A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Frequently Asked Questions about Federal Work-Study

When America Reads began a little over two years ago, assessments revealed that our nation's young students were not reading at acceptable levels--illiteracy threatened the academic success of children across the country. The 1994 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) data showed that 40 percent of the nation's fourth graders were reading below the basic level. In response, U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley issued a waiver to the Federal Work-Study (FWS) regulations that allowed the Federal Government to pay 100% of an eligible FWS students wages if he or she served as a reading tutor to pre-school through elementary age children. In the second year of the America Reads FWS program, this waiver was extended to enable students to work in family literacy programs as well.

We face a similar crisis in mathematics education. While the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century indicate that our students must master advanced mathematical skills to go on to college and have promising careers, today's students are not achieving at high levels. In order to help provide additional learning opportunities and personal attention to mathematics students, Secretary Riley has expanded the existing FWS waiver allowing the Federal Government--beginning July 1, 1999--to pay 100% of an eligible FWS student's wages if he or she serves as a mathematics tutor to elementary throught ninth grade students.

America Reads and America Counts FWS tutoring programs are intended to complement one another and wherever possible, collaboration is encouraged. While the content focus of these two efforts is obviously different, many of the administrative and logistical issues are identical for both programs.

Over the past two years, the Department has learned a great deal about the issues facing higher education institutions as they establish or expand FWS tutoring programs. The following questions and answers are designed to help campuses understand the many nuances of the FWS program and the waivers for reading and mathematics.

THE FWS PROGRAM AND THE WAIVERS FOR READING AND MATHEMATICS

The Federal Work-Study Program (FWS) provides eligible undergraduate and graduate students with part-time employment to help meet their financial needs and gives them work experience while serving their campuses and surrounding communities. In the 1997-1998 school year, 942,000 students at approximately 3,300 colleges, universities, and trade schools received FWS funds as part of their financial aid awards.

FWS allocations are based on a formula grant and tend to vary from year to year depending upon the information that each campus provides to the Department's Office of Student Financial Assistance. Congress approved an overall increase in FWS funds for the 1999-2000 academic year from $830 to $870 million--which will allow approximately 30 thousand more students to participate.

This requirement stipulates that students who are employed under the FWS program must receive a portion of their wages from the Federal Government and a portion from their employer. Except under certain circumstances, the Federal share of FWS wages is at least 25% and at most 75%.

America Reads. Under the America Reads FWS waiver, colleges and universities can use 100% Federal dollars to pay the wages of FWS students employed as reading tutors of preschool age children, children in elementary school, or in family literacy programs. The higher education institutions do not have to make a special request to the U.S. Department of Education to use this waiver.

America Counts. Effective July 1, 1999, colleges and universities will be able to use 100% Federal dollars to pay FWS students employed as math tutors for children elementary age through ninth grade. Higher education institutions do not have to make a request to the Department to use this waiver

No. An institution may spend any or all of its FWS allocation to pay FWS students employed as reading or mathematics tutors.

Although FWS funds are not allocated on the basis of a campus' participation in America Reads and America Counts programs, beginning in the 2000-2001 academic year, an institution is eligible to receive additional funding late in the academic year if it uses at least 5% of its FWS monies for America Reads. These additional funds become available if some campuses do not spend all of their allotted funds. When this money is returned to the Department, it is reallocated to institutions that meet the 5% requirement and submit an application. All reallocated funds must be used for community service activities, such as America Reads or America Counts tutoring.

FEDERAL WORK-STUDY AND COMMUNITY SERVICE

Beginning in the 1994-1995 award year, colleges and universities receiving FWS funds were required to use at least 5% of their total annual FWS allocation to pay the wages of FWS students employed in community service jobs. Beginning with the 2000-2001 award year, this community service requirement will go up to 7%. Additionally, beginning with the 2000-2001 award year, colleges and universities will be required to employ FWS students as reading or family literacy tutors in order to meet the new community service requirement.

Yes. If FWS students are employed as reading or mathematics tutors, then their wages can be counted towards fulfillment of the community service requirement.

Yes. A model off-campus agreement appears in the Federal Student Financial Aid Handbook as an Appendix to Chapter 7. This agreement is a suggested model for the development of a written agreement between an institution and a Federal, State, or local public agency, or private nonprofit organization that employs students participating in the FWS Program. As stated in the model, institutions and agencies or organizations may devise additional or substitute paragraphs that are consistent with the statute and regulations and may add any pertinent information that orients the agreement towards community services. A sample contract is also available on the Department's web site at http://www.ifap.ed.gov/fwsguide/doc0002_bodyoftext.htm.

ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS

Institutions that develop FWS reading and/or mathematics tutoring programs are allowed to use their ACA to offset administrative costs. For example, the ACA can be used to pay for training costs, such as helping to pay a professional trainer or program coordinator, or for background checks/fingerprinting if they are required by the State or school district. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list.

No. The 100% Federal share is only available for students employed as tutors in reading or mathematics programs that provide services directly to students. However, if an institution wishes to employ FWS students as administrative support it may do so, but must pay the institutional share.

