1 Federal Work-Study NCASFAA 2008 Fall Conference Winston-Salem Presented by Emily Bliss and Kathy Fritz

2 Purpose of Session Provide background on the FWS program Provide regulatory information Share FWS experiences from UNCW Encourage discussions and questions in ways to improve FWS programs at our school and yours

3 How it Begins Funding from the Federal Government based on successful completion of FISAP 25% match from State, Institution or Outside entity Work with departments and agencies to provide a worthwhile experience for both students and worksite

4 Program Participation Requirements for FWS FWS must be reasonably available to all eligible students based on funding Award FWS that will complement and reinforce each recipient’s educational or career goals FWS may be used to support programs for supportive services to students with disabilities Inform all eligible students of community service opportunities

5 Student Eligibility Must meet all Title IV eligibility requirements SAP Need Can be undergraduate or graduate Teacher Certification students may receive FWS Student may be less than full time—actually schools are required to offer a portion to LTFT

6 Determining Who to Award Must have need Did student request FWS on the FAFSA Start a waitlist if you over award the total fund based on anticipated no shows

7 Student is Awarded—Now what do you do? How long should you allow for an acceptance? How long should you allow for students to find a job? How do you advertise for jobs? Are other offices on your campus involved in the process? Career Services HR

8 Types of jobs When possible, jobs should be in academic departments that pertain to student’s course of study. Cannot replace a full time position Must have a job description Remember to include privacy statement Pay must be reasonable in relation to work Students must be paid at least the minimum wage

9 Time to Pay Students must get paid at least once a month Pay can be either electronically to bank account or by check Who checks time sheets to make sure students have not worked over their allocation Someone needs to make sure departments are paying out of the correct fund No office can both authorize FWS payments and disburse FWS funds to students

10 Community Service Visit organizations and schools to see if they are interested in hiring students. Ex. Schools, conservation organizations, community action groups Draw up a contract for community service organizations and school to sign Work out a training schedule Be prepared to have students complete a background check Background checks are not mandated by the Federal Government but may be by the organization

11 Community Service Schools are required to spend at least 7% of their allocation on community service jobs At least one student receiving FWS must work in a family literacy project providing service to preschool or elementary children or As a reading tutor to preschool or elementary students

12 Community Service You may have to pay a higher salary to cover travel costs America Reads and America Counts do not require a 25% match The school can pay the 25% match for community service organizations UNCW bills the organization You must have at least one student in a literacy program

13 Federal Match If students are employed at a private for- profit agency, then 50% of wages must be paid by that agency. Waivers for matches are available for special circumstances. Contact the Department of Ed.

14 Contacting Schools It is a good idea to visit schools where students are working in the AC/AR program at least once each semester Introduce yourself to the staff. Ask if they have concerns or questions

You can now transfer funds from FSEOG to FWS and you can transfer funds from FWS to Perkins Found in the new HEOA of 2008 Schools have always been able to move 25% of funds to FSEOG

16 Overawards Keep close track Call departments in which the student is working regarding eligibility limits. Departments must pay 100% of wages forward $300 over award tolerance can be left in the package Be sure to count hours worked but not yet recorded for the month in which the student is working

17 Summer Work Study It can be a good source of labor to help with answering telephone during the busy summer months Can be awarded to students not enrolled in summer school, if they are planning on returning or entering school for the first time in the fall Must come out of fall aid package, however you can add funds to their fall budget to cover expenses over the summer

18 FISAP Keep good records in order to complete the FISAP AR/AC must be tracked separately Community Service must be tracked separately You can count the State’s or your Institutional funds match toward the 25% match

19 FISAP If you have a JLD program or are thinking of beginning one, look at the FISAP first. You must record total expenditures Institutional expenditures Number of students for whom jobs were located or developed Total earnings of students mentioned above

20 FISAP It is not essential to spend exact FWS allocation in one year 10% of the federal allocation can be moved either forward or back or you can do both if you have not spent enough An additional 10% can be moved to cover summer salaries as long as the student is employed after May 1

21 Administrative Cost Allowance 5% of expenditures Used to help offset administrative costs The ACA does not have to be charged to the FWS program. It may be taken from Perkins or FSEOG

22 Advertising FWS Mention it during orientation Tell parents students can work and study Have counselors suggest it to students who did not check it on the FAFSA Tie it to an institutional grant program Advertise in your school newspaper

23 Job Locator Development A position can be created, usually in Career Services Funds to pay position must come out of FWS, either 10% or $50,000 which ever is less. Most schools I know of do not have such a position The employee in this position must find jobs for FWS as well as non-FWS in the community See FAS Handbook for details

24 Limitations Students cannot be employed to perform political activities Students cannot perform work that benefits the school at a proprietary school such as cleaning, purchasing, public relations If students work at a parochial school it must be classified as a private, nonprofit school and students may not tutor on religious matter

25 References FSA Handbook Volume 6, Chapter 2 34 CFR 675