Student Employment jobs can be found in Workday. Beginning July 1, 2023, students are able to search for and apply to jobs in Workday. Positions, responsibilities, and wages vary. Check out the wages and classifications page to get a better idea of the types of jobs offered.

Cornell does not place students in jobs and no job at Cornell is guaranteed. Students are responsible for conducting a job search. Although Cornell is an "at will" employer, meaning any job can be terminated with or without cause at any time, our employers strive to retain student employees that are skilled, hard-working, and dedicated.

Jobs are available for the duration of the year. Students are responsible for deciding how many hours they can work based on their class schedule and extracurricular activities, but are encouraged to work no more than 20 hours per week while classes are in session. Students are not permitted to work during scheduled class times.

The Cornell Student Job and Wage Classification System governs student positions and wages. Hourly employees are paid bi-weekly via direct deposit by submitting their hours worked through the Workday time collection system.  All wages are considered taxable income. Student employees are eligible for raises based on merit and may receive a pay increase with an increase in corresponding job responsibilities.

You need to actively accept, reduce, or decline offers for Federal Work Study (FWS) through your Student Center. For instructions on how to accept/decline FWS, please review this tutorial. FWS cannot be earned and your employer will not be able to confirm your federal work study eligibility until this has been completed.

CWS and Federal Work Study (FWS) are not the same. FWS reimburses employers for a portion of the student employee's wages. The student's employer is responsible for paying 100% of the student's wages.

• Social Security numbers (SSNs) are required for all employees (citizens and noncitizens) working in the United States.
• Please visit the Office of Global Learning's International Services website for guidance on applying for an SSN.
• Once you have obtained your Social Security Number, please update this information in person or by fax (607-255-6262) with the Office of the University Registrar, in order to accurately process year-end tax documents in compliance with legal requirements.
  • Please note: Cornell University will never ask for anyone to send Social Security information via email.

• The Department of Homeland Security requires that all new employees complete the Form I-9 within 72 hours of the first day of work.  You must present original, unexpired documents to verify your identity and employment authorization to work in the United States. You can find a complete list of acceptable documents at I-9 Central. International students may have additional documentation requirements.
• Once you’ve been hired in Workday, you will receive a notification in your Workday inbox requesting you complete Section 1 of the Form I-9 and elect a reviewer to complete Section 2. The Section 2 reviewer will meet with you in person to verify your identity and employment eligibility documents before submitting the Form I-9 for final inspection and U.S. employment authorization by a Cornell University representative.
• If your hire was initiated prior to August 12, 2023, then you will complete the Form I-9 Section 1 by the end of their first day of work and will complete Section 2 with their employer. The employer will submit the Form I-9 for final U.S. employment authorization by the third day of the student’s employment at Cornell University.

Students can work in person or remotely, if approved by their employer. They're required to demonstrate professionalism and comply with all Cornell University policies. Some remote work options will require prior approval by the Department Chair or Dean.

Students cannot update their address directly in Workday. PeopleSoft is the data of record for student address information and can be updated by the student via Student Essentials. Workday pulls the 'Local Residential' address from Student Essentials on a nightly basis and updates both the Home Address and the Work Address fields in Workday.

Students should update their 'Local Residential' address in Student Essentials as the address where they currently reside (typically an Ithaca, New York address). This is the address where students will be taxed for their Cornell student employment job and as such, this is the address that will display on their W-2.

If Workday reflected your home address (ex. California), taxes would be incorrectly reported to California, instead of New York. As a result, when you receive your W-2 at year end, you would be required to pay taxes to California even though you did not actually earn wages in that state. By having your local address as Ithaca, New York, for example, you will only be taxed in New York.

• The only address that Workday pulls from Peoplesoft is the Local Residential address. If the Local Residential address is listed as your local residence (which is advised) your paycheck will go to this address.
• If you wish to have your final paycheck sent to a different location (for example your parent's address) then you can update your 'Local Residential' address in Student Essentials accordingly.
  • This change must occur before your final check is created (typically 5 days before payday).