Welcome to the Work/Study Students Resources Hub! This Resources 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.
Based on the phase of hiring and employment, we’ve created 7 pathways with resources for you to review and utilize. Follow one of the pathways based on your current phase.
Phase I: Recruitment
- Step 1. Course Enrolment
- Step 2. Planning and Eligibility
- Step 3. Apply for Jobs
- Step 4. Tracking and Interviewing
The first step of your Work/Study experience is to enroll in courses. To enroll in courses, please use one of the following modules:
The second step of your Work/Study experience is to review the Work/Study types, understand the eligibility criteria, and submit a Work/Study application.
The Work/Study Program has three different types of Work/Study positions: General Work/Study; Leadership, Engagement, and Ambassadorship Program (LEAP); and Research at York (RAY).
Click on one of the following roadmaps to learn more about the type.
To be considered for the Work/Study program, you need to meet eligibility criteria. It is recommended that you check your eligibility before submitting a Work/Study application and applying for jobs. York undergraduate students must meet the criteria indicated in the checklists:
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Students can only hold one position per session. Students who are awarded a position cannot hold another campus employment position (Work/Study, LEAP or RAY) concurrently.
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Non-degree students (i.e. visiting students, students on Letters of Permission, students on exchange, students completing certificates, School of Continuing Studies students) are NOT eligible for Work/Study.
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Graduate students are NOT eligible for Work/Study.
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Students are NOT eligible to hold a Work/Study position in the same term in which they are holding an NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada) Undergraduate Student Research Award, LA&PS Dean's Award for Research Excellence (DARE), or Lassonde Undergraduate Research Award (LURA).
Fall/Winter
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Must have a valid study permit
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Must be enrolled as a full-time student (9 credits per semester for students without a disability and 6 credits per semester for students with a disability) apart from the last semester
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Study permit must include a condition stating authorization to work on and off campus
Summer
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Must have a valid study permit
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Study permit must include a condition stating authorization to work on and off campus
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Must have been a full-time student before the summer break and intend to return to full-time studies after the summer break OR must be enrolled in 9 credits
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The summer term must be a “scheduled break” according to the program, meaning it is optional*
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For most undergraduate programs, the summer term is optional. If unsure, students should consult their academic advisor to confirm whether their summer term is optional or mandatory. They should also verify with immigration advisors at York regarding work eligibility.
For more information, please visit York International
If you are a student who requires an eligibility exception, you will need to submit a Work/Study petition.
The two petition types that Work/Study Administration will consider are:
- Students on Co-op Work Terms
- Students in their Last Semester
Students in their last semester and do not meet minimum course load
A form request by a student who is in or will be in their last semester and would like to have their course load requirement waived for that last semester.
Required Documents:
- Work/Study Petition Form – Students
- Supporting Documents
How to Submit a Petition
- Fill out the Work/Study Petition Form and Select “Course Load Requirements Waiver for Last Semester.”
- Submit a supporting document to confirm that you are graduating at the end of the last semester.
Students on co-op work terms
A form request by a student who is on a co-op work term and would like to be considered for Work/Study.
Required Documents:
- Work/Study Petition Form – Students
- Plan for Success
- Co-operative Education and Work/Study Agreement Signature Form
How to Submit a Petition
- Fill out the Work/Study Petition Form and Select “Co-op Consideration.”
- Obtain the approval of the Work/Study hiring manager and the respective Faculty’s Co-operative Education Office (e.g., Co-op Program Coordinator, Manager, Director within the Faculty).
- Submit a Plan for Success and explain how you will manage both the Work/Study position and Co-op position.
Course Enrolment Information for Students with Disabilities
If you declared your disability on the Work/Study application, you will be required to meet the following minimum course enrolment requirements:
Fall/Winter
- Domestic – Full-Time: at least 6 credits per term
- Domestic – Part-Time: at least 3 credits per term
- International – Full-Time: at least 6 credits per term
Summer
- Domestic – Full-Time: 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
- Domestic – Part-Time: 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
- International – Full-Time: 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
Additional Resources
- #Ableto is a website curated with resources to support post-secondary students with visible and non-visible disabilities and their career journeys.
