Semi-monthly payments making students smile

Those students who were working for an hourly wage at USU this summer already know, but those just getting back into the swing of things should be aware that it’s finally happened.

Paychecks are being cut twice a month now.

“It’s a must,” said Adam Cooper, senior in business management and a library employee. “I’m glad that’s how it is now.”

The semi-monthly payments were started back in May, but many students had headed out for the summer by that time and only this month have begun their on-campus jobs again.

Dave Cowley, now associate vice president for financial services and formerly the USU controller, said the semi-monthly payments were done as a service to students who may have trouble managing their money with only once-monthly payments.

Cowley said the Controllers Office had had feedback that it was hard to get paid once a month, especially when that check showed up just after rent and utilities were due.

Not only that, but the monthly payments were a factor making it tough to hire new people.

“The feeling was we were having difficulty recruiting the best hourly workers, especially with other employers paying twice a month or even weekly,” Cowley said. “It’s really an initiative to help students that are hourly employees.”

The semi-monthly payments will come out on the 10th and 25th of each month.

Cowley said it was complicated getting the system up and running, and it required quite a bit of testing as well as collaboration between several campus offices, including the Controllers Office, Human Resources, Information Technology and Student Employment.

“It’s definitely the right idea,” Cooper said. “It helps a lot in terms of monthly rent. It would be a lot harder to pay otherwise.”

Wyatt Erickson, junior in business and a computer lab employee in the Taggart Student Center, said he also felt the new system was beneficial.

“I was excited for it when I heard about it in December,” he said. “It’s way easier because I don’t have to wait a full month for the next paycheck.”

Peter Chen, a graduate student in business, said for him, budgeting is not a problem, but it’s still nice to get his checks every two weeks.

-elizabeth.lawyer@aggiemail.usu.edu