On February 19, the U.S. Department of Education (US ED) announced the participants in a new initiative that expands employment opportunities for students participating in the Federal Work-Study (FWS) program, by fostering closer collaboration with the private sector and aligning the work opportunities to the students field of study. This initiative will be tested at 190 participating institutions of higher education, and is designed to assess the benefits, if there are any, of allowing students to participate in paid work-based learning opportunities that are aligned with their academic course work. Among the 190 institutions, over 40 of them are community and technical colleges from around the country. For a full list of invitees, please click here.
Historically, the FWS program was intended to provide part-time jobs for students who have a demonstrated financial need, in order for them to earn money to help pay for education-related expenses (books, transportation, housing, etc). The program is available to both part-time and full-time students and students who are enrolled in undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs at participating IHE’s. The jobs are typically on-campus and clerical in nature, although at times, students can work at government agencies, non-profits, and in certain circumstances, private sector employers. This is due to the emphasis on civic education and community service within the program. Currently, students rarely work in jobs that align with their course of studies.
ED’s new initiative will allow the participating institutions to be granted waivers to embolden them to use their FWS funds to support private sector employment for participating students, and for the first time, allow students to receive compensation for “work experiences that are required by their academic programs, such as student teaching and clinical rotations.”
The initiative also allows participating institutions to hire third-party intermediaries to help facilitate and grow their partnerships with the private sector. Specifically, all students, not just those participating in FWS, can benefit from these intermediaries.
ACTE will continue to closely monitor the implementation of this initiative, which aligns with our HEA priorities and will update our blog accordingly.
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