- Home - ableto
- Career Opportunities for Students with Disability | Rise 360
Undergraduate students who wish to be considered for the RAY, LEAP, or Work/Study, programs must complete the Work/Study Application. Once received, Work/Study Administration will assess the student within 48 hours to determine their eligibility for the programs.
If you’re an international student, you are required to submit to Work/Study Administration (wspost@yorku.ca) a valid study permit that authorizes you to work on campus. Once Work/Study Administration receives your study permit, a manual assessment will be conducted, and your eligibility decision will be communicated via email.
If you’re a domestic student, you will not receive a formal confirmation from Work/Study Administration as hiring units and Recruitment and Onboarding Services are able to view your eligibility through the Student Information System. However, if you would like to receive a confirmation from Work/Study Administration, please send us an email at wspost@yorku.ca.
Work/Study Information Sessions
Attend a Work/Study Information Session to go over program and eligibility requirements, hear from current Work/Study students about their experiences, receive advice from hiring managers on how to stand out during the Work/Study recruitment process, and more!
The third step of your Work/Study experience is to build your cover letters and resumes and apply for jobs!
Career Development Supports
The Career Centre is here to support you with your Work/Study application needs.
Career Educators are available for 30-minute appointments to help you:
- answer specific questions regarding your Resumé or Cover Letter (due to time limitations, it is not possible to provide a complete Resumé or Cover Letter feedback session. If you would like more assistance with your Resumé or Cover Letter, please attend the Resumé & Cover Letter Writing workshop.)
- prepare for an upcoming interview and develop strategies to improve your interview performance;
- discover job search resources;
- learn effective job search strategies;
- gain ideas on how to expand your LinkedIn network; and
- get support with determining your next steps.
The Career Centre has curated a series of resources to help you create powerful resumes and cover letters that will impress the employers!
Write a resumé that highlights your accomplishments | Career Centre | York University
Write an engaging cover letter | Career Centre | York University
Visit York’s Career Lounge to connect with peer educators for supportive, peer-to-peer help with any career-related questions.
Ask questions about:
- writing and editing resumés and cover letters;
- job searching and networking;
- interview skills and preparation;
- navigating the Career Centre website;
- how to build a LinkedIn profile and search for jobs;
Where to Apply?
To apply for General Work/Study or LEAP positions, you will need to submit job applications through YU Hire portal. Important: Do not use Student PY credentials to access the portals.
Current Employees or Rehires:
Log into the YU Hire Employee Career Portal using your Employee PY username and password. Note: If your last employment with York ended more than five months ago, your Employee PY credentials may have been archived and will no longer grant access to YU Hire. In this case, follow the instructions below for External Applicants.
New Job Applicant or External Applicants:
If you are new to YU Hire or your YU Hire Employee account has been archived due to inactivity:
- Create a new external applicant account using either your student or personal email address in the YU Hire External Career Portal.
- Refer to the step-by-step instructions in the guide: A Students Guide to Creating an Applicant Profile
- Once your account is created, make sure to remember your username and password for future access.
Login Tip for Applicants:
When logging in, enter only your username (e.g., jdoe123). Do not include the full email address.
Need Help? Access the Full YU Hire Navigation Guides:
- YU Hire Employee Career Portal (Employee PY credentials required): Using YU Hire: York University's Employee Career Portal
- YU Hire External Career Portal: Using York University's External Career Portal - How to use this Toolkit Module
Searching for Positions:
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 Work Study - LEAP.
Additional Resources & Guides:
To apply for Research at York (RAY) positions, you will need to submit job applications through Experience York.
You can find RAY positions on our Career Centre’s Experience York system.
- Log in to Experience York (your Passport York login is required).
- Click Search Postings.
- Click York University Career Centre Job Postings.
- Click Job Search.
- Choose RAY in the Position Type drop-down menu.
- Click Search Job Postings.
