Federal guidelines dictate that the work performed by Work-Study Program (WSP) student employees must be in the public interest. Work performed "in the public interest" is defined as: "work performed for the national or community welfare, rather than for a particular interest or group." Specifically, work performed by WSP student employees may not:
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Displace, supplant, or replace employed workers
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Impair existing contracts for services
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Fill jobs that are vacant because the employer's regular employees are on strike
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Involve any partisan or non-partisan political activity associated with a candidate or with a contending faction or group in an election for public party office
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Involve employment as a political aide for any elected official
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Involve employment for an elected official who is not responsible for the regular administration of Federal, State, or local government
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Involve any lobbying on the Federal or State level
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Include employment for the U.S. Department of Education
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Involve the construction, operation, or maintenance of any facility used or to be used for sectarian instruction or religious worship
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Involve religious/sectarian instruction and/or worship
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Involve work that primarily benefits the members of an organization that has membership limits, such as a credit union, a fraternal or a religious order, or cooperative
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Depend upon a student's political support or party affiliation as a condition of employment
This regulation prohibits WSP student employees from performing work intended to primarily serve the interest of the Organization. For instance, WSP student employees may not assist in membership and/or fund drives as such work primarily benefits the Organization although the primary interest of the Organization serves the public interest.
Schools also may enter into agreements with private for-profit companies to provide off-campus jobs for students; however, these jobs must be academically relevant, to the maximum extent practicable, to the student’s program of study.
If there is a change in a student's Work-Study eligibility during the academic year that results in a decrease to a student's Work-Study eligibility, it is the responsibility of the employer to cover the excess income no longer eligible to qualify under the WSP at 100%. For example: If a student originally was awarded and earned $3,000 in Work-Study eligibility but received additional scholarship that reduced their Work-Study eligibility to $2,000 after the $3,000 was earned, it is the employers responsibility to cover the $1,000 that is no longer eligible to be earned under Work-Study at 100%.