Texas Tech University

F-1 Student On-Campus Employment

Overview

Your F-1 student status permits you to work on campus at the university that issued your I-20 while you are enrolled in a full course of study. Your TTU I-20 is your proof of work eligibility for on-campus employment at TTU only. You must maintain F-1 status to be eligible for this employment benefit; maintaining status means that you are a full-time registered student (except for approved exceptions) in good academic standing with a valid I-20.

 


Definition of "On-Campus" Employment

On-campus employment includes:

Employment for the TTU
Examples: teaching assistant, research assistant, library student worker, etc.
Work performed in a campus location for a commercial firm providing direct services to students
Example: University Bookstore branch in the SUB
Employment at an off-campus location which is educationally affiliated with the TTU. The educational affiliation must be associated with your academic department's established curriculum or related to contractually funded projects at the post-graduate level, and be an integral part of your educational program.
ISSS interprets this to mean that the employment itself must be an integral part of your established curriculum. This particular definition of on-campus employment is very rarely applied. Given the size of TTU and its various connections with many local and national organizations, it can be challenging to determine if this definition is applicable. Please consult ISSS for guidance.


Time Limits

According to immigrations rules you are allowed to work:

  • part-time (20 hours per week or less) during semesters (semesters are set by the TTU academic calendar and include finals week).
  • full-time (more than 20 hours per week) between semesters (see * below).
  • full-time (more than 20 hours per week) during your annual vacation (see * below).
*While it is possible to work full-time on campus between semesters and during an annual vacation in relation to immigration rules, at TTU the campus rules generally do not allow students to work more than 20 hours per week during any time of the year for other reasons (unrelated to the immigration rules).

Expiration of On-campus Employment Eligibility

Your on-campus employment eligibility ends:

When you graduate. It expires the last day of your final semester (per TTU calendar), even if your I-20 expiration date is in the future.
If you transfer to another university; your work authorization expires on the day of your SEVIS record release date.
If you violate your F-1 status.


Work Study

Some campus jobs are designated as "work study" positions. The job description might include a statement such as: "position open only to TTU students who qualify for work study awards." Work study awards are part of federal financial aid packages and are only available to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. As an F-1 student, generally you are not eligible for a work study position and should not apply.

However, there are some cases where the term "work study" might be used in a more general sense and not necessarily refer to a financial aid award. You can contact the office that posted the job opening to confirm whether or not you must have a work study award to be eligible for the job.


Finding a Campus Job

Set up an account in the TTU Career Center' Jobs. This database advertises both on-campus and off-campus jobs. Filter your search to only look for on-campus jobs. On-campus jobs are also advertised on flyers posted around campus—in elevators, office bulletin boards, etc.


Your Responsibility: Know the Rules

It is your responsibility to research and understand your on-campus work eligibility. It is generally not the job of TTU staff outside of ISSS to thoroughly know the immigration regulations. It is possible you will be offered employment that you are not eligible to accept or for your employment eligibility to expire without your payroll coordinator notifying you. Be sure to review all information provided by ISSS and consult ISSS if you have any concerns or questions.