Report Proposes Reforms to Federal Work Study

   Those who may need federal work study the most may miss out on securing its benefits.
September 26, 2014

Those who may need federal work-study the most may miss out on securing its benefits.

This is according to a new report from Young Invincibles. The report, which utilizes the Department of Education data as well as data from the Access to Success Initiative, shows that low-income students may miss out on getting work-study despite their need. The introduction states:

  • Only 16 percent of institutions awarded Federal Work-Study (FWS) to every eligible student.
  • During 2011-2012, only 16.4 percent of dependent students whose families make less than $20,000 received FWS aid, while 8.2 percent of dependent students with family incomes over $100,000 received FWS aid.

As work-study can potentially provide ‘real world’ job experience that can help low-income students to be more competitive in the entry-level/post-graduation marketplace, it is critical that students eligible for federal work-study have that option as a means of vocational training and financing education. Young Invincibles lays out a list of recommendations, including the following:

  • Implementing a new distribution formula focused on enrolling, serving, and graduating Pell recipients.
  • Promoting FWS as a career-ready program through the expansion of Job Location Development Programs
  • Creating a Career Internships Program within FWS.
  • Requiring students, institutions, and employers to agree on what constitutes “course of study.”

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