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Division of Human Resources

Timesheets and Payroll

Student employees and their supervisors are responsible for logging and approving timesheets, but you may be contacted if any issues come up.

Ensure you are doing your part to get student employees paid correctly and on time by reviewing the following information.

Use the Time and Absence System to manage timesheets while working at USC. You may be able to fix issues in the Time and Absence Workcenter or contact the Payroll department at 803-777-4227 for help.

Hourly vs. Salaried Students

  • Hourly students: Enter and account for hours worked weekly in the system.
  • Salaried students: No time entry required; paid a flat semimonthly amount.

Role of Supervisor

  • Review, edit, and approve timesheets weekly by noon on Monday.
  • Visit the Payroll Office for system access and approval guidance.
  • Some areas use other timekeeping systems; hours are loaded into the Time and Absence System.

Role of the Additional Approvers

  • TL/ABS Approver can create and approve timesheets if the supervisor is unavailable.
  • Complete and submit a Peoplesoft HCM All Access Form [pdf] to serve as TL/ABS Approver.
  • Up to three individuals per department can be assigned as TL/ABS Approvers.

Student Employees with Multiple Jobs

  • Inform students how to log and submit hours for all jobs.
  • Provide the EMPL record number associated with their . They can see the internal title (if entered by the department) along with the EMPL record to identify the correct job.
  • Select the correct position from the dropdown list on the timesheet.
  • Visit the Payroll Office for visuals on submitting timesheets for multiple jobs.

Once a student employee is hired, it is best practice to check the HR/Payroll System to validate the student’s pay rate was entered properly.

Students should also check the electronic version of their paycheck in Employee Self-Service to ensure payout looks accurate.

Salaried student employees are paid on a lag: earnings for the first half of the month are paid at the end of the month, and earnings for the second half are paid on the 15th of the following month.

The university processes payrolls semi-monthly. Hourly student employees have a different pay schedule.

 Visit the Payroll Website for details.

A pay discrepancy such as a late payment, underpayment, or overpayment may be brought to your attention by a student employee or a supervisor. Once you are aware of a pay discrepancy, you will need to investigate what caused the discrepancy in order to resolve it. Examples of things you can look at to determine the cause of a discrepancy include:

For Hourly Students

  • Ensure the hire eForm was approved and active in HCM PeopleSoft before the payroll deadline (HR deadlines can be found in the HR Toolbox ).
  • Confirm timesheets were submitted and approved on time in the Time and Absence System.
  • Validate hours were logged correctly.
  • For multiple jobs, ensure time was entered under the correct position (check the EMPL record).

For Salaried Students

  • Ensure the hire eForm was approved and active in HCM PeopleSoft before the payroll deadline (HR deadlines can be found on the HR Toolbox).
  • Check Job Data to ensure the salary was annualized correctly.

For assistance, contact the Human Resources’ Service Team.

If the student did not set up direct deposit in a timely manner, a paper check will be provided. If this occurs, contact the Payroll Department at 803-777-4227 for assistance.

As a general rule, students should be encouraged to review their paychecks for accuracy through Employee Self Service. Paycheck information is available one day prior to the actual pay date.


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