Federal Work Study Information

When the America Reads Challenge began in 1997, President Clinton asked the higher education community to take a lead in helping to build a nation of readers. To assist this effort, U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley issued a waiver to the Federal Work-Study (FWS) regulations that allows the Federal Government to pay up to 100% of eligible FWS students' wages if they serve as a tutor to preschool through elementary age children. The America Reads Challenge waiver has since been expanded to include family literacy programs as well as the America Counts initiative.

As of July 1, 2000 every college and university receiving Federal Work-Study funding is required to have a literacy tutoring program and to use seven percent of the funds towards community service. Institutions ensure that one or more of their FWS students is employed as a reading tutor in a preschool, elementary school or in a Family Literacy Program. The wages of the Federal Work-Study students working as reading tutors count towards the seven percent requirement. The America Reads Challenge assists colleges and universities by providing the following services: an updated Web site, recruitment brochures, tutor training materials, an on-line directory, an interactive listserv and electronic Federal Work-Study Updates.

For more information and resources call 1-800-USA-LEARN or email: americareads@ed.gov.