“Does Federal Work Study Work for Students?” is the first evaluation of the impact of receiving a federal work-study offer on academic and employment outcomes for low-income students. The Work-Study program — which subsidizes part-time jobs for college students, mostly on-campus — is one of the oldest federal policy tools intended to promote college access and persistence for low-income students. The program serves approximately 1 in 10 college students at a cost of a little over $1 billion annually, yet this project — led by Judith Scott Clayton, Professor of Economics and Education — is the first to rigorously evaluate it.

Impacted Community: Approximately 400,000 students hold a Federal Work-Study job nationwide each year, with 1 in 10 college students participating at some point in their college career. However, Scott-Clayton estimates that many more students receive a Work-Study offer in their financial aid package each year and need information on the benefits of the program.