Maintained for Historical Purposes

This resource is being maintained for historical purposes only and is not currently applicable.

Federal Work-Study Program - Introduction

AwardYear: 1996-1997
EnterChapterNo: 7
EnterChapterTitle: Federal Work-Study Program
SectionNumber:
SectionTitle: Introduction
PageNumbers: 1-3



PROGRAM PURPOSE

The Federal Work-Study (FWS) Program gives part-time
employment to undergraduate and graduate students who need the
income to help meet the costs of postsecondary education, and it
encourages FWS recipients to participate in community service
activities. Since the beginning of the 1994-95 award year, schools
have been required to utilize money from their FWS Program funds
to compensate students employed in community service jobs. (See
below.)

RECENT CHANGES TO THE FWS PROGRAM

[[NEW]]
The following changes affect the FWS Program:

- Prior to the 1996-97 award year, a school was allowed to keep the
required FWS Program records on microforms or in computer
format. Beginning with 1996-97, a school may keep the records in
one of those formats or on optical disk or other comparable
imaging technology. Also beginning with the 1996-97 award year,
if a school keeps its records in computer format, the school must
maintain the source documents supporting the computer input in
hard copy, microforms, optical disk, or other comparable imaging
technology.

[[Model Agreement]]
- The FWS Program Model Agreement was removed from
Appendix B of 34CFR 675 and is now included in this chapter.

[[Reporting community service expenditures]]
- FWS community service expenditures for the 1995-96 award year
will be reported on the Fiscal Operations Report and Application
to Participate (FISAP) instead of on the Campus-Based
Reallocation Form (Form E40-4P) as in previous award years.
This change will take effect on the FISAP a school receives in July
1996, as that FISAP is the one the school will use to report its
1995-96 fiscal operations.

WORK-COLLEGES PROGRAM

[[34CFR 675.41 through 675.50]]
The Higher Education Amendments of 1992 authorized the Work-
Colleges Program. Schools that satisfy the definition of "work-
college" may apply with the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to
participate in the program. A work-college may transfer funds from
its allocation for the FWS Program and/or Federal Perkins Loan
Program to fund the school’s Work-Colleges Program.

The Work-Colleges Program recognizes, encourages, and promotes
the use of comprehensive work-learning programs as a valuable
educational approach when used as an integral part of the school’s
educational program and as a part of a financial plan that decreases
reliance on grants and loans. The program also encourages students
to participate in community service activities.

The term "work-college" is defined as an eligible institution*1* that

- is a public or private nonprofit school with a commitment to
community service;

- has operated a COMPREHENSIVE WORK-LEARNING
PROGRAM for at least two years;

- provides students participating in the comprehensive work-
learning program with the opportunity to contribute to their
education and to the welfare of the community as a whole;

- requires all students who reside on campus to participate in a
comprehensive work-learning program; and

- requires providing services as an integral part of the school’s
educational program and as part of the school’s educational
philosophy.

A "comprehensive student work-learning program" is defined as a
student work/service program that

- is an integral and stated part of the institution’s educational
philosophy and program;

- requires participation of all resident students for enrollment,
participation, and graduation;

- includes learning objectives, evaluation, and a record of work
performance as part of the student’s college record;

- provides programmatic leadership by college personnel at levels
comparable to traditional academic programs;

- recognizes the educational role of work-learning supervisors; and

- includes consequences for nonperformance or failure in the work-
learning program similar to the consequences for failure in the
regular academic program.

Additional requirements for the Work-Colleges Program are found in
34CFR 675.


*1* See Chapter 3, Section 1 for the definition of an eligible
institution.