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·¡±«¸éŧ°ä´¡! Student Assistants is an introductory program that leverages federal-work study dollars and grant funds to provide one year of entry-level salary support to undergraduates new to the research and creative enterprise. Follow the steps below to learn more about this program and see what opportunities are currently available. View currently available ·¡±«¸éŧ°ä´¡! positions at bottom of page.

How to Pursue a ·¡±«¸éŧ°ä´¡! Student Assistantship:

1. Learn about the ·¡±«¸éŧ°ä´¡! program

2. Find open positions in Handshake job postings

3. Prepare your research-specific resume and cover letter

• Book a resume review with a LynxConnect Peer Advisor. Go through  and select: LynxConnect Drop-in: Appointment Type: Drop-in
  

4. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Colorado Application for State Financial Aid (CASFA), submit a request for work-study from the Ö÷²¥ÓÕ»ó Financial Aid Forms Website, and download proof of work-study award from UCD Access Student Portal.*

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5. Book an individual advising appointment

• Schedule through  Select: Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities: ‘Undergraduate Research- Advising’.    
• Call the LynxConnect Front Desk: 303-315-4000
  

Have questions? Reach out to undergrad.research@ucdenver.edu. 

*Through additional funding from the URCA office, non-work-study eligible students may apply to receive up to $1,800 per semester covering up to 100 hours for about 5-8 hrs/week.

'Make it ·¡±«¸éŧ°ä´¡!' is a way for students to jointly apply with their mentor for the ·¡±«¸éŧ°ä´¡! Student Assistant Program, this is also how current ·¡±«¸éŧ°ä´¡! Student Assistants apply to continue for an additional year. This is an introductory program that leverages federal-work study dollars and grant funds to provide entry-level salary support to undergraduates new to the research and creative enterprise. Application does not guarantee acceptance into the ·¡±«¸éŧ°ä´¡! Student Assistant Program.

How to 'Make it ·¡±«¸éŧ°ä´¡!':

1. Learn about the ·¡±«¸éŧ°ä´¡! program

2. Book an individual advising appointment

• Schedule through  Select: Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities: ‘Undergraduate Research- Advising’.    
• Call the LynxConnect Front Desk: 303-315-4000

3. Work with your mentor to develop a project proposal and co-written mentoring plan.Provide a statement of interest for your mentor to include in the application as well.

• Statement should include: explanation of why you are interested in ·¡±«¸éŧ°ä´¡!, how this position will contribute to your long-term goals, and comments on how financial support through ·¡±«¸éŧ°ä´¡! will benefit your academic journey.

4. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Colorado Application for State Financial Aid (CASFA), request works-study from the Ö÷²¥ÓÕ»ó Financial Aid Forms Website, and then download proof of work-study award from UCD Access Student Portal.*

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5. Coordinate with your mentor who will submit the application and upload the PDFs of your co-written mentoring document.

Have questions? Reach out to undergrad.research@ucdenver.edu to find details about 'Make it ·¡±«¸éŧ°ä´¡!'.

*Through additional funding from the URCA office, non-work-study eligible students may apply to receive up to $1,800 per semester covering up to 100 hours for about 5-8 hrs/week.

Currently in a ·¡±«¸éŧ°ä´¡! Student Assistant Position and looking to continue for an additional year? Since you are already working with a mentor, you would be applying for the 'Make it ·¡±«¸éŧ°ä´¡!' option. You can also (17min).

1. For that application, you would work with your mentor to develop a project proposal and co-written mentoring plan (you can update this from a previous research proposal). Provide a statement of interest for your mentor to include in the application as well.

• Statement should include: explanation of why you are interested in ·¡±«¸éŧ°ä´¡!, how this position will contribute to your long-term goals, and comments on how financial support through ·¡±«¸éŧ°ä´¡! will benefit your academic journey.

