FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 15, 2018
CONTACT: Sarah Schultz, sarah.schultz@younginvincibles.org, 202.734.6510

[Washington] – Today, Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici and Congressman Derek Kilmer introduced the Opportunities for Success Act of 2018, a bill to improve and reform the Federal Work Study Program. It would more than triple investment in the program over five years and allocate funds based on student need and the amount of Pell Grant aid students receive at a given institution. Additionally, it would create summer work study positions for the first time in the history of the program, and enable more diverse work opportunities tied to students’ course of study. The bill would also direct the Department of Education to administer a rolling survey of participants in the program, allowing policymakers to learn crucial information about the types of students participating for the first time since 1998. This new information would guide future improvements to the program to ensure it is meeting the needs of today’s students.

“Federal Work Study is a win-win for students, providing job opportunities that allow students to help pay for college and gain valuable skills. This is especially true for low-income students, who often can’t afford not to work, sometimes at the cost of their ability to take an unpaid internship in their chosen career field. Work study resources are currently being allocated through a flawed formula that does not prioritize the lowest-income students. Young Invincibles welcomes this reform proposal from Reps. Bonamici and Kilmer, which addresses these issues and increases funds to institutions serving a higher number of Pell recipients,” said Reid Setzer, Young Invincibles’ Government Affairs Director. “The bill creates incentives for schools to engage with local, off-campus employers, providing valuable work experience for students while better targeting resources to students most in-need. We look forward to incorporating this vision of reform into the future reauthorization of the Higher Education Act.”