In a strategic move to bolster civic engagement and support financially strapped college students, the Shapiro Administration has unveiled a fresh Federal Work Study initiative, as revealed in a press release from the Pennsylvania Department of Education. This revamped program, recognized across Pennsylvania and the nation, is now green-lighting students to earn their work-study dollars by pitching in at polling stations, assisting in nonpartisan voter engagement activities, and contributing their efforts to election offices.
Secretary of the Commonwealth, Al Schmidt, and PDE Secretary, Dr. Khalid N. Mumin, were the torchbearers of this announcement, underscoring the dual benefit of helping students to simultaneously afford higher education and to actively participate in the democratic process. "An educated citizen is an engaged citizen, and it is critical that young people get involved in our democracy," Dr. Mumin stated in a recent announcement. He further encouraged students to seize this opportunity to become part of our election's vital framework and guarantee the secure exercise of voting rights for all.
The call for youth participation in these roles has ramped up given the pressing demand for approximately 45,000 volunteers needed every election to serve adeptly as poll workers. Schmidt highlighted that the future of our representative democracy hinges on including young people in these essential roles. This new Federal Work Study adaptation pairs seamlessly with Pennsylvania's Campus Voting Challenge, a nonpartisan program that encourages student voter participation, facilitated by the Department of State in concert with the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge.
Last July, a coalition of Secretaries of State, Schmidt included, penned a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona calling for the allowance of work-study funds to be used for such nonpartisan civic engagement. In response to this request, Cardona issued updated guidelines last month to allow these funds to be used by public agencies for civic roles that do not favor a specific interest or group.
In terms of reach, the program caters to students at approximately 3,400 postsecondary institutions across the country. Funding allocations by the U.S. Department of Education to these institutions take into account several factors and commonly require the school or employer to foot the bill for up to half of the student's wages under the FWS scheme. To tap into these funds, students must submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as part of the program's application process.
