| PublicationDate: 11/15/96 Summary: Preliminary estimate of 1997-98 FWS allocation Author: OPE - Office of the Assistant Secretary for OPE November 15, 1996 Dear Colleagues: This letter concerns the preliminary estimate of your 1997/98 Federal Work-Study allocation. Recently the Department sent two letters in the same mailing: one (DCL CB 96-21) contained instructions for the editing of your most recently filed FISAP; the other (DCL CB 96-22) provided information and a preliminary estimate about your potential 1997-98 Federal Work Study (FWS) allocations based on a simulation which was run using 1994-95 information. I am delighted to tell you that simulated allocations typically represent a significant increase available for 1997-98 and are the result of President Clinton having signed the Omnibus Consolidation Appropriations Act on September 30, 1996. The purpose of this message is to help you begin to prepare for this increased allocation by expanding the opportunities for your students to participate in the FWS Program. YOU WILL NEED TO EDIT THE FISAP BY DECEMBER 6, 1996 TO RECEIVE YOUR MAXIMUM ELIGIBILITY: In light of the national increase in FWS funds it is especially important to review your 1997-98 request and, if necessary, increase it using the edit process. You can not receive your institution's full eligibility unless you request it ! The edit deadline of December 6th will be your only opportunity to change your request. IT IS NOT REQUIRED THAT YOU LIMIT YOUR REQUEST TO THE PRELIMINARY ESTIMATED ALLOCATION IF YOUR INSTITUTION'S NEED FOR FWS FUNDS EXCEEDS THIS AMOUNT. THE PRELIMINARY ESTIMATE WILL DIFFER FROM THE FINAL AWARD: This preliminary estimate is not a guarantee but rather a projection of potential eligibility. When you receive the preliminary estimate of your institution's FWS award for 1997-98, you will note that it is based on 1994-95 information. This is because not enough final information was available from the recently filed FISAPs to use 1995-96 data. In addition, because we have been concerned that your requests in the past may have been based on amounts you have received in the past and not on the full amounts that your students have demonstrated that they need, the preliminary estimate has not been limited to the amount of your request. THE PRESIDENT HAS CHALLENGED SCHOOLS TO COMMIT HALF OF THE INCREASES OVER 1996-97 LEVELS TO COMMUNITY SERVICE, ESPECIALLY TO READING TUTORS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN: While current law requires that at least 5% of FWS funds be committed to community service (10% if the school wishes to receive re-allocated dollars), the President announced on October 26, 1996 his intention to propose legislation that would dedicate half of the increases over the 1996-97 award level to this purpose. Further, in keeping with his challenge to have 100,000 FWS tutors help all children read well by the end of the third grade, his proposal would waive the employer matching requirements when the funds are used for reading tutors. Although no legislation has been introduced at this time to expand the community service requirement, it is our hope that schools will act now to expand community service beyond current levels while at the same time expanding on-campus, off-campus and summer employment programs. WE WILL BE WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY TO SOLICIT IDEAS FOR SPENDING THE INCREASED ALLOCATIONS: While the good news is that there is increased funding available for eligible students, we understand the challenge of planning for the additional institutional and community service organization resources necessary to meet the required federal matches while at the same time seeing to it that the increased job opportunities for your students are readily available under the FWS Program. To this end, we are working with the higher education community, including financial aid and student employment experts as well as the Corporation for National Service, NASFAA and State grant officers to gather ideas and practical solutions to assist you in the planning process. A first meeting is scheduled in Washington D.C. on November 22. We have invited NASFAA to send representatives from each of the regions to this meeting. We look forward to hearing from you concerning your ideas, plans and concerns for expending this increase to the FWS Program. We will continue to update the BBS with additional information in the coming months. Our first update will follow the November 22nd meeting. Respectfully submitted, Elizabeth Hicks |