This Electronic Announcement provides information about the application process for schools interested in participating in the Work Colleges Program under the Federal Work-Study (FWS) Program for the 2023–24 award year. To participate in this program the school must comply with all provisions of Section 448 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), and the applicable program regulations included in Subpart C of 34 CFR Part 675.
New: As published in the “2022–23 Award Year Deadline Dates for Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Work-Study, and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant Programs” Federal Register Notice (87 FR 4871) on Jan. 31, 2022, and as corrected on Feb. 11, 2022 (87 FR 8007), beginning with the 2023-24 application year, separate deadlines now apply to new schools that are applying to participate in the Work Colleges Program for the first time, versus currently participating schools.
Any new schools that are interested in participating in the Work Colleges Program for the first time beginning with the 2023–24 award year were required to apply by Nov. 1, 2022.
If your school was preparing to apply to the Work Colleges Program for the first time with the 2023–24 application year but missed the announcement of the new November deadline, contact the FSA Partner and School Relations Center using the contact information at the bottom of this announcement.
Returning schools that are currently participating in the 2022–23 award year must apply no later than March 6, 2023.
These deadlines apply to both the electronic submission and the required signed paper copy (signed by the school’s Chief Executive Officer/CEO).
Note: The Work Colleges Application is not an application to participate in the FWS Program.
Applying for Participation in the Work Colleges Program for the 2023–24 Award Year
A school interested in participating in the Work Colleges Program must submit a completed "Institutional Application and Agreement for Participation in the Work Colleges Program" for the 2023–24 award year to the Department of Education (the Department) electronically via the Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) website. To access the application, log in to the COD website, and from the “School” tab, select the Campus-Based option from the left menu. From the Campus-Based home page, select “Forms and Waivers,” and then "Manage Application."
Instructions for completing the application are on the COD website.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Signature Required
In addition to electronic submission, the completed application and agreement must be printed and signed by the school’s CEO. The CEO is the person designated as such on the school’s Program Participation Agreement (PPA/ECAR) as submitted through the Department’s Electronic Application for Approval to Participate in the Federal Student Financial Aid Programs (E-App).
To access the signature page, from the “Forms and Waivers” page, click on "Download Form/Signature Page." Signature pages must be postmarked by the applicable deadlines stated above.
The original signature must be mailed or delivered to:
U.S. Department of Education
P.O. Box 1130
Fairfax, VA 22038
For overnight delivery, mail to:
U.S. Department of Education
4050 Legato Road, #1100
Fairfax, VA 22033
Approval of the Application and Agreement
If a school's application and agreement is approved, we will notify the school’s Financial Aid Administrator via email in April 2023. In the email, we will inform the school that its 2023–24 Statement of Account is available for viewing on the COD website. The Work College award will be reflected as an increase to the school’s FWS Program award.
Contact Information
If you have questions about the information in this announcement, contact the FSA Partner and School Relations Center at 1-800-848-0978. You may also email CODSupport@ed.gov.