Introduction

By Erin Bowley

A relatively obscure federal regulation made an unexpected appearance in the 2002 State of the Union Address when President George W. Bush recommended increasing the amount of Federal Work-Study (FWS) funds that colleges and universities are required to spend on community service positions from 7% to a whopping 50%. The 7% requirement didn’t change that year or since, but the well-publicized suggestion by the president moved many people in higher education to reconsider policies and programs related to community service FWS. This was the most public attention FWS had received since the mid-1990’s, when President Clinton launched the “America Reads” program and encouraged colleges and universities to use a large increase in FWS funds to pay for tutors working with disadvantaged children. Since then, the percentage of FWS funds spent on community service has become a criterion in at least one version of the annual college rankings, and recently the Corporation for National and Community Service, supported by the White House, set a goal of seeing the national community service FWS rate increase to 20% by 2010.

GUIDANCE, MODELS, AND MORE

While many colleges and universities have voluntarily made advances and investments in community service-learning and civic engagement over the past 20 years, FWS positions that provide community services are the only federally mandated form of community service or campus-community partnerships to which all institutions must adhere. Given the ubiquity of FWS positions — which create community service opportunities on nearly every campus in the country — as well as the growth in public attention to this issue in the past 10 years, a publication featuring program models, best practices, and general guidance on community service FWS is both timely and needed. Until now, the only widely available writing on this topic included individual articles assembled on Campus Compact’s website, resources posted on individual college and university websites, and a handbook produced annually by the Department of Education for Student Aid professionals that updates and clarifies the federal regulations governing Federal Work-Study. This new online collection of resources provides a thorough overview of community service FWS, including:

• The basic expectations of the federal requirements;
• Principles of good practice;
• Profiles of 40 college and university programs;
• How and why some colleges and universities go above and beyond the 7% requirement; and
• How FWS is being leveraged to promote student leadership, service-learning, civic engagement, and campus-community partnerships at campuses nationwide.

BACK TO BASICS

For those who are new to the idea that FWS jobs can be performed in, and for the benefit of, the community, three introductory articles provide basic background information:

1. “Partnering with Financial Aid” introduces the issues, using lay language and citing the most relevant federal regulations. It includes key questions and answers, a summary of who makes which decisions regarding FWS, and strategies for overcoming hurdles and creating effective partnerships.
2. “Community Service Federal Work-Study: The Best-Kept Secret in Higher Education?” was written by a former Director of Student Aid in the U.S. Department of Education and summarizes national trends in FWS funding and use, the benefits of community service positions, “myths,” and solutions to common challenges.
3. “Principles of Good Practice in Community Service Federal Work-Study” is a report that grew out of a 2002 research study involving focus groups and surveys of 52 institutions. Newly updated in 2007, the report offers 10 principles of good practice, each followed by short case studies that highlight innovative practices at diverse institutions. An accompanying Developmental Matrix is designed to help those leading community service FWS efforts plan for future development of their programs.

GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND

Many institutions choose to integrate community service FWS into overall institutional efforts related to service-learning, civic engagement, and campus-community partnerships. While these programs require administrative oversight and resources, they offer substantial potential for enhanced student and community development. Seventeen articles by experienced program leaders highlight innovative efforts at institutions across the country. The following diverse examples are among the programs highlighted in these articles:

• How the Community Work-Study program at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) is designed to promote student retention.
• How the administration at Azusa Pacific University supports community-based FWS positions as part of its historical commitment as an evangelical Christian institution to provide opportunities for students to “live a life of service to others.”
• How rural colleges and universities like Kirtland Community College in northern Michigan can overcome obstacles such as isolation and lack of resources and still provide meaningful community service FWS opportunities.
• How the University of South Florida partners with the Hillsborough Education Foundation to offer AmeriCorps Education Awards to its FWS reading tutors.
• How the Financial Aid Office at the University of Montana annually coordinates 250 students completing community service FWS, including summer placements for graduate school and law school students.
• How Miami Dade College built its service-learning program for faculty through the leadership of Student Ambassadors in the FWS program.
• How the Stride Rite program at Harvard College engages 35-40 students annually in a year-round scholarship program linked with FWS and student leadership development.

VOICES FROM THE FIELD

One of the greatest benefits of community service FWS is that it allows low-income and middle-income students who need to work while going to school to participate in community programs; many could not otherwise participate in civic engagement, leadership development, and meaningful career exploration activities. Stakeholders in FWS programs from six campuses in New Hampshire share perspectives like the one above in short profiles on the value of combining FWS and community service efforts. Excerpts from these profiles include:

“Students need to be making money, and I know other students who would love to do service and combine it with employment. I would have liked to just volunteer at the after school program, but I couldn’t because I had to have a job. I really feel like I’m accomplishing something now, and that is what students are looking for.”
Erica Martineau, Student, Keene State College

“It is easy to create work-study jobs on campus, but the opportunities off campus can be as meaningful or more meaningful. It has helped many of our students open up career pathways or change directions.”
Steve Caccia, Vice President of Student Affairs, New Hampshire Technical Institute

“Students appreciate being out in the community, and the partners think it is a tremendous opportunity because their budgets are restricted. Before we had a position to market these opportunities, students weren’t even interested. We were lucky to place one or two students in the community. Now, the connections made with partners and with students are strong.”
Diane Allen, Financial Aid Assistant, University of New Hampshire’“Manchester

“Stories about what our students are doing in the community are some of the best stories I get to tell.”
Paul LeBlanc, President, Southern New Hampshire University

“This experience gives the students something to be proud of.”Peg Monahan, Executive Director, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Monadnock Region

DON’T RECREATE THE WHEEL

Experienced FWS program coordinators have created numerous tools to help manage and add value to their efforts, such as handbooks for students and community partners, program evaluation surveys, application process forms, etc. These can be replicated and adapted by other institutions. The appendices of this publication offer a host of useful resources for practitioners, including a host of hands-on tools as well as additional reading and information.