2.  While you send in your application, make sure you have completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Colorado Application for State Financial Aid (CAFSA), request work-study on the Ö÷²¥ÓÕ»ó Financial Aid Forms Website, and then download proof of work-study award from UCD Access Student Portal.*

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3. You will then coordinate with your mentor to submit the application. They will input their details in the application and upload the PDFs of your co-written mentoring plan for review.

Have questions? Reach out to undergrad.research@ucdenver.edu. 

*Through additional funding from the URCA office, non-work-study eligible students may apply to receive up to $1,800 per semester covering up to 100 hours for about 5-8 hrs/week.

The ·¡±«¸éŧ°ä´¡! programs help match undergraduates with faculty mentors who are eager to engage them in research and creative scholarship. Through these collaborations, students have the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to their field, while learning skills needed to succeed in a professional setting.

• Entry-level positions available with both Ö÷²¥ÓÕ»ó or Anschutz faculty.
  
• Students can apply for new faculty-proposed positions via job platform, Handshake, or apply jointly with a current mentor.
• Starting salary is Denver minimum wage (currently $18.81 as of January 2025)
  
• Students can choose to apply this experience towards a for-credit academic internship as well.
  
• Students who have a work-study award as part of their financial aid package are able to put that entire amount towards their ·¡±«¸éŧ°ä´¡! position.
  
• With a standard award, this normally allows for 175 hours per semester or approximately 10 hours per week.
  
• Students who do not have a work-study award are still eligible for these positions but are limited to 100 hours of URCA-funded work per semester, dependent on the availability of funds. 
• Student responsible for requesting work-study, tracking usage, and requesting additional funds before award exhausted.

As part of the ·¡±«¸éŧ°ä´¡! Student Assistant Program, students must:

• Enroll in a “for-credit” or “not-for-credit” learning agreement through a Handshake Experience appointment during the semester in which the award is administered
  
• Attend at least two URCA events each semester (hosted regularly both in-person and virtually).
  
• Fulfill the tasks and responsibilities assigned by their mentor and outlined in a learning agreement.
• Conduct themselves in an ethical and professional manner, acting as a positive representative of Ö÷²¥ÓÕ»ó as outlined in the Code of Conduct.
• Complete the hours agreed upon with the mentor.
• Notify the Office of Undergraduate Research & Creative Activities in a timely manner of any changes to their Learning Agreement or if any problems develop during their research experience.
• Complete the evaluation at the end of each semester (online evaluation form will be provided by URCA).
• Present outcomes of scholarly activity at the annual (RaCAS) each spring.

To be eligible to hold a ·¡±«¸éŧ°ä´¡! position, a student must:  

• hold degree-seeking Ö÷²¥ÓÕ»ó undergraduate status  
  
• submit a (FAFSA) and as part of their financial aid package  
  
• complete a University of Colorado Background Request Form, pursuant to the Ö÷²¥ÓÕ»ó | Anschutz Background Investigations Policy  
  
• be enrolled part-time or full-time (at least 6 credit hours) throughout the semester, including summer semesters (see Ö÷²¥ÓÕ»ó | Anschutz Student Employment Handbook for details)  
  
• maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress assessed at the end of each semester based upon grade point average, completion rate, and overall attempted credit hour limit  
  
• have relevant coursework and demonstrated skills, which will vary with the proposed scholarly activity  
  

The goal of this program is to connect Ö÷²¥ÓÕ»ó students to faculty mentors who will help them take their learning beyond the classroom and out into the real world. Our office promotes your positions to undergraduates and reviews applications on a first-come first-serve basis.

We provide interested students with advising and professional development opportunities, allowing you to focus on field-specific scholarship when working with your ·¡±«¸éŧ°ä´¡! Mentee. 

Zero Cost
Even better, there's no cost to you! When you hire a work-study eligible student, the ·¡±«¸éŧ°ä´¡! program pays a quarter of their hourly wage with the federal government covering the rest. Support for non-work-study eligible students may be available on a first-come first-served basis. Throughout the process, our office covers all administrative responsibilities including hiring and payroll support.

