Questions and
Answers
Q. What is the Student Educational
Employment Program?
A. The Student Educational Employment Program
has two components student temporary employment and student career experience.
It is available to all levels of students: high school, vocational and
technical, associate degree, baccalaureate degree, graduate degree,
and professional degree students.
Q. What are the eligibility requirements
for the Student Educational Employment Program?
A. You are eligible under the Student Educational
Employment Program if you are:
- A student enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a degree-seeking
student (diploma, certificate, etc.)
- At least the minimum age required by Federal, state or local laws
and standards governing the employment of minors,
- Taking at least half-time academic or vocational and technical
course load in an accredited high school, technical or vocational
school, 2-year or 4-year college or university, graduate or professional
school, and
- A U.S. citizen or a national (resident of American Samoa or Swains
Island). Non-citizens may be eligible for employment if:
- permitted by a Federal agency's appropriation act, and
- eligible to work under U.S. immigration laws.
U.S. citizenship is required for conversion
to permanent employment under the Student Career Experience Component
Q. Can A Student Appointed To
One Of These Programs Remain On The Appointment Once They Have Completed
Their Educational Requirements?
A. Students appointed to the Student Career
Experience Program may continue on the appointment for 120 days beyond
the date of completing their work and academic requirements. This 120
day period is permitted by Executive Order 12015. At the end of the
120 days, if the graduate has not been converted to a position in the
competitive service, he/she must be separated.
Once a student appointed to the Student
Temporary Employment Program has completed the requirements for his/her
degree/diploma/certificate (as appropriate), he/she is no longer a student,
and must be separated, even if the NTE date on their current appointment
has not been reached. The reason for the separation is that they are
no longer "students" and therefore no longer meet the basic eligibility
for the program. The Executive Order 12015 does not apply to these graduates.
If enrolled or accepted for enrollment in an additional educational
program they may be given a new appointment.
Q. Can Students Be Promoted?
A. Yes. Students in both programs are eligible
for promotion. However, the NOAC (Nature of Action Code) for students
in the Student Temporary Employment Program is actually a conversion
to a new appointment (at the higher grade level) while keeping the current
NTE date. Even though the actual nature of action is a conversion to
a new appointment, a GS employee is entitled to an increase in pay of
at least two steps (about 6 percent) upon placement in a higher graded
position without a break in service. A WG employee is entitled to an
increase in pay of at least one step (about 4 per cent).
Q. Are Students Eligible For
Annual And Sick Leave?
A. Yes. Students in both programs earn
annual and sick leave.
Q. Are Students Eligible For
Health And Life Insurance Benefits?
A. Health and life insurance coverage for
Federal employees depends on the type of appointment an employee has
and the expectation of substantial employment during the year. Students
in the Student Temporary Employment Program are considered temporary
employees and are generally not entitled to these benefits. However,
once students have been continuously employed for a year without a break
in service exceeding 5 days, they may enroll in the Federal Employee
Health Benefits (FEHB) Program, but they would have to pay 100% of the
premium (i.e., both the employee and government share). There is no
provision for temporary employees to be eligible for life insurance
coverage.
Students in the Student Career Experience
Program are eligible for both health and life insurance coverage as
long as they are expected to be employed under this appointment authority
for at least one year and are expected to be in a pay status for at
least one third of the total period of time from the date of their initial
appointment to the date of the completion of the program. Cost of premiums
is split between the employee and the agency, as for all permanent employees.
Q. Are Students Eligible For
Retirement Benefits?
A. Students in the Student Temporary Employment
Program are generally ineligible for retirement coverage. Students in
the Student Career Experience Program with less than 5 years of prior
civilian service are generally covered by the Federal Employees Retirement
System (FERS). (See 5 CFR, part 842)
Q. Can Students Be Placed On
Intermittent Schedules?
A. An intermittent schedule is only appropriate
when the nature of the work is so sporadic and unpredictable that a
regularly scheduled tour of duty cannot be scheduled in advance. It
is not the intent of the Student Educational Employment Program to have
students working in these types of positions. Students can work full
or part time schedules, as best meets their needs and the needs of the
agency.
Q. Must Students Work Or Attend
School During The Summer?
A. The intent of the Student Educational
Employment Program is that students are always either attending classes,
working at the agency, or both. However, agencies may use their discretion
to permit a "break in program " during which time a student is neither
attending classes nor working. The student would be placed on LWOP during
this time.
Q. Does A Student's Work Experience,
While On The Student Temporary Appointment, Count Towards The Required
640 Hours Necessary For Noncompetitive Conversion Career Conditional
Employment?
A. Yes, if the work performed is related
to the students academic studies and career goals. There should be clear
documentation showing the "relatedness" between the work (actual duties/tasks/assignments)
performed while on the Student Temporary Employment Program appointment
and the Student Career Experience Program appointment.
Q. Does A Student's Work Experience,
While On The Former Stay In School Program And Prior To Conversion
To The New Student Temporary Employment Program, Count Toward The
Required 640 Hours?
A. Yes. Agencies may consider and count
work experience gained under the former Stay in School Program toward
the 640 hours. However, there should be clear documentation showing
the "relatedness" between the work (actual duties/tasks/assignments)
performed under the Stay in School apppointment and the work being performed
under the Student Career Experience Program.
Q. Does The Time Spent On The
Student Temporary Employment Program Count Towards Career Tenure?
Time In Grade?
A. The time does not count towards career
tenure because the three year period must begin and end with non-temporary
employment in the competitive service. However, the time spent on the
student temporary appointment would be creditable towards any time in
grade calculation. (Time spent on the former Stay In School appointment
would also be credited towards time in grade)
Q. May Students Alternate School
And Work (i.e. Work Full Time This Semester, And Next Semester Go
To School Full Time, and Not Work At All)?
A. Yes. The student, school and agency
need to work together to accommodate the academic needs of the student
and the work related needs of the agency. For students participating
in the Student Career Experience Program there must be a written agreement
and a formally arranged schedule of school and work.
Q. How do I apply for a U.S.
Department of Justice student position:
A. You may apply with a resume or an Optional
Application for Federal Employment (OF-612). If you decide to use a
resume, please include information such as: job announcement, job title,
grade, full name, SSN, citizenship, veterans preference (if applicable),
education, work experience and other qualifications.
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