TUTOR TRAINING AND SUPPORT

It is strongly recommended that FWS reading and mathematics tutors receive training in both content and pedagogy--appropriate to the age group of the students being tutored--before contact hours begin. This training may be provided by interested higher education faculty, such as those in the Schools of Education or in the Department of Mathematics, or by qualified personnel at the tutoring sites, such as teachers or after-school program coordinators. Community based education-related organizations (both private and non-profit) are often good resources for training and other aspects of tutoring programs.

America Reads. There are numerous materials, including manuals and web sites that provide suggestions for establishing high-quality literacy tutoring programs and training and supporting tutors. Please visit the America Reads web site at www.ed.gov/americareads/ to link to hundreds of resources. Also, you may call 1-800-USA LEARN to order copies of U.S. Department of Education reading and family literacy publications.

America Counts. The Education Development Center, through a contract with the National Science Foundation, has developed a set of mathematics tutor training materials that can help trainers and/or program coordinators devise strong content-specific training workshops. These materials have been designed by four grade bands and four content strands. Two of the content strands (number sense and algebraic thinking) are currently available to download from and the other two (geometry & measurement and statistics & probability) will be available in January 2000.

Experiences with similar programs show that regular meetings between tutors and adult coordinators help improve the quality of the tutoring experience. Tutors may raise questions about particular challenges they are facing with particular students. Coordinators may choose to discuss ways to evaluate progress among the young students and/or ways to communicate with parents and teachers.

Yes, as long as the time spent for these purposes is reasonable. The Department recognizes the value-added to all concerned when high-quality training and ongoing tutor support are provided. For example, the Department would consider weekly tutor meetings approximately one hour in length to be reasonable. Although institutions have flexibility in establishing such programs, the Department asks that the goal of optimizing tutor contact hours be kept clearly in mind. This applies as well for students who are trained off campus.

RESOURCES

Web Sites. The America Reads and America Counts web sites contain a wealth of information and access to many materials and resources.

Read*Write*Now! Tutoring Kit. This on-line resource--developed by reading experts--provides suggestions and activities for increasing and maintaining reading skills for all children, including those with disabilities, during the summer. Activities for reading and writing fun are for children ages newborn through grade 6. It also includes a vocabulary log and certificate and is available on the America Reads web site in English and Spanish.

Tutoring Roadmap. This on-line guide to establishing and sustaining high-quality mathematics tutoring programs provides information about key program components--such as setting goals, tutor recruitment, and tutor retention--as well as tutor training materials (designed along grade bands and content strands) and access to a database of other items, including computer software and children's literature, that are suitable for use in tutoring sessions.

Listserv. Program coordinators may also wish to join the America Reads*America Counts listserv which is a valuable tool for communicating and sharing ideas about both tutoring programs. (To join, send an e-mail to lists@lyris.etr.org and in the message area type: subscribe americareads Firstname Lastname).

The Corporation for National Service. Institutions can utilize Corporation for National Service programs, such as AmeriCorps*VISTA, to help provide logistical and administrative support (For more information, please visit www.cns.gov or call 202-606-5000).

Partnerships. To help secure additional resources and support, institutions can partner with any number of organizations or agencies, such as businesses, industry, community-based centers, libraries, and professional associations. Additionally, institutions may wish to invite faculty members--who can provide content and pedagogical expertise--to support FWS tutoring efforts.

21st Century Community Learning Centers 21stCCLCs. These Federally funded nationwide after-school programs contain reading and mathematics components, including tutorials. Since a number of these programs provide their tutors with content-specific training, they can possibly serve as resources to institutions establishing or expanding FWS tutoring programs and may also be potential sites for FWS employment. (For more information about 21stCCLCs, please visit www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/21stcclc/).

TRANSPORTATION

Yes. Beginning with the 1999-2000 award year, FWS wages can be applied to the time spent travelling to and from the tutoring site--within reason. However, institutions will not be able to directly reimburse students for travel expenses such as gas or bus fare. Any ways in which an institution can help minimize the length and expense of travel is consistent with the Department's goal that the FWS funds be spent primarily in direct tutoring contact hours. For example, if a number of FWS students travel to the same location at the same time, it might be possible to provide transportation with the institution's van or bus.

Since the Federal Government does not regulate the amount of hourly wages FWS students earn, it is entirely up to the discretion of each respective institution to determine which FWS jobs are worthy of higher pay rates.

REPORTING TO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

The Fiscal Operations Report and Application to Participate (FISAP) that will be filed by an institution's financial aid office no later than October 1, 2000, to report FWS expenditures for the 1999-2000 award year will be revised to collect information regarding the new FWS mathematics institutional-share waiver. On the FISAP, institutions will report the total number of FWS students employed as America Reads and America Counts tutors, total earned compensation paid to these students, and the Federal dollars spent for their compensation.

The purpose of this sheet is solely to expedite communication so that the Department can inform institutions of the availability of materials that may be useful for the America Reads and America Counts tutoring programs. Completion of this form will in no way contribute to an institution being audited. An institution can update its contact information by resubmitting the sign-on sheet (located at either www.ed.gov/americareads or www.ed.gov/americacounts/) or by calling the Department of Education.

Federal Work-Study