GOP Bill Would Kill Work-Study Program Employing Over 600,000 College Students

College campuses can only function with students. And by that, I don’t mean they only need students there to pay tuition and attend classes. I mean that many of the essential functions of college campuses are run by student workers. Student workers staff front desks, re-stock library shelves, work in the financial aid and admissions offices, and help run virtually every other area of campus operations. A lot of those students are paid through the Federal Work-Study program.

A recent Republican spending bill would eliminate the Work-Study program, a cut to federal financial aid of $1.2 billion dollars. Eliminating the program would reduce financial aid for low and moderate-income students and cut student jobs at thousands of colleges around the country.

What Is Federal Work-Study And How Does It Help Students?

The federal Work-Study program funds colleges and universities to help subsidize employing students in on-campus and community service jobs. In addition to federal funds, at a minimum, 25% of the money for the program must come from the school. Work-Study dollars are primarily awarded to students with low or moderate family incomes and can be provided to undergraduate and graduate students. Students eligible for Work-Study must find an on-campus job and receive the funds as a paycheck.

More than half a million students are employed with the help of the federal Work-Study program annually. Without the funds provided by the program, most colleges would have to cut their student workforce significantly, leaving students without a critical source of financial aid and college campuses without student staff to help run essential campus services.

What Is Federal Work-Study And How Does It Help Students?

Work-Study jobs have various benefits for students. The money students earn from Work-Study jobs is not counted against them when they apply for financial aid the following year. Students often gain valuable work experience and professional development from working on campus. Students also benefit from being able to prioritize their school schedule over work. Campus departments that hire student workers must organize students’ work schedules around their classes and ensure that students do not work more than 20 hours per week to ensure that being a student comes before working.

Work-Study also provides benefits to the broader community. Colleges must spend 7% or more of their federal Work-Study funds on jobs in community-based organizations (CBOs). Using these funds, student-workers provide vital support to CBOs, including literacy and reading programs for young children.

Why Is The Work-Study Program On The Chopping Block?

The cuts to Work-Study, and other federal financial aid programs are partially the result of House Republicans trying to set lower spending limits than those agreed on in the debt ceiling agreement President Biden negotiated with Speaker Kevin McCarthy last month. The deal was meant to set federal spending at the same levels as the current fiscal year, which would, in theory, have kept funding for Work-Study and other federal financial aid programs at its current level.

Republicans in the House of Representatives have said they believe the debt deal created a ceiling rather than a floor on spending and are pegging funding to 2022 spending levels. Senators of both parties have said they will abide by debt limit deal spending levels, so the current House bill will likely see significant changes. Still, the current version is evidence of House Republican priorities regarding higher education spending.

In addition to eliminating Work-Study, the funding bill includes many other education-related spending cuts that would slash $22.5 billion from current spending levels. On the higher education side, the appropriations bill would also axe the Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant program, a federal grant for the lowest-income students, and the Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCCAMPIS) program. CCAMPIS supports on-campus childcare programs for college students with children, a growing demographic.

Could The Work-Study Program Be Better?

The Work-Study program could be improved. Because of how funding is allocated, four-year colleges and universities—that tend to enroll fewer low-income students—receive more Work-Study funds than community colleges. This is due to a funding formula that has failed to keep up with changing demographics and enrollment patterns. Making the lowest-income students work to earn a portion of their financial aid also has downsides, including the reality that students are often confused about how Work-Study operates when they receive their financial aid offers. It is not uncommon for students to not understand that they only get Work-Study if they find a job on campus, which is not guaranteed.

Various changes and improvements to Work-Study have been proposed over the years. These include changing the way funding is allocated to provide more support for institutions that enroll the largest share of low-income students and doing more to ensure that Work-Study jobs provide students with professional skills and experience.

Even with its flaws, research has shown that Work-Study helps students remain enrolled in college and graduate, and as a result, the program is generally a good use of federal funds. Reforming or changing the program to improve the support it provides to students would be worthwhile. Eliminating the program and removing valuable financial aid for students is less laudable.