Be a Mentor
We are seeking mentors from both Ö÷²¥ÓÕ»ó and CU Anschutz Medical Campus in all disciplines, and preference will be given to positions that are suitable to undergraduates in their first year or two at the university.

Student Assistant Job Role Examples

• Conduct a preliminary literature search
• Download, clean, and align DNA sequence data
• Transcribe interviews
• Digitize archived media collections

Questions about sponsoring a ·¡±«¸éŧ°ä´¡! Student Assistant or about the application? Please view resources below and email Senior Program Coordinator, Liz Evans, Elizabeth.Evans@ucdenver.edu.

'Make it ·¡±«¸éŧ°ä´¡!' is a way for students to jointly apply with their mentor for the ·¡±«¸éŧ°ä´¡! Student Assistant Program. This is an introductory program that leverages federal-work-study dollars and grant funds to provide entry-level salary support to undergraduates new to the research and creative enterprise.

Ö÷²¥ÓÕ»ó faculty members develop a co-written proposal with a current research assistant or student mentee pursuing a mentored research project. The faculty member submits an application to the URCA Office outlining the proposed ·¡±«¸éŧ°ä´¡! Student Assistant position, including project abstract, student details, and a co-written, signed mentoring plan. Mentors can utilize this option with returning ·¡±«¸éŧ°ä´¡! students to apply for an additional year of funding.

Application Includes:

• Project description
• Detailed job description
• Student details
• Statement of interest from student
• Signed co-written mentoring plan
• Description of past progress (required for continuing ·¡±«¸éŧ°ä´¡! students only)   

In the meantime, student must Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Colorado Application for State Financial Aid (CAFSA), request Work-study from the Ö÷²¥ÓÕ»ó Financial Aid Forms Website, and download proof of work-study award from UCD Access Student Portal.*

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Questions about applying jointly with a current student mentee? Please view resources below and email Senior Program Coordinator, Liz Evans, Elizabeth.Evans@ucdenver.edu.

*Through additional funding from the URCA office, non-work-study eligible students may apply to receive up to $1,800 per semester covering up to 100 hours for about 5-8 hrs/week.

The deadline for filling ·¡±«¸éŧ°ä´¡! Student Assistant positions is flexible, but the goal is to hire all students by the second week of the fall semester (Census Date).

1. Learn About the Program:

• Undergraduates interested in applying are required to go through a self-paced workshop on Canvas prior to applying.
• Students are encouraged to reach out to the ·¡±«¸éŧ°ä´¡! team to answer questions about the program and to ensure that application materials (i.e., resume, cover letter, transcript, work-study award letter) are appropriate for these positions. Contact 303-315-4000 or undergrad.research@ucdenver.edu.

2. Apply for Work-study

• If eligible, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Colorado Application for State Financial Aid (CASFA) before they are hired into the program and submit a Request for Work-study Form found on the
• Once awarded work-study, students must provide proof of award from their UCD Access Student Portal. Students are responsible for tracking their own work-study usage and requesting additional funds if needed.
• Through additional funding from the URCA office, non-work-study eligible students may apply to receive up to $1,800 per semester covering up to 100 hours for about 5-8 hrs/week.

3. Complete Solidify and Hire Process

• Once approved as a ·¡±«¸éŧ°ä´¡! hire, each student must fill out a Learning Agreement, called an Experience, on Handshake. 
• At this point, students may also choose to use their research or creative activity toward academic credit. 
• They will meet with the ·¡±«¸éŧ°ä´¡! Senior Program Coordinator, Liz Evans, to confirm their job description and learning goals each semester. 
• Once these Experiences have been approved by the faculty mentor and they have provided proof of a work-study award (if applicable), students can finalize their hiring process. 
• All students who do not have a university employee ID number will go through a background check and provide I-9 verification to work in the United States. Students with a university employee ID will not need a background check. 
• Once fully hired, students can begin working and submitting bi-weekly timesheets for faculty approval.

Questions about applying jointly with a current student assistant? Please view resources below and email Senior Program Coordinator, Liz Evans, Elizabeth.Evans@ucdenver.edu.