To assist you with your job applications, please download the Experience York RAY Job Posting Guide.
For additional support on YU Hire and Experience York, please visit ask.WorkStudyAdmin.
ask.WorkStudyAdmin is the new central hub to provide you with instant answers to your questions.
The fourth step of your Work/Study experience is to track your applications and prepare for your interview if you were invited to one!
Please note that Work/Study Administration is not responsible for making any hiring decisions. These decisions are at the discretion of the hiring units. The hiring process may take some time; however, you may monitor the status of your application using one of the following methods:
If you applied positions from the External Career Portal, you may monitor your application status by following the steps listed below,
- Use Google Chrome as your web browser (required for system compatibility).
- Go to York’s External Career Portal webpage.
- Enter your username and password to login.
- Click the “My Account” link in the grey menu bar.
- Select “Track My Application” from the menu.
- All jobs that you have applied for will be listed.
For step-by-step instructions on how to track your application, please see the how to track my applications work instruction.
If you applied position(s) using an employee Passport York credential on YU Hire. Please follow the steps below to check the status of your application.
- Use Google Chrome as your web browser (required for system compatibility).
- Go to York’s YU Hire webpage.
- Login to using your Employee Passport York credentials.
- Click the menu icon (three lines) in the top-left corner of the page.
- Click the “Career” menu.
- Click the “Track My Applications” link. You will be taken to the list of all of your applications.
For step-by-step instruction on how to track your application, please see the instructions on how to Track My Application.
Log in to Experience York to track your applications
Preparing for Interviews
The Career Centre is here to support you with your Work/Study application needs.
Career Educators are available for 30-minute appointments to help you:
- answer specific questions regarding your Resumé or Cover Letter (due to time limitations, it is not possible to provide a complete Resumé or Cover Letter feedback session. If you would like more assistance with your Resumé or Cover Letter, please attend the Resumé & Cover Letter Writing workshop.)
- prepare for an upcoming interview and develop strategies to improve your interview performance;
- discover job search resources;
- learn effective job search strategies;
- gain ideas on how to expand your LinkedIn network; and
- get support with determining your next steps.
The Career Centre has curated a series of resources to help you prepare for an interview that will impress your employer!
Develop your interview skills | Career Centre | York University
Prepare for an interview | Career Centre | York University
Dress for interview success | Career Centre | York University
Follow up after an interview | Career Centre | York University
Visit York’s Career Lounge to connect with peer educators for supportive, peer-to-peer help with any career-related questions.
Ask questions about:
- writing and editing resumés and cover letters;
- job searching and networking;
- interview skills and preparation;
- navigating the Career Centre website;
- how to build a LinkedIn profile and search for jobs;
Phase II: Onboarding and Employment
Congratulations on obtaining a Work/Study position! This phase will focus on the onboarding and employment requirements for all Work/Study students.
- Step 5. Hiring & Onboarding
- Step 6. Work/Study Journals and Check-Ins
- Step 7. Employment Expectations
As a hired Work/Study student, you are required to sign an offer letter (contract) and complete a series of onboarding programs to assist you with your new appointment.
If you are offered a job in YU Hire, you will receive a notification and there will be an Offer Letter link (to submit). Click on the link and you will be prompted to log into the respective YU Hire Portal.
Current Employees or Rehires:
Log into the YU Hire Employee Career Portal with your existing Employee PY username and password.
New Job Applicant or External Applicants:
Log into the YU Hire External Career Portal with your external account username and password.
To Review and Accept the Offer:
Important Note: Please do not use your Student PY credentials to access the portals. When logging in, enter only your username (e.g., jdoe123) — do not include the full email address.
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Go to the “Track My Applications” section and locate the corresponding Job Title or Posting number.
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Click the link to download your offer letter.
- Sign on the last two signature pages.
- Upload the signed offer.
- Save a copy of your signed offer letter for your records, as it will no longer be accessible once the offer process is complete.
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Once the upload is complete, click “Approve”.
