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Student Temporary Employment Program
      Student Eligibility Requirements
      Optional Work Schedules
      Special Conditions of Employment for STEP Program Appointments
      Program Compliance
      Tuition Assistance and Repayment
      Travel Assistance
      Probation

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The Student Temporary Employment Program (STEP) allows for maximum flexibility to both students and supervisors by offering valuable temporary work experiences.  The STEP Program allows a student to work in a professional, administrative, technical, clerical, or trades / labor position with duties that do not have to be directly related to the student’s academic field of study and career goals.  However, a STEP Program participant may, at a later time, be non-competitively converted to the SCEP Program and perform work tasks related to his / her academic field of study.  

A student accepted for participation into the STEP Program is referred to as a temporary employee and is appointed to excepted service.  

Student Eligibility Requirements

The student eligibility requirements for the STEP Program remain consistent with U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Code of Federal Regulations (5 CFR 213.3202; http://www.opm.gov/employ/students/2133202.HTM).  Under these regulations, a STEP student fulfills temporary employment needs of the agency for a one-year appointment or less.  An agency may extend the appointment in one-year increments as long as the individual continues to meet the definition of a student, fulfills minimum academic requirements of the agency, and meets on-the-job requirements for program continuation.  In order to be appointed, a STEP Program participant must be:  

  • A student enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a degree - (diploma, certificate) seeking student with a half-time academic / vocational or technical course load in an accredited high school, technical or vocational school, two or four year college or university, graduate or professional school.  Half-time for undergraduate students is generally nine (9) credit hours; while for graduate students it is generally six (6) credit hours.
  • A student must be in good standing with his or her academic institution.
  • A student must have and maintain a cumulative academic grade point average (GPA) of a 2.0 or better.
  • A United States citizen at the time of non-competitive conversion to a term, career-conditional, or career appointment.  The Bureau may appoint non-citizens provided that the student is lawfully admitted to the United States as a permanent resident or otherwise authorized to be employed.
  • An individual of sixteen years of age or older.  No maximum age restrictions exist for the overall STEP Program (5 CFR 338.601; http://www.opm.gov/cfr/vol_1/5cfr338.htm).  However, age restrictions do apply for arduous positions only, such as wildland firefighter, law enforcement and surveying.

The OPM Qualification Standards for the qualifying occupational series are used to determine the initial appointment grade and the promotion potential of a STEP Program participant.  

Optional Work Schedules

  • The student temporary employees’ employment and work experience can be part-time and/or full-time based on the supervisor’s needs for a particular position.  The work schedule and job responsibilities cannot interfere with the students’ academic courses and program curriculum.  Whatever, the work schedule agreed upon; the STEP Program requires that all participants be either working and/or attending school at all times.  The following optional work schedules are possible:

  •  Parallel Work Schedule - part-time work year-round with concurrent school attendance; works    well if attending an academic institution near the work site.

  •  Alternative Work Schedule - full-time school attendance when classes are traditionally in session (fall, spring, winter); and full-time work, typically in summer, when school is not traditionally not in session.

  •  Combination of part-time and full-time work; typical with a changing academic course schedule
     (fall, spring, winter). 

  •   “Breaks in program” are permitted but must be approved by the supervisor and the SEEP
     Program Coordinator.      

Special Conditions of STEP Program Appointments

Only STEP Program participants are required to sign and submit a Special Conditions of Student Temporary Employment Program Appointment form.  The students of this program are not required to complete a Student Agreement (written agreement).  

Program Compliance

It is the responsibility of the student and supervisor to ensure that the STEP Program participant submits all of the items listed below to ensure continuing compliance with and to remain eligible for the STEP Program.  Failure to adhere to the above will inhibit promotion and award opportunities, as well as result in removal / termination from the STEP Program:  

  • Grade report (must include a cumulative academic GPA; not just the current school term GPA) at the end of each academic school term.
  • Course schedule for the upcoming academic school term.
  • Employee Performance Plan and Results Report (EPPRR) at the end of each fiscal year.

Note:  If a student plans to return to school before the end of the fiscal year, efforts should be made to finalize the reporting process and the submission of requested information prior to the students’ departure.

Tuition Assistance and Repayment

STEP Program participants are not eligible for tuition assistance of any kind.  

Travel Assistance

STEP Program participants are eligible for travel assistance only as it relates to a specific work project and/or training, by which the completion of the project and/or acquisition of the training will benefit the agency.  When this occurs, a student participant is entitled to the same travel rights and obligations as any other Federal employee (i.e. transportation, per diem, etc.).  

Probation

STEP Program participants do not serve a probationary period.  As a temporary employee, when the work project and funding ceases or work performance fails to meet expectations, the student may be removed / terminated immediately from the program.

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