the student participant support.

Learn more and request a student stipend CLICK HERE

Understanding Grant-Funded Student & Part-Time Hiring

Departmental Hiring Responsibilities

The Principal Investigator/Project Director (PI/PD) is responsible for completing the appropriate hiring forms and obtaining the corresponding approvals. Please ensure all information is accurate and corresponds with the funding and University payment schedules. Additional steps may be required for some positions.
Processing time: Estimated 2 weeks or more

Grant-Funded Student & Part-Time Hiring Form Click HERE

Under no circumstances shall a student commence work without official clearance from HR. Failure to follow these instructions may result in delays in processing.

Grant-Funded Student Hiring Questions?

Concerning grant funding for student hiring contact postaward@kean.edu

Concerning HR student hiring required documentation contact Makenzie Carty Email: studenthiring@kean.edu

Concerning Graduate Assistantship hiring contact ga@kean.edu

Student Eligibility

Undergraduate students must be enrolled in classes to be employed. If employed for the summer, the student must be registered for the fall term.
Graduate Administrative Assistant (GAA) must be enrolled full-time in at least 9 credits to be employed. Graduate assistantships begin in the Fall semester of the new academic year and continue through the end of the Spring semester (Additional requirements may apply)
Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) must be enrolled in classes to be employed. Graduate assistantships begin in the Fall semester of the new academic year and continue through the end of the Spring semester. (Additional requirements may apply)
Academic Specialist position (Graduate student): Enrollment as a graduate student is not a requirement for employment, but candidates must hold a bachelor's degree. This position is often used to hire graduate students during the summer.

Graduate Administrative Assistant (GAA) and Graduate Research Assistant (GRA)

Appointment Types: Students are appointed for a full academic year (not including winter and summer sessions). Assistantship workload and tuition waiver depend on the type and level of the position allocated.
- Full-time GAA and GRA positions: Students are required to work a minimum of 15 hours per week and no more than 20 hours per week when classes are in session, receive payment for hours worked, and receive a full tuition waiver.
- Half-time GAA and GRA positions: Students are required to work 7.5–10 hours per week when classes are in session and receive payment for hours worked and a one-half tuition waiver.
- Quarter-time GAA and GRA positions: Students are required to work 3.75–5 hours per week when classes are in session, receive payment for hours worked, and receive a one-quarter tuition waiver.
- Additional requirements apply. See HERE

Academic Specialist

Appointment Type: Part-time, Temporary
- Under the supervision of a full-time professional employee, Academic Specialists provide part-time, temporary, and professional services to the university. Such functions are performed on an intermittent basis or for fixed periods of a short duration, such as a semester-by-semester basis. Academic Specialists may be compensated on an hourly basis or by contract. Academic Specialists may not work more than 15 hours per week and 42 weeks per year.

Student Research Assistants

Appointment Type: Part-time, semesterly.
- Compensation for the performance of assigned work. Employer-employee relationship. Can be paid from sponsored project funds, and other internal funding sources. Pay is based on hours worked performing assigned job-specific duties. Salary/ wages disbursed by HR/Payroll. Applicable fringe benefits apply.