Work/Study Programs (On-Campus Employment)

If you are interested in positions with the Work/Study program, Leadership, Engagement, and Ambassador program (LEAP) and Research at York (RAY) for Fall/Winter 2025-2026, you will be able to apply through the Work/Study Eligibility Application.  

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Have questions about the Work/Study program?

Whether you're curious about eligibility requirements, recruitment and hiring process, or the petition process, the Work/Study Administration team is here to help! 

Click here to access Work/Study Administration Support

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FAQs: Ask Work/Study Admin

Have questions about the Work/Study program? Visit our FAQ site to help provide you with the answers you're looking for.

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE FAQs: ASK WORK/STUDY ADMIN

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Work/Study Resource Hub

The Resource Hub is intended to help you easily access available resources to navigate through the Work/Study program at York University. From recruitment and employment supports, we’ve assembled this hub to help you with your Work/Study needs. 

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE WORK/STUDY RESOURCE HUB

About Work/Study Programs

Our Work/Study Programs give eligible undergraduate students paid, on-campus work that develops professional skills and contributes to the University. Enrich your classroom experiences and get support and tools needed to develop competencies that will contribute to your long-term personal and professional success.

Eligibility

You must complete the Work/Study Eligibility Application for each academic session in which you seek a Work/Study position.

The University reviews your application and lets hiring units know if you are eligible to work. Eligibility to hold a Work/Study position does not guarantee an employment offer.

If you withdraw from your studies during the academic session or fail to meet the criteria listed below, you are no longer eligible for the Work/Study program and must resign from your position.

Fall/Winter 2025-2026 Work/Study Eligibility Application Period

The application for Work/Study, LEAP and RAY programs opens from July 14, 2025 to February 13, 2026.

Work/Study Eligibility Application

Important Work/Study Dates for Fall/Winter 2025-2026:

July 14 Fall/Winter Work/Study Eligibility Application goes live
July 21 Work/Study and LEAP positions go live on YU Hire and RAY positions go live on Experience York
Sept 2 First day of the Fall/Winter 2025-2026 Work/Study term
Dec 23 Last day of work for Fall 2025 term
Jan 2 First day of work for Winter 2026 term
Feb 13 Last day to submit a Work/Study Eligibility Application 
April 24 Last day of the Fall/Winter 2025-2026 Work/Study term

Interested in Summer 2026?

Stay tuned for work/study details and timelines coming soon. Students will also have the opportunity to join in Summer 2026 work/study information sessions to support you in maximizing your job search. 

You must:

  • Meet the skills and experience requirements set by the department or unit in which you would like to work

  • Be a full- or part-time undergraduate student enrolled in a degree program

  • Meet the minimum course load requirements as follows:

ACADEMIC SESSION

ACTIVITY LEVEL

DO YOU HAVE A DISABILITY?

SESSIONAL COURSE LOAD REQUIREMENTS

Fall/Winter

(September-April)

Full-time

No

At least 18 credits

AND

No less than 6 credits in each term
   

Yes

At least 12 credits in the session

AND

No less than 3 credits in each term
 

Part-time

No

At least 12 credits in the session

AND

No less than 6 credits in each term
   

Yes

At least 6 credits in the session

AND

No less than 3 credits in each term

Summer

(May-August)

Full-time

No

You must meet one of the following:

At least 9 credits during the SU session

OR

At least 6 credits in the previous winter term AND will be returning to undergraduate studies in the following fall/winter session
   

Yes

You must meet one of the following:

At least 6 credits during the SU session

OR

At least 3 credits in the previous winter term AND will be returning to undergraduate studies in the following fall/winter session
 

Part-time

No

You must meet one of the following:

At least 6 credits during the SU session

OR

At least 6 credits in the previous winter term AND will be returning to undergraduate studies in the following fall/winter session
   

Yes

You must meet one of the following:

At least 3 credits during the SU session

OR

At least 3 credits in the previous winter term AND will be returning to undergraduate studies in the following fall/winter session

You must:

  • Meet the skills and experience requirements set by the department or unit in which you would like to work

  • Be a full-time undergraduate student enrolled in a degree program

  • Have a valid study permit and social insurance number for the employment period

  • Meet the minimum course load requirements as follows:

ACADEMIC SESSION

ACTIVITY LEVEL

DO YOU HAVE A DISABILITY?

SESSIONAL COURSE LOAD REQUIREMENTS

Fall/Winter

(September-April)

Full-time

No

At least 18 credits

AND

No less than 9 credits in each term
   

Yes

At least 12 credits in the session

AND

No less than 6 credits in each term

Summer

(May-August)

Full-time

No

You must meet one of the following:

At least 9 credits during the SU session

OR

At least 9 credits in the previous winter term AND will be returning to full-time undergraduate studies in the following fall/winter session
   

Yes

You must meet one of the following:

At least 6 credits during the SU session

OR

At least 6 credits in the previous winter term AND will be returning to full-time undergraduate studies in the following fall/winter session

Restrictions

You can accept only one Work/Study position per session.


If you are a non-degree student — for example, a visiting student or attending York on a Letter of Permission — then you are not eligible for a Work/Study position.


You cannot hold a Work/Study position in the same term as when you hold a NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada) Undergraduate Student Research Award, LA&PS’ Dean Award for Research Excellence (DARE), or Lassonde Undergraduate Research Award (LURA). 

