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MHCC Student Employment

The Mt. Hood Community College Student Employment Office promotes student success by offering valuable, paid work experience that helps students reach their career goals. To achieve this mission, we offer part-time jobs to eligible students. 

Through these experiences, we aim to help students:

  • Build employment skills
  • Enhance academic learning
  • Benefit our community
  • Provide financial support to reduce student burden

There are two types of student employment positions at MHCC—Federal Work-Study and student aide. If you have questions, email us and please include your MHCC student ID number in your message.

Federal Work-Study Positions

The work-study program encourages students to earn-and-learn by finding part-time employment while enrolled in classes to earn instead of borrowing money to pay for education-related expenses. Work-study allows students to work, and learn, with schedule flexibility and supervisors who understand the need to achieve a balance between school and work. Not all students receive work-study awards, and eligibility is decided largely by information on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®). You must apply for financial aid by submitting the FAFSA® to decide if you are eligible for work-study.

Federal Work-Study Program 

How do I find a work-study job?

If you receive financial aid from MHCC and have a work-study award as part of your financial aid package, you can create an account and apply for work-study jobs in our career and job search platform, Handshake.

Visit MHCC's Handshake

Student Aide Positions

For those students who may not be work-study eligible, it may be possible to work as a student aide. To be eligible for student aide positions, students must be enrolled in at least six credits. Student aides may drop below the six credits for one term only, which typically happens during summer term.  

How do I find a student aide job?

Any student who has work-study may also work as a student aide, but they must first use all of their work-study award. Students can look for student aide jobs on Handshake. 

Visit MHCC's Handshake

Other Employment Opportunities

Off-campus employment may be a good option for students who need flexible scheduling and those that may need to supplement their wages and income. We encourage students who are interested in off-campus employment to check with us in the career planning and counseling center. We can assist with jobs searches and with resumes.

Email career planning and counseling

Off-campus employers looking for part-time employees, temporary help or permanent employees may list jobs in Handshake.

Visit MHCC's Handshake

Student Employment Guidelines

  • Work-study students may not earn more than the amount of their award per term, and any unearned funds will not 'roll over' to the next term.
  • Student employees must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) each term they work as a work-study student employee. You may contact Financial Aid for more information. 
  • Monitoring work-study earnings each pay period is both the supervisor and student responsibility. Any hours worked over the work-study term award will result in those hours being charged to that departmental budget, which may prevent them from hosting future student employees.
  • Please contact student employment for more information on the Federal Work-Study Program tracker spreadsheet.

  • Student employees may work up to 20 hours per week (Monday through Sunday) during the term and up to 40 hours per week during school breaks (permitting students still have funds available).
  • Students may not work more than eight hours per day between all student jobs. Overtime is never allowable. 
  • Student employees may hold up to three open student employment positions at any one time as long as all supervisors have approved.

Guidelines for breaks during a shift

  • Student working two hours or less: No required rest or meal breaks.
  • Student working over two hours to five hours and 59 minutes in a day: One paid rest break of 10 min paid break at approximately the middle of work hours. No 30 min unpaid lunch break.
  • Student working six hrs in a day: One paid rest break of 10 minutes must be taken about two hours after the start of work. An unpaid lunch period of 30 minutes must be taken about 4 hours after the start of work.  
  • Student working over six hours and up to eight hrs in a day: One paid rest break of 10 minutes must be taken in the middle of the first half portion of work, and a second paid rest break of 10 minutes must be taken in the middle of the second half portion of work. An unpaid lunch period of 30 minutes must be taken in the middle of the workday. 

  • Students will log all hours in NOVAtime.
  • You will be paid on the 1st and 16th of each month, except for your first month of work since there is a two-week delay. 

Student employment may be terminated if the student is found to have violated Student Employment Program policies or at the Student Employment Coordinator and/or supervisor's discretion if job duties are not being fulfilled. Please review job expectations with your supervisor prior to starting employment.

Student Employee FAQs

The Federal Work-Study Program provides part-time jobs for students with financial need. In many ways, work-study jobs are like any “normal” part-time job. The student worker will be paid twice a month for hours worked. For example: Charisse worked 25 hours in the library from September 1-15. Charisse would then be paid for those hours on September 16. Student workers may use their earnings to assist them with college expenses.

Students must file the FAFSA® to become eligible for work-study. Students must demonstrate financial need and those who file the FAFSA® early often have a better chance at qualifying. Not all students qualify for work-study. Funding is limited and MHCC may award aid on a first-come, first-serve basis. To determine if you have been awarded, log into your MyMHCC and view your offers. If you see "Federal Work-Study", then you are eligible to apply for work-study positions.

Yes and no. Federal Work-Study depends on your financial aid package, which is reviewed and revised annually. Generally, if your package stays about the same, your work-study will stay about the same, but there is no negative impact if you don’t use the funds in an academic year.

At MHCC work-study awards cover the academic year of Fall/Winter/Spring Terms. If you want Summer work-study, you need to contact Financial Aid and/or Student Employment.

You cannot carry forward unused work-study funds from one academic year to the next. You are re-packaged each academic year.

No. It is your responsibility to seek out a position. Most jobs will be listed on the Career Services online job board, Handshake.

There are a variety of jobs from Tutors, Library Student Assistants, Office Assistants, Student Ambassadors, Computer Lab Attendants, Athletics/Aquatics to many more. Due to the need to match job requirements with student skills, the College cannot guarantee employment to all eligible work-study recipients. Current jobs are listed on Handshake.

Yes, but they must be our contracted and pre-approved sites/organizations. These are listed in Handshake under ‘career center/employer collections’.

Student workers will be paid, at the very least, Oregon minimum wage but may have the opportunity to earn more. Some positions require specific job skills or requirements. Typically, these jobs pay more than minimum wage. Student workers are not allowed to work more than 20 hours per week. Studies have shown that student workers do better in school if their hours are limited to 10-12 hours per week.

The maximum amount per term is $2400, but it can be less depending on the students overall financial aid package based on their FAFSA. Students will see their offered amount through their MyMHCC portal. The offered amount is the maximum amount that they may earn for the academic year. The offered amount is divided equally into the number or terms the student will be attending. It may be possible to increase the offered amount if the student has remaining eligibility.

No. Student workers are eligible to earn up to the dollar amount listed on their financial aid awards. Students are not guaranteed this money nor are they required to earn it all. Student workers are paid twice monthly on the 16th and 1st. Students log their time in NOVAtime and have it approved by the supervisor at the end of each pay period. We highly encourage students to set-up direct deposit in order to avoid lost/stolen paychecks.

Yes, you can have up to three jobs at any one time, as long as all supervisors agree. Students cannot exceed the amount of their work-study for the term or go over their 20 hours per week for both/all jobs combined. The student worker and supervisor will be responsible for tracking the hours worked so the student worker does not exceed awarded amounts.

Once students have confirmed that they have been awarded and accepted work-study, they may begin applying for work-study positions. All current jobs are posted in Handshake. New users will need to set up a free account before being able to apply for positions.

Yes. Occasionally the Financial Aid Office will need to revise the amount of offers based on changes in financial situations or receipt of additional financial resources. This could include things such as scholarships being awarded. It is the student’s responsibility to notify the supervisor of any offer changes.

Yes. While the majority of jobs on-campus are limited to those with work-study, there are a small amount available as Student Aide jobs for students who are enrolled in at least six credits.

No, you cannot receive Federal Work-Study, but you could work as a student aide as long as you are enrolled in at least six credits. These jobs are more challenging to find as there are much fewer, but they are available.

For Financial Aid specific question, contact, [email protected]. For student job information, contact, [email protected].

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