Transforming Federal Work-Study
Forecasted
Transforming Federal Work-Study supports Virginia higher education institutions in turning campus jobs into internship-like experiences that connect classroom learning with practical skills and career exploration.
Funder: State Council of Higher Education for Virginia
Due Dates (Anticipated): March 2027 (Proposal submission) | September 2027 (Application submission)
Funding Amounts: Historical program allocations: $630,000 for FY 2023 and $930,000 for FY 2024
Summary: Supports Virginia higher education institutions in planning, piloting, and scaling the transformation of federal work-study and on-campus jobs into internship-like experiences.
Key Information: Projects may transform FWS jobs and/or other on-campus jobs; FWS positions must retain federal policy compliance.
Description
Administered by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV), this competitive grant program helps Virginia higher education institutions turn federal work-study (FWS) jobs and other on-campus employment into internships or more internship-like experiences. It supports implementation planning, pilot projects, and scaling, recognizing that institutions are at different stages of transforming student employment.
The program builds on a toolkit developed in 2022 by SCHEV staff with a Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership (V-TOP) work group. The toolkit provides guidance, resources, and case studies for institutions with different organizational structures and approaches to administering work-study. The transformation seeks to connect classroom learning with practical application, professional skills development, and career exploration while maintaining federal policy requirements for FWS positions.
