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U of T Work Study Program

Supervisor Information

Work Study opportunities must provide students with the opportunity to engage in experiential learning under the direction of a staff member, faculty member or librarian. Work Study opportunities should be co-created with a student’s professional development and sense of belonging as a priority and must not be a role that is required for the operational needs of the unit. The scope and complexity of Work Study opportunities will vary across units and roles, but should leverage a Work Integrated Learning framework to include each of these components:

Key Program Information

The Work Study program is offered in two sessions per year.

  • Fall/Winter session (September-March)
  • Summer session (May-August)

The program has two streams: Work Experience and Research Experience.

A supervisor of a student in the Work Study Program must be a University of Toronto faculty, librarian or staff member who is on campus for the duration of the position.

NOTE: PhD candidates and staff members who are employed on casual or short-term contracts are not permitted to hire or supervise Work Study students.

The final Work Study rate as of October 1, 2025 has been confirmed as $17.60/hr due to the raise in minimum wage in Ontario. Employers may pay a higher wage but are responsible for covering additional costs at 100%.

The Work Study Program is exempt from the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA); therefore, the 4% vacation pay is not paid on top of the wage.

The total cost (pay rate + benefits) is a 50/50 split come Summer 2026. The Work Study program pays 50% of the Work Study pay rate plus the 10.50% benefits. The hiring department pays the remaining 50% of the Work Study pay rate and 10.50% benefits.

Please ensure you have this funding in place before submitting a position.

View the Work Study Community Letter FAQ (PDF)

The maximum hours a student can work each week is 15 hours up to 100 hours for the summer cycle and 200 hours for the fall/winter cycle.

Hours worked in excess of the maximum program hours will be ineligible for funding by the Work Study Program.

Each job posting can REQUEST up to four vacancies. This means that a hiring unit can request to hire up to four students in the same role. Please make sure you review your approved vacancies before hiring.

Looking to engage more students? Learn more about working with students through experiential learning avenues. 

All Work Study students and supervisors are expected to:

  • Set learning goals. Students should set learning goals with their Work Study supervisor and have a mid-point check-in and final review of their progress towards learning goals.
  • Complete a student self-assessment and evaluation. Students complete a self-assessment at the end of their term in the Work Study Program and supervisors provide formal feedback about the student’s work performance. Students and supervisors are encouraged to review the students’ updated resume together.
  • Participate in paid training. During their first term in the Work Study Program, students are required to receive at least two hours of training organized by their hiring unit. This training should be accommodated within the funded hours and should include setting and reflecting on learning goals, and professional development / skills training.
  • Refer to the Supervisor Supports menu for further information about the Work Study eModules or the Professional Development Workbook.

All Work Study positions (Work Experience stream and Research Experience stream) must provide students with the opportunity to engage in experiential learning under the direction of a staff member, faculty member or librarian.

The Work Experience stream opportunity should be co-created with a student’s professional development and sense of belonging as a priority and should not be a role that is required for the operational needs of the unit. The scope and complexity of Work Experience stream opportunities will vary across units and roles, but should leverage a Work Integrated Learning framework to include all of the following components:

  • an opportunity to develop and articulate workplace skills and competencies
  • an opportunity to build workplace experience, networks, and self-knowledge, such as navigating workplace expectations, culture, identities and values
  • exploration of how academic studies connect to workplace competencies
  • reflection on how the Work Study experience translates to career possibilities

In addition to the WIL framework components, all Research Experience Stream positions must provide students with the opportunity to undertake or support a research project under the direction of a faculty member that will involve the application of foundational methodologies and / or theories within a research field. The scope and complexity of this application will vary and may take an interdisciplinary approach but will allow students to engage in at least one of the below activities:

  • apply knowledge, methods and / or theories within the field of study;
  • learn and / or follow a methodology to collect and organize information, data or media;
  • analyze and / or synthesize collected information, data or media;
  • disseminate knowledge and share research findings with the larger community;
  • demonstrate an understanding of research results in the context of the broader literature in the field.

Job Submission Period and Hiring Dates

Activity

Fall / Winter 2025-2026

Summer 2026

Submit Work Study Position(s)

  • No extensions permitted

Monday May 26, 2025 – Monday June 16, 2025 (noon) 

Tuesday January 6, 2026 (9am) – Monday February 2, 2026 (9am)

Position Review Period

  • We thank you for your patience as we read over 3500+ job postings.

Monday June 16, 2025 – Wednesday July 23, 2025 

Monday February 2, 2026 – Thursday March 19, 2026

Approval Date

  • All supervisors will receive an email when their positions are approved.

Thursday July 24, 2025 (by end of day) 

Thursday March 19, 2026 (by end of day)

Student Application Period

August 14, 2025 (9am) – September 22, 2025 (9am) 

Monday March 30, 2026 (9am) – Wednesday June 3, 2026 (11:59pm)

Employer Hiring Period

August 14, 2025 (9am) – October 6, 2025 (11:59pm) 

Monday April 13, 2026 (9am) – Wednesday June 3, 2026 (11:59pm)

Employment Period (Work Study Start & End Dates)

First day of classes – March 28, 2026 

First day of classes – August 14, 2026

Hiring Deadline (Letter of Offer and Online Hiring Approval)

Monday October 6th (11:59pm)

By June 3, 2026 (11:59pm)

Preparing for a Work Study Posting

To access documentation on the CLNx website:

  1. Log in to CLNx on clnx.utoronto.ca
  2. Under the Dashboard on the left-hand side, click on “Jobs and Recruitment”> “Work Study”> “About Work Study (Faculty/Staff)”> “Step-by-Step Processes and Forms”.

Work Study Supervisors

  1. Supervisor SharePoint (Coming soon)
  2. Approved supervisors, hiring managers and financial administrators will be added to the site each session by the Work Study program. 

Supervisor Newsletters

The Work Study program distributes a newsletter filled with helpful information for Work Study supervisors, including tips, reminders, and announcements. The newsletter is distributed four times throughout the work study cycle. You will receive tips on how to submit job postings, how to supervise work study students, as well as resources and opportunities to connect with other supervisors in the program.

To subscribe, fill out the Work Study Supervisors Newsletter form.

CCR Information for Supervisors

Near the end of the Work Study program session, supervisors will receive an email from the Co-Curricular Record (CCR) Team inviting you to submit your Work Study student experiences. 

To ensure your Work Study student receives a CCR notification, please submit their experiences to the CCR Team. For any inquiries, please contact the CCR Office at ccr@utoronto.ca. 

Participation in Work Study is noted on a student’s Co-Curricular Record. 

The Co-Curricular Record (CCR) is an official U of T document that recognizes students’ co-curricular involvement as an important part of their university experience. It helps students to track, reflect on, articulate, and showcase the skills they developed through their co-curricular learning experiences at U of T.

Contact Information

For further questions about student-development related resources and supports for supervisors, please contact your campus liaison:

St. George Campus

workstudy@utoronto.ca

Mississauga Campus

workstudy.utm@utoronto.ca

Scarborough Campus

aaccws.utsc@utoronto.ca

Connect with us!
Work Study program inquiries and student eligibility:

workstudy@utoronto.ca

Application and submission questions:

St. George Campus

workstudy@utoronto.ca

Mississauga Campus

workstudy.utm@utoronto.ca

Scarborough Campus

aaccws.utsc@utoronto.ca