Employers - Outside of Heinz College

DETERMINING IF YOUR ORGANIZATION IS ELIGIBLE:

Federal Community Service Work Study (FCSWS) uses Federal Work Study (FWS) funds to pay a portion of the wages of a student who is employed off campus by certain eligible public, government or 501(c)3 non-profit organizations. If a student is employed by an eligible federal, state, or non-profit agency, the work that the student performs must be in the public interest. Work in the public interest is considered to be work performed for the national or community welfare rather than work performed to benefit a particular interest or group. Community services are defined as services that are identified by an institution of higher education through formal or informal consultation with local nonprofit, government, and community-based organizations, as designed to improve the quality of life for community residents, particularly low-income individuals, or to solve particular problems related to their needs.

These services include:

• fields such as health care, child care, literacy training, education (including tutorial services), welfare, social services, transportation, housing and neighborhood improvement, public safety, crime prevention and control, recreation, rural development, and community improvement;
• work in service opportunities or youth corps as defined in Section 101 of the National and Community Service Act of 1990, and service in the agencies, institutions, and activities designated in Section 124(a) of that act;
• support services for students with disabilities (including students with disabilities who are enrolled at the school); and
• activities in which a FWS student serves as a mentor for purposes such as tutoring, supporting educational and recreational activities, and counseling, including career counseling.

Work is not in the public interest if:

• the work primarily benefits members of a limited membership organization such as a credit union, fraternal or religious order or a cooperative
• it is for an elected official who is not responsible for the regular administration of federal, state, or local government;
• it is work as a political aide for any elected official;
• a student's political support or party affiliation is taken into account in hiring him or her;
• it involves any partisan or nonpartisan political activity or is associated with a faction in an election for public or party office; or
• it involves lobbying on the federal, state, or local level.

FCSWS PROGRAM POLICIES:

If a student is employed under the Federal Community Service Work Study (FCSWS) program by a federal, state, or public agency or a non-profit organization, Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) enters into a written agreement (Participation Acknowledgement) with that agency or organization. The agency/organization that CMU enters into that agreement with is required to meet federal regulations as an eligible employer and must have professional direction and staff. The Director of Student Employment at Carnegie Mellon University has sole discretion as to whether a specific employer and/or a specific position meet federal requirements for eligibility under the FCSWS program.

Regardless of the student’s employer, the student's work must be governed by employment conditions, including pay, that are appropriate and reasonable in terms of type of work, geographical region, employee proficiency, and any applicable federal, state, or local law.

The student will be paid $12 per hour, 30% of which is paid by the hiring organization and 70% of which is subsidized by the federal government. The Participation Acknowledgment sets forth the FCSWS work conditions and terms and indicates whether the agency /organization pays the non-federal share of the student’s wages or  the non-federal share is paid by Heinz College.   Under the federal work study program, student's earnings are limited to the amount of the work study award. Award amounts are listed to the right.

HEINZ COLLEGE WORK STUDY ADMINISTRATION:

Heinz College is responsible for ensuring that:

• students working under the FWS/FCSWS program are paid for work performed;
• payment for work performed is properly documented;
• each FCSWS employer’s Participation  Acknowledgment is properly documented; and
• each student’s work under the FWS/FCSWS program is properly supervised (employer responsibility as well).

OTHER LIMITATIONS

Federal Work Study must not:

• impair existing service contracts;
• displace employees;
• fill jobs that are vacant because the employer's regular employees are on strike;
• involve the construction, operation, or maintenance of any part of a facility used or to be used for religious worship or sectarian instruction; or
• include employment for the U.S. Department of Education.