FEDERAL WORK-STUDY & NONPARTISAN DEMOCRATIC ENGAGEMENT
On April 21, 2022, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) issued a Dear Colleague letter to remind higher education institutions of their requirements under the Higher Education Act to distribute voter registration forms to their students. This letter also included a clarification that students receiving Federal Work-Study (FWS) employment may engage in civic engagement activities including voter registration efforts on- or off-campus if the FWS position was directly with the institution and not another entity. ED then issued updated guidance on February 26, 2024, stating that institutions of higher education may use Federal Work-Study (FWS) funds to support “broad-based get-out-the-vote activities, voter registration, providing voter assistance at a polling place or through a voter hotline, or serving as a poll worker.” The Dear Colleague letter and subsequent guidance provide clarity and present an opportunity for colleges and universities throughout the country to tap into federal resources in support of nonpartisan student voter engagement and the vital work of state and local election offices.
ALL IN, alongside our colleagues at the Students Learn Students Vote Coalition and the Campus Vote Project have compiled a comprehensive Federal Work-Study for Voter Registration Implementation Toolkit to support more campuses in using FWS dollars.
The following examples are from campuses that have utilized the Federal Work-Study opportunity.
Federal Work-Study Job Description Examples:
The following examples are from campuses that have utilized the Federal Work-Study opportunity.