 

Types of Work/Study Positions

Staff mentor you and give you experiential on-the-job training and guidance while you support departments and faculties in a variety of clerical, administrative and technical roles.

Leadership, Engagement and Ambassadorship (LEAP) hires undergraduate students for positions such as YU Start Leaders, Student Recruitment Ambassadors and Peer Educators/Mentors.

Develop skills such as leadership, peer mentoring and peer support. There is less clerical work than in most Work/Study positions — usually less than 20% of a LEAP worker’s time is spent on clerical work.

Research at York (RAY) hires undergraduate students to work on research projects with faculty and other students.

The Research at York (RAY) program is one of three Work/Study Programs offered to York University and is an exclusive opportunity for eligible undergraduate students. You get to participate in research projects with faculty members and fellow students, as well as receive compensation at a competitive rate. 

Eligibility

To see if you’re eligible for the RAY program, click on one of the following checklists based on your student status.

Domestic Students

Fall/Winter (September to April)

Summer (May to August)

 

International Students

Fall/Winter (September to April)

Summer (May to August)

 

Salary Rate

Recognizing the value of their contributions to York University research, RAY student wages are set at a minimum rate of $19.00 per hour to a maximum of $24.50 per hour. RAY positions are rated at the highest pay band within the Work/Study compensation framework.

  • Rates for RAY positions and hours to be worked vary; details are available for each job posting on Experience York.
  • RAY students are paid by hiring department through York’s payroll system.
  • Your employer must obtain a York employee number for you, keep track of your hours worked, and approve and submit hours on your behalf every two weeks.

If you have any concerns about your pay, you will need to discuss these concerns with your employer. Work/Study Administration does not pay students and cannot make adjustments to your pay.

Benefits and Responsibilities

By participating in the RAY program, you can receive financial assistance to meet your direct educational costs (tuition, mandatory fees, and textbooks) and gain valuable research experience that will supplement your classroom learning. RAY will also give you a preview of the type of research that you might encounter in graduate school. As a RAY student, you will get work experience that will help you in your career post-graduation and receive mentorship from faculty members and senior/graduate students.

A RAY position can provide you with hands-on research experience while assisting faculty members with meaningful research support. Examples of quality research activities include:

  • Research proposal development
  • Literature research, web research/surveys, archival research
  • Preparing subjects for interviews
  • Basic fieldwork or data collection
  • Interview transcriptions
  • Basic data/statistical analysis
  • Translation of research materials
  • Cataloguing
  • Preparing and executing experiments


As a RAY student, you are a valued York University employee and have important responsibilities. All students are expected to:

  • Complete your assigned duties
  • Keep your supervisor informed of your availability to work the agreed-upon hour.
  • Complete the Work/Study journal reflections and check-ins.
  • If you are unable to honour your commitment, speak to your supervisor immediately and try to arrange a more workable schedule.
  • If you withdraw or drop to part-time during the academic session, inform your employer and Work/Study Administration immediately; you may no longer be eligible for the RAY program and will have to resign from your position.


Have questions? Connect with Work/Study Administration:

Work/Study Journals and Check-Ins

Students who take a Work/Study or LEAP position also participate in the Work/Study Journals.

The Work/Study Journals help you:

  • create meaningful personal and professional goals and objectives
  • recognize the value of your personal, academic and professional experiences
  • identify your competencies and skills
  • promote yourself with confidence.

Responsibilities

As a Work/Study student, you are a valued York University employee and have important responsibilities. You are expected to:

  • actively participate in the Work/Study Journals
  • complete your assigned duties
  • inform your supervisor about your availability to work the agreed-upon hours
  • immediately tell your supervisor if you are unable to honour your work commitments and try to arrange a more workable schedule
  • immediately inform your supervisor if you withdraw from your studies during the academic session — you will no longer be eligible for the Work/Study Program and must resign from your position.

Salary

Hourly rates vary with the job, responsibilities and your work experience. You can see the salary range on the job posting and/or when you interview for the position.

The hiring department pays you through York’s payroll system. Your employer gets a York employee number for you, keeps track of the hours you work and submits a payroll timesheet on your behalf every two weeks. Discuss any concerns about your pay with your employer.

 Career Centre does not pay students and cannot adjust your pay.

Search for and Apply to General Work/Study and LEAP Positions

If you are a York employee, search and apply through the YU Hire Employee Career Portal (your Passport York login is required).

If you are not a York employee, search yorku.ca/jobs.

You can quickly narrow your search with the Affiliation field in the Search for a Job area of the tool: choose Work Study and/or and Work Study - LEAP.

Search for and Apply to RAY Positions

You can find RAY positions on our Career Centre’s Experience York system.

  1. Log in to Experience York (your Passport York login is required).
  2. Click Search Postings.
  3. Click York University Career Centre Job Postings.
  4. Click Job Search.
  5. Choose RAY in the Position Type drop-down menu.
  6. Click Search Job Postings.

To apply, follow the instructions in the bottom of the Application Information box.

Information for Staff and Faculty Members

Contact Us

1020 Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Building & Virtual

The Career Centre offers a hybrid service model for career advising and counselling services.  You are welcome to schedule virtual or in-person appointments.

Office Hours:

Monday - Friday: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.