MechE Student Payroll Information

In order to be set up in Mechanical Engineering, you must submit the following form to the Financial Administrator (mechefin@bu.edu, 110 Cummington Mall, Room 116A) before you start working:

  1. Complete and the Student Hire Form

If you are new to working in Mechanical ENG and/or working at BU:

    1. Sign Student Confidentiality Policy form
    2. Sign FERPA form (ME Graders only)
    3. Read Intellectual Property Agreement Policy. Sign Intellectual Property Agreement form.  (ME Research Assistants/SURF only)
    4. Complete and sign I-9 (first-time domestic and F-1 international student workers only).
    5. International student workers will need the ME Finance Office to complete a Social Security Certification form in order to apply for a Social Security Number (SSN). The Social Security Certification form will require your supervisor’s signature, and the form must be returned to ISSO before you can be set-up on payroll.

After being hired (W-4):

First-time domestic students: Complete and sign W-4. Online steps can be found here.
International F-1 students: Please review the Tax Information for International Students on the Student Employment Office website, found here, for more instructions on the W-4 and if it is applicable to you.

Please contact MechE’s Financial Administrator with any paperwork questions.

Filling Out Your I-9 Form:

  • If you have already filled out an I-9 at BU, you do not need to fill it out again.
  • You are required to complete and sign “Section 1” of the form.
  • Supervisors/employers must complete “Section 2” of the form by viewing student identification. Document(s) must be original and unexpired; copies of IDs are not accepted (this is a requirement of the USCIS).
  • Acceptable documents are listed here. You must bring one document from List A OR a document from List B AND List C to MechE front office or the Student Employment Office.

*Please note, ME Administration cannot advise you on what you claim on your W-4 or what to use for Section 2 of the I9.

Use this helpful flowchart to help you navigate through the steps mentioned above:
UPDATED Student Employment Flowchart V6

Submitting Electronic Time Sheets

  1. Go to the MyBU Student Portal
  2. Click on the “My Job and Careers” tab
  3. Click on “Employee Time Entry” tile
  4. Log in
  5. Click on the job title for the specific job you are submitting hours for.
  6. Enter the hours worked.  If you work more than 5 hours straight, you are required to take a break.
  7. Double check the hours listed and click on “Calculate Hours”
  8. Check the box “I certify that this is an accurate record of the hours I have worked”
  9. Click “Submit to Supervisor” to submit hours. You will be unable to change your hours once you submit them.  If you need your hours changed, please contact your supervisor.
    • Online time sheets must be completed and submitted by 11:59pm every Sunday.
    • Holiday time sheet deadlines will be announced via e-mail before they occur.

Forgot to Submit Your Time Sheet?

Please fill out a paper time sheet, have your supervisor sign it, and then bring it back to the Mechanical Engineering Front Desk as soon as possible.

Timely Submission of Student Payroll is Critical!
Please note: Students should be aware that late payments create the potential for a student to be placed into a higher tax bracket for the week in which they are receiving additional payments. This can cause more taxes to be withheld from a students’ pay for that particular week.

Paychecks/Setting up Direct Deposit

Physical checks are no longer available for pickup at 881 Commonwealth Avenue. Students who do not have direct deposit authorized will receive a physical check. Domestic students’ checks will be mailed to their home addresses, and international students’ checks will be sent to their local addresses. For more information about paychecks, please click here.

Once you have received your first paper paycheck, you are eligible to sign up for direct deposit.  If you have problems setting up your direct deposit, you should contact the IT Help Center at 617-353-4357 or e-mail ithelp@bu.edu

Directions for setting up direct deposit.

Other Information

The Student Employment Office website has many resources available to students, including information on requesting duplicate W-2s, tax treaty lists, and understanding your pay stub.

Faculty instructions for approving student time sheets