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(Additional Step for New and External Applicants) You will also be asked to provide the following information:
- Legal Name
- Social Insurance Number (SIN)
- SIN Expiry date (if applicable)
- Date of Birth (DOB)
- Click “Final Save”
Need Help? Access the Full YU Hire Navigation Guides:
- YU Hire Employee Career Portal (Employee PY credentials required): Using YU Hire: York University's Employee Career Portal
- YU Hire External Career Portal: Using York University's External Career Portal - How to use this Toolkit Module
Current Employees or Rehires:
Once your hire is complete, you will receive an email notification containing your Employee ID. This message will be sent to your Employee email inbox and indicates that your existing Employee Passport York (PY) account is active (or has been reactivated, if you are a rehire). You do not need to create another Employee PY, and you can log into HR Self Serve using your Employee PY credentials. In some cases, it may take 1–2 business days for the system to become fully active.
New Job Applicant or External Applicants:
As a new employee, your YU Hire External Portal account will become unavailable after you accept the offer. Your external account, along with your application history, will be transitioned to an Employee account once your hiring process is complete.
Once your hire is complete, you will receive two email notifications sent to the personal email address associated with your YU Hire External account. Please monitor your inbox and spam/junk folder.
- Employee ID and setup instructions – Includes your Employee ID and steps to create your Employee PY account and set up Duo 2FA. Make sure to remember your username and password for future access.
- Temporary password – To help you complete the creation of your Employee PY account.
- Your Employee PY account will not be active immediately upon creation. It may take 1–2 business days for the account to become fully active and grant access to York systems, including:
- Employee email
- YU Hire Employee Portal
- HR Self Serve
Once your Employee PY account is fully active, you will be assigned a New Employee Onboarding Path in the coming days, and a notification will be sent to your Employee email. You’ll need to complete the required onboarding activities via YU Hire Employee Portal using your Employee PY credentials.
Your Student PY account will remain active alongside your Employee PY account, as each provides access to different systems - one for your academic activities and the other for your employment-related functions.
At this stage, your manager, supervisor, or coordinator should reach out to you to discuss:
- Your first day of work
- Work schedule
- Department-specific onboarding
If you have any questions, please contact your manager directly. Their contact information can be found in your offer letter (make sure to save a copy for your own records).
For more detailed instructions or troubleshooting tips, the full Navigation Guides are available here (Employee PY credentials required):
- YU Hire Employee Career Portal: Using YU Hire: York University's Employee Career Portal
- HR Self Serve Portal: Navigation in Employee Self Service
- HR Self Serve Portal: Adding/Viewing/Maintaining Direct Deposit Information
Through the principals of work-integrated learning (WIL) and experiential education (EE) pedagogy, Work/Study students are required to complete the Work/Study journals and check-ins with the support of a coach/mentor. The Work/Study journals are guided by the Becoming YU framework.
Becoming YU provides you with a framework to set meaningful goals, identify the skills you want to develop to achieve those goals and provide you with tools to reflect on and track your progress. Through Becoming YU you will recognize the value of your experiences, have greater clarity about your leadership and career goals, and articulate your skills and accomplishments with confidence!
Becoming YU has identified the following six competencies as important to students' personal, academic and professional success. View the complete Becoming YU Competency Dictionary:
- Communication: Sharing and exchanging ideas effectively.
- Interpersonal Connections: Collaborating with others.
- Personal Success: Developing self-awareness and accountability.
- Social Responsibility and Community Engagement: Getting REDI* to make a difference.
- Knowledge Acquisition and Application: Learning and applying knowledge and information.
- Critical Thinking and Problem Solving: Making effective decisions.
This section will have resources and tools to help support you and your Work/Study coach to complete the Work/Study journals and check-ins.
Students who are required to complete the Work/Study journals include:
- First-time Work/Study students
- Students who are changing roles and/or units and have not completed the journals for their new roles
- Previous returning students who have not completed the Work/Study journals
For students who are continuing with their current roles and have completed the Work/Study journals in their entirety in a previous term, they would be qualified for an exemption from the program. As a hiring manager, you will need to make a request on your Work/Study hiring tracking sheet in columns AK and AL for review and approval if you wish for your students to be exempted. If you did not enter a response in these cells at the time you initially entered the student in the W/S hiring tracking sheet, you must go back and fill in those cells now. Once it’s been reviewed and approved by the Work/Study Administration team, you will see the approval in column AL.
