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 for the institution itself or work in the public interest for 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 profit-making organization. No more than 25 percent
of an institution's award may be used for jobs with profit-making
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 expended, plus 4 percent of expenditures
greater than $2,750,000 but less than $5,500,000 plus 3 percent of
expenditures in excess of $5,500,000. Effective with the 1994-95 award year,
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. This program is excluded from
coverage under E.O. 12372. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB
Circular No. A-102.
Application Procedure: 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 Student Financial
Assistance. New institutions submit only the application form. This program is
subject to the provisions of OMB Circular No. A- 110.
Award Procedure: The Office of Student Financial
Assistance determines final awards and notifies participating institutions.
Deadlines: 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: None.
Renewals: Annual.
ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:
Formula and Matching Requirements: Funds are
allocated to institutions on the basis of award year 1985-86 expenditures and
demonstrated need for funding. Institutions award funds to students on the
basis of financial need as determined by the Federal Needs Analysis
Methodology specified in statute. The Federal share of the compensation paid
to students normally does not exceed 75 percent for jobs with the institution
itself, public agencies, or private nonprofit organizations and 50 percent
with profit making organizations. The remaining share must be paid by the
institution or the employer. An increased Federal share may be authorized
under specific circumstances.
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.
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).
Audits: 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 three 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.
Obligations: (Federal share) FY 01
$1,011,000,000; FY 02 est $1,011,000,000; and FY 03 est $1,011,000,000.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance: The
average award in fiscal year 2001 was $1,252.
In fiscal year 2001, there were about 970,000 recipients.
REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:
34 CFR 675. Notification to Members of Congress, list of grantees, published
annually or as required, no charge; Student Guide, no charge; Student
Financial Aid Handbook, no charge; Federal Needs Analysis Methodology, no
charge; Verification Handbook, no charge; Training Materials, no charge.
INFORMATION CONTACTS:
Regional or Local Office: Students should contact
the educational institution(s) they attend or plan to attend. Public and
private nonprofit organizations should contact grantee educational
institutions in their own State or multi-State areas. Educational institutions
should contact the Regional Administrator for Student Financial Assistance in
the appropriate ED Regional Office (see Appendix IV of the Catalog).
Headquarters Office: Policy Development Division,
Office of Student Financial Assistance, Department of Education, 400 Maryland
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-5446. Telephone: (800) 443-3243.
