Job Referral Notice (JRN)
Students may not begin working in the FWS program until a JRN has been issued to their potential employer.
The JRN is the only official confirmation of a student’s eligibility to work in the FWS program. The FWS program will not fund wages that are paid without a valid JRN.
The potential employing department will request the JRN from the FWS Coordinator. The JRN is not issued directly to the student. The student will receive a copy of the JRN when it is issued to the employer. Students should keep a copy of the JRN for their records.
JRN Criteria
The JRN is authorized and valid only for the specific criteria as stated on the JRN:
- Student Name and ID
- Award Amount
- Authorized Award Period
- Supervising Department
- Payroll Department
JRN Activation
The JRN must be activated within the first 30 days of the authorized award period. The JRN is activated when the student’s wages properly charge the FWS accounts for work performed during the first 30 days of the authorized award period.
Students must contact the FWS Coordinator, after they have received their first paycheck, to verify that their JRN has been activated. This also confirms that the student’s employee status and accounting set-up are correct. Do not rely on the employer for this information. Failure to verify JRN activation may result in loss of the FWS award.
The JRN becomes inactive if the student stops earning FWS wages for a period of four consecutive pay periods after work has begun.
If the JRN is not activated, or becomes inactive, it is no longer valid and a new JRN must be requested. There are various factors that impact whether a new JRN will be issued or if the award will be cancelled.
JRN Expiration
At the end of the authorized award period the JRN is no longer valid. A JRN is not automatically renewed and must be re-issued each new award year.
The JRN may become invalid or expire under a variety of conditions. JRN expiration usually causes cancellation of the FWS award. Should this occur, the FWS Coordinator will send an email notice to the student, supervisor, and payroll reporter.
The most common reasons for JRN expiration are:
- The student does not receive a FWS paycheck for work performed within the first 30 days of the authorized award period
- The student does not contact the FWS Coordinator to verify JRN activation
- A FWS paycheck is not recorded for a period of 4 consecutive pay periods
- The student fails to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress
- The student’s enrollment drops to below half-time
- The student graduates or ceases to be enrolled
- The student ceases to maintain eligibility or is required to submit additional information to document continued eligibility