Pop Quiz - Is the School Meeting Community Service Requirements for Family Literacy Activities?
Scenario:
The school has several students who are general reading and math tutors in local elementary schools. Do Federal Work-Study (FWS) students performing reading and math tutoring in elementary school meet the requirement of having at least one student performing family literacy activities?
Answer:
There is no requirement that a specific percentage of expenditures under community service be from family literacy projects. These are included under the seven percent community service expenditure requirement, and must fall under one of two options. Please see the following from 34 CFR 675.18(g)(1):
"(g) Community service. (1) For the 2000-2001 award year and subsequent award years, an institution must use at least seven percent of the sum of its initial and supplemental FWS allocations for an award year to compensate students employed in community service activities. In meeting this community service requirement, an institution must include at least one—
(i) Reading tutoring project that employs one or more FWS students as reading tutors for children who are preschool age or are in elementary school; or
(ii) Family literacy project that employs one or more FWS students in family literacy activities."
The emphasis on the "or" is added because the seven percent that must be spent must include at least one reading tutoring project OR family literacy project, but both are not required.
Also see Volume 6, Chapter 2 of the FSA Handbook.
Publication Date: 8/30/2022
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