This is why JFF supports the House Committee on Education and Labor in its efforts to provide college students with relevant work-based learning opportunities through the College Affordability Act (CAA)—the committee’s proposal for upgrading our nation’s higher education systems.
One component of the CAA would update the federal work-study program so that it more explicitly provides students with access to meaningful work-based learning opportunities that align with opportunities in their local and regional economies and complement their fields of study. The CAA would require educational institutions to use a portion of their federal work-study funds to compensate students employed in work-based learning positions offered through community service programs or local employers. It also updates the federal work-study funding formula to better direct resources to low-income students, which would result in more students with financial need gaining access to work-based learning opportunities.
Additionally, the CAA would create an initiative known as the Work-Based Learning Opportunities Pilot Grant Program that would allow eligible institutions to develop or expand work-based learning positions in high-demand occupations in partnership with high-demand employers. The pilot program would limit the amount of administrative work (i.e., filing, general office management, etc.) a student would have to do in a work-study job, while also encouraging participating employers to provide career coaching to their work-study students.
Recent discussions on work-study programs have extended beyond those taking place in Congress. Some states, including Missouri, are taking steps to implement or expand work-study programs to support students in paying for postsecondary education. State support for these programs is critical, because the federal work-study program alone does not reach all students in financial need or all of those who would benefit from a work-study program.
JFF believes that reforms and additional funding for federal and state work-study programs are essential for helping more students, particularly those from low-income backgrounds, get the opportunity to gain meaningful work experiences while in school. This is what’s needed to help secure economic mobility for all.