AUTHORIZATION:

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Public Law 111-5; Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, Title IV, Part C; 42 U.S.C. 2751-2756a.

OBJECTIVES:

To provide part-time employment to eligible postsecondary students to help meet educational expenses and encourage students receiving program assistance to participate in community service activities.

TYPES OF ASSISTANCE:

Direct Payments for Specified Use Place Cursor Here for Definition

USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS:

The Federal share of compensation paid to students does not exceed 75 percent for work on campus, or work in a public agency or private nonprofit organization, unless waived by the Secretary. The Federal share of compensation paid to students does not exceed 50 percent for jobs with a private-for-profit organization. No more than 25 percent of an institution's work-study allocation may be used for private-for-profit organizations. If it provides FWS employment to its students in that year, an institution is entitled to an administrative cost allowance for an award year of 5 percent of the first $2,750,000 of its program expenditures, plus up to 4 percent for expenditures greater than $2,750,000 but less than $5,500,000 plus up to 3 percent of expenditures in excess of $5,500,000. An institution is required to use at least 5 percent of its total FWS allocation to pay the Federal share of wages to students employed in community service jobs unless it receives a waiver.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Applicant Eligibility:   Higher education institutions (public, private nonprofit, postsecondary vocational, and proprietary) meeting eligibility requirements may apply.

Beneficiary Eligibility:   Undergraduate, graduate, or professional students enrolled or accepted for enrollment as regular students; are maintaining satisfactory academic progress in accordance with the standards and practices of the institution, have financial need, do not owe a refund on a Title IV grant, are not in default on a Title IV loan, file a statement of educational purpose, file a statement of registration compliance (Selective Service) and meet citizen/resident requirements may benefit.

Credentials/Documentation:   Institutions must document their eligibility and students must demonstrate financial need. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-87.

Pre-application Coordination:   Representatives of the appropriate ED Regional Office are available for consultation. See listing of ED Regional Offices in Appendix IV of the Catalog. Students should contact the institution(s) they attend or plan to attend. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure:   This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-102. OMB Circular No. A-110 applies to this program. Participating institutions submit a Fiscal Operations Report/Application to Participate in Federal Student Financial Aid programs (ED Form 646-1) which is mailed to institutions of postsecondary education each summer by the Office of Federal Student Aid. New institutions submit only the application form.

Award Procedure:   The Office of Student Financial Aid determines final awards and notifies participating institutions. Postsecondary institutions determine individual student awards.

Deadlines:   Oct 01, 2009: Deadlines are specified on the application (usually October 1). Specified on the application (usually October 1).

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:   

Notices of tentative awards sent by February 1 and final award notifications sent by April 1.

Appeals:   

Not Applicable.

Renewals:   

Annual.

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ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:

Formula and Matching Requirements:   

Statutory Formula: Title IV, Part C. Matching Requirements: Under the funding formula, funds are distributed to institutions, first, on the basis of the institution's base guarantee plus the pro rata share received during the 1999-2000 award year under the FWS Program and, then, on the basis of the aggregate need of the eligible students in attendance. Employers of FWS recipients must contribute 25 percent of the funding, (except in the case of private, for-profit organizations, which must match 50 percent) and in the case of established criteria for which the matching requirement is waived. MOE requirements are not applicable to this program.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:   

Funds are awarded for use by participating institutions for one award year at a time following the year of application. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: electronic transfer.

POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Reports:   A single combined Fiscal Operations Report/Application form for Federal Perkins Loans, FSEOG, and FWS (DE 646-1) is submitted by each institution at the close of each award year (June 30). Cash reports are not applicable. Progress reports are not applicable. A single combined Fiscal Operations Report/Application form for Federal Perkins Loans, FSEOG, and FWS (DE 646-1) is submitted by each institution at the close of each award year (June 30). Performance monitoring is not applicable.

Audits:   In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133. ARRA funds are included in the regular appropriation program compliance under OMB Circular A-122. Institutions must have a nonfederal audit done on at least an annual basis at its own expense. Audits may also be performed at Government expense by the Department of Education's Office of the Inspector General as often as its time schedule will allow or when deemed necessary by the Secretary.

Records:   All records pertaining to activities of a given fiscal year must be retained for a period of 3 years following the institution's submission of its Fiscal Operations Report for an award year or until final resolution of an applicable audit, whichever is later.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION:

Account Identification:  

91-0200-0-1-502; 91-0199-0-1-502.

Obligations:   (Direct Payments for Specified Use) FY 15 $1,125,372,000; FY 16 est $1,125,372,000; and FY 17 est $1,125,372,000

Range and Average of Financial Assistance:  

The average award in FY 2015 was $1,669. The average award in FY 2016 and FY 2017 is estimated at $1,669.

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