Please note: the Work/Study journals exemptions are not automatic and are granted at the discretion of the Work/Study Administration team.
The following resources will help you navigate through the Experience York system, the system where students will be required to complete their journals.
To ensure students are meeting the requirements of the Work/Study program, Work/Study Administration have created a series of checklists to help students keep track of their progress. Find below the checklists for each step of the Work/Study journals.
Start of the Term
Mid-Way
End of The Term
As part of the Work/Study program, you are required to complete a series of check-ins with your coaches. Work/Study Administration have created guidelines for you as you do your check-ins with your coaches.
To learn more about the Work/Study program, please review the Orientation slides.
Through the Becoming YU framework, six competencies have been identified as important in positioning York University students for success. These competencies are sometimes referred to as “transferable skills." The Becoming YU Competency and Skills Dictionary helps you define each competency and the associated skills.
This resource playbook has been designed to provide participants of the Becoming YU program with guidance on how to develop their skills and competencies listed through a variety of resources provided by York University and beyond.
As a Work/Study student, you are an employee of the University. As such, you are expected to follow the instructions outlined within your offer letter. Employers and Work/Study Administration are required to enforce the offer letter conditions. Please make sure you fully understand your contract. To learn more about employment contracts, please review Understand your employment contract | Career Centre | York University.
General Employment Expectations
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.
Eligibility Status
As outlined in section 4 in the offer letters, students are required to maintain their eligibility throughout the employment period. To review eligibility requirements again, please visit Step 2. Planning and Eligibility.
If there is a change in eligibility and you believe you no longer meet eligibility requirements, then you are required to inform your manager and Work/Study Administration as outlined in section 4, subsection c (for domestic students) or subsection e (for international students). Work/Study Administration will assess if you still meet eligibility requirements. If you do not, then you will have to resign from your Work/Study position.
Work Eligibility Scenarios for International Students:
Situation: A student was enrolled in 9 credits during the Winter 2025 term but dropped a course before the term ended. They plan to return to full-time studies in the Fall term.
Can they work in the summer? No.
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Dropping a course before the term ends changes their status to part-time, making them ineligible to continue working for the remainder of the Winter term.
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They will also not be authorized to work in the Summer term unless they are enrolled full-time in the summer.
Situation: A student was full-time in Winter 2025 but plans to take a leave of absence in Fall or enroll in less than 9 credits. Fall is not their final term, and they will not take any summer courses.
Can they work in the summer? No.
- To work in the summer, they must either be returning to full-time studies in the Fall or be enrolled full-time in the summer.
Situation: A student was full-time in Winter 2025, will not take any courses in the summer, and plans to take part-time studies in Fall, which will be their final term.
Can they work in the summer? Yes.
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Since they were full-time before the summer and Fall is their final term, they are eligible to work during the summer.
Situation: A student’s final term is the Summer term, and they are taking less than 9 credits.
Can they work in the summer? Yes.
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Since summer is their final term, they are allowed to work regardless of credit load.
Requesting Accommodations
For Work/Study students who need accommodations, please follow the process outlined by Health, Safety and Employee Well-being:
- Notify Hiring Manager and EWB@yorku.ca of request for medical accommodation and to receive support and information about the process.
- Have licenced medical practitioner complete the appropriate Medical Certificate and send to ewb@yorku.ca or by fax 416-736-5439.
- Employee Well-Being will review Medical Certificate within 5 business days and connect to discuss the process, provide support, advise of the status of the accommodation and determine next steps.
- Co-operate in work accommodation efforts by participating in Accommodated Work Plan (AWP) planning.
- Maintain regular contact with EWB, and Manager’ office and provide updates if your situation changes.
- Use all available resources for optimization of health and well-being.
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