Two student minimum wage increases will be occurring in early 2025.

• On Jan. 1, GVSU is raising the minimum wage paid to student employees to $12/hour.

• On Feb. 21, the minimum wage paid to student employees will rise to $12.48/hour in accordance with state law.

These changes are a result of discussions with student employees and the university’s senior leadership team, in addition to impending changes to the state’s minimum wage law.

• Laker Food Company student employees, whose minimum wage was increased earlier this year to $12.31/hour (in many cases higher), will not receive an increase on Jan. 1.
• All other hourly student employees (those not employed by Laker Food Company) will receive a wage increase of $1.44/hour on top of their previous hourly wage.
• On Feb. 21, all student employees will receive an additional raise of 48 cents/hour on top of whatever rate they were already receiving.
• Graduate Assistants and students paid with a stipend or one time payment will not receive an increase.

The Student Employment Office will be implementing these changes in the coming weeks to ensure all student wages are updated as of their appropriate date. You will be continually updated on progress and changes in your monthly Student Employee Newsletter.

Nothing. The Student Employment Office will implement these increases on your behalf. We do, however, recommend staying up to date on these changes through our monthly Student Employee Newsletter. 

If after reading through this webpage you have further questions, we suggest reaching out to your direct supervisor. If they are unable to answer your question(s), please reach out to the Student Employment Office at [email protected] or 616-331-3238. Our office is open Monday through Friday from 8am-5pm. We would be happy to assist.

• GVSU is raising the minimum wage paid to student employees to $12/hour. This increase will take effect for the pay period beginning 12/22/2024.
• For the pay period beginning Feb. 16, the minimum wage paid to student employees will rise to $12.48/hour in accordance with state law.

These changes are a result of discussions with student employees and the university’s senior leadership team, in addition to impending changes to the state’s minimum wage law. Together they have been working to identify ways to provide enhanced student wages without significant impacts to tuition, fees or other costs.

• Student employees (excluding Laker Food Co. student employees) will receive a wage increase of $1.44/hour on top of their previous hourly wage effective December 22, 2024.
• Laker Food Company student employees’ minimum wage was increased earlier this year to $12.31/hour (in many cases LFC wages are higher). Their wages are not impacted by the first round of changes.
• On Feb. 16, all student employees (including Laker Food Co. student employees) will receive an additional raise of 48 cents/hour on top of whatever rate they were already receiving.

No. This will be an automated process and you do not need to make any changes to enact these wage increases.

Overall, we ask that you refrain from hiring or making wage changes to your student employees after December 15, 2024 and instead wait until after winter break. This will be the easiest way of ensuring your student employees are hired under the appropriate wage. However, if you need to hire your students or make changes to existing students between December 16, 2024 and January 1, 2025, please keep the following in mind:

• Any new students hires requested on or after December 16, 2024 will not be included in the automatic increase. Please hire these students using the January 2025 wage chart.
• Any students with a start date of December 23 or later will not be included in the automatic increase. Please hire these students using the January 2025 wage chart.
• Any wage change requests submitted or made effective between December 16 and December 31 will not update correctly due to the automatic increase. Please wait until January 2025. 
• Any students hired after winter break will need to be hired on the January 2025 wage chart and cannot earn less than $12 per hour.

GVSU MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE

• December 16, 2024 - Student Employment will be pulling all hired hourly student employees and start the wage increase process. Any students hired after this date will not be included in the automatic minimum wage increase and should be hired with the new January 2025 wage chart in mind. 
• December 22, 2024 - the wage increase will be fully implemented to ensure hourly students are earning the proper wage as of January 2025.
• January 1, 2024 - supervisors can request additional wage increases for their student employees now that the initial increase is completed.

STATE OF MICHIGAN INCREASE

• February 10, 2024 - Student Employment will be pulling all hired hourly student employees and start the wage increase process. Any students hired after this date will not be included in the automatic minimum wage increase and should be hired with the new February 2025 wage chart in mind. 
• February 16, 2025 - the wage increase will be fully implemented to ensure students are earning the proper wage as of February 21, 2025.

General fund budget allocations will be adjusted by March 31, 2025 to reflect the student wage increases. This will be an automated process. 

For non-general fund budgets that experience a deficit strictly due to the increase in student wages, the Budget Office will consider one-time funding transfers upon review of the FY24-25 activity. If approved, transfers will occur after the FY25 close.  More information will be shared in the coming months.

If after reading through this webpage you have further questions, please reach out to the Student Employment Office at [email protected] or 616-331-3238. Our office is open Monday through Friday from 8am-5pm. We would be happy to assist.