Student Employment Handbook

Student Benefits, Public Employees Retirement System (PERS)

Student Benefits

Student employees cannot earn annual longevity step increases, do not receive vacation, sick leave, or holiday pay, and are not eligible to apply for leave of absence.

In the event that a student is called for jury duty, it is the discretion of the employing department to decide if the student will be compensated for missed work time. If the employing department decides to compensate the student for missed work time, the student will be required to turn over their jury compensation from the courts to the Payroll Department at Kent State University.

Public Employees Retirement System (PERS)

Students are required as employees of a public university to contribute to the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS). This contribution replaces social security. Students who meet the credit hour enrollment requirement (6 hours undergraduate or 4 hours graduate) may waive contributions to PERS and receive their full pay, less the 1.45% Medicare deduction. Students waiving contributions who drop below the required credit hours of enrollment will be charged a retroactive 8.5% PERS contribution. The students' employing department will also be charged a retroactive 13.31% PERS contribution for the affected term of enrollment. For more PERS information, visit the PERS web site.