Newly introduced legislation would expand opportunities for community service in Federal Work-Study programs

U.S. Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT) recently introduced the Students Working for Communities Act to foster and expand student opportunities to participate in community service under the Federal Work-Study Program. The Federal Work-Study (FWS) program provides students with work opportunities to support the costs of higher education as a form of federal financial aid and has included a community learning element for many decades.

Under current law,  the Federal Work-Study Community Service Set Aside stipulates that 7% of a campus’s FWS funds be spent on students participating in community service positions. Community service offers a number of benefits, both in supporting students to have meaningful, real-world experiences connected to their educational or career interests as well as providing a means of bridging the resources of the Institute of Higher Education (IHE) with those of the community. Looking at pre-pandemic data, for example 2017-2018 (Table 24) almost 3,000 IHEs had over 100,000 students involved in community service activities, amounting to an investment of approximately $175 million in student service work. However, IHEs can apply for a waiver if they feel they cannot meet the 7% requirement.

Non-profit organizations and those operating in the public interest offer students opportunities to gain experience across a broad range of careers, from direct service to accounting, animal welfare to intake specialists, and gardening to computer programming, all while providing valuable services to the community around their campus.

Why is this community service component important for afterschool:

For afterschool programs specifically, college students often provide a variety of services, from bringing in exciting curricula such as science, media and the arts, and engineering to supporting literacy and math tutoring to contributing to research, program infrastructure, and sustainability. Programs gain from the innovative thinking the college students deliver to their programs, the ability to serve more children, and the possible introduction of youth to careers in their sector. For the young people served in the afterschool programs, these collaborations often help them see their own pathways to higher education through connecting with near-peer mentors who may also reflect more of their own linguistic, demographic, and geographic backgrounds. Youth also gain the academic, social, and wellness supports to strengthen their interest and engagement reflected in greater school-day attendance and achievement. For college students, placements in afterschool and summer programs help them gain experience in or unearthing interests in fields such as education, youth development, and service; al critical needs in the local and national landscape. They also develop leadership and communication skills, while strengthening connections between college youth and their communities, which can be helpful in all career sectors.

How the proposed legislation would increase the FWS set aside:

The Federal Work-Study program is currently funded at $1.23 billion and employs 1 in 10 full-time undergraduates in both on- and off-campus positions.

Contingent on increases in appropriations levels, the legislation newly introduced by Rep. Hayes (the Students Working for Communities Act, HR XXXX) would gradually increase the community service set aside on the following scale:

• 9% when FWS appropriations are between $1.3 and $1.45 billion;
• 12% when FWS appropriations are between $1.45 and $1.65 billion;
• 15% when FWS appropriations are between $1.65 and $1.9 billion;
• 18% when FWS appropriations are between $1.9 and $2.2 billion;
• 21% when FWS appropriations are between $2.2 and $2.55 billion; and,
• 24% when FWS appropriations are at least $2.55 billion.

By increasing the FWS community service amount as overall appropriations for FWS increase, more students would have the opportunity to work in positions that support the communities around their school. The current 7% set aside directed to placing students in community service roles has not increased since 1998.

Federal Work-Study policy landscape:

Other Federal Work-Study legislation in the federal landscape include the Opportunities for Success Act of 2024, sponsored by Congresswoman Bonamici (OR) and Congressman Kilmer (WA), and the Students Helping Younger Students Act, sponsored by Senator Booker (NJ) in the Senate and Congressman Carson (IN) in the House. The first proposed bill would preserve the 7% community service set aside and add an additional 7% set aside for other work-based learning opportunities, among other changes. The second piece of legislation aims to place greater emphasis on afterschool programs within Federal Work-Study programs.

The most likely route toward these pieces of proposed legislation becoming law would be for them to become part of a larger comprehensive package reauthorizing the Higher Education Act, where the FWS program is situated. However, there are no signs that Congress is currently preparing to take up that work, which was last addressed in 2008. In the short term, the most likely legislation to affect the FWS programs is the ongoing appropriations conversations for FY 2025. The House proposal would cut appropriations for the program in half to $615 million, whereas the Senate proposed level funding.

In both proposed legislation and in the appropriations cycle, a main priority is to sustain investments and ensure community service, including partnerships with afterschool programs, continues to be a component of the federal investment in FWS.

Reach out to your local colleges and universities:

Program providers should also be aware that it may be an especially good time to engage with universities. During COVID, IHEs were not held accountable for maintaining the 7% set aside due to challenges in coordinating the off-campus work. As of the 2024-2025 Federal Student Aid Handbook, IHEs must again ensure they meet the standard. Therefore, local colleges and universities may be looking for community partners like yours to meet their requirements.

And more good news: while the university is generally expected to provide 25% of the share of the student’s wages for on-campus employment through FWS, the share changes based on the work placement of the student. For students in non-profit organizations, the federal government will pay up to 90% of the wages. For FWS students participating in literacy, math, or civic education activities, the student can be eligible for a 100% federal share.