美国联邦勤工俭学计划
近些年来，美国公立和私立大学学费都在飙升，对许多家庭来说都是一种负担。很多大学生需要通过申请贷款、兼职等方式支付大学学费。但对于国际学生来说，校外打工也有限制，校内兼职则竞争很大。
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美国出台的联邦勤工俭学计划（Federal Work-study Program）用于援助符合条件的学生，让他们更好地完成学业。这可以成为留学生考虑的一个范畴。
Unlike other types of student financial aid, the federal work-study program typically accounts for only a small portion of funding sources that families use to covercollege expenses.
与其他类型的学生财政资助不同，联邦勤工俭学计划通常只占家庭用于支出大学学费资金的一小部分。
In 2022, 20% of families relied on work-study to pay for college, and the average aid amount among those families from that source was $1,531, according to Sallie Mae"s How America Pays for College 2022 study.
根据《2022年美国如何支付大学费用》研究表明，在2022年，20%的家庭需要依靠勤工俭学支付大学学费，这些家庭收到的平均援助金额为1531美元。
But when it comes to paying for college, every dollar counts. Here"s what students and parents should know about the federal work-study program.
但是，当涉及到支付学费时，每一分钱都需要花在刀刃上。以下是学生和家长需要了解的联邦勤工俭学计划。
01
什么是勤工俭学计划？
Federal work-study is a form of need-based financial aid that offers undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to work a part-time job to help cover their educational expenses.
联邦勤工俭学是一种基于需求的财政援助形式，它为本科生和研究生提供从事兼职工作的机会，让他们能够支付学业费用。
The federal government subsidizes a portion of a student"s paycheck – up to 75% – so the employer only has to pay a fraction.
联邦政府会对学生工资进行一部分的补贴，最高可达75%，因此雇主只需要支付一小部分的补贴。
"It"s a great way for schools to hire students at a relatively low cost to the institution," says Norm Bedford, associate vice president for student financial services at Virginia Commonwealth University.
弗吉尼亚联邦大学负责学生财务服务的副校长诺姆·贝德福德表示：“这是学校以相对较低的成本雇佣学生的一个好方法。”
02
谁有资格申请勤工俭学计划？
Work-study is available to full- and part-time undergraduate, graduate and professional students at participating schools, but not all qualify. Students must demonstrate their financial need by filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or the FAFSA.
勤工俭学是为学校全日制和非全日制的本科生、研究生和专业学生提供的，但这不意味着所有人都符合勤工俭学的申请条件。学生必须通过填写联邦学生援助免费申请表（FAFSA）来说明他们的经济需求。
The total work-study award amount that students are eligible to receive depends on several factors, such as when they apply, their financial need and a school"s funding level.
学生能够获得勤工俭学奖学金取决于几个因素，例如他们的申请时间、经济需求和学校的资助水平。
03
如何申请勤工俭学计划？
One question on the FAFSA asks students if they are interested in participating in the work-study program. And applicants must answer "yes" and submit the form by the deadline for each institution to which they apply. Priority deadlines can be as early as November, so experts recommend applying early.
FAFSA中的一个问题是：学生是否有兴趣参与勤工俭学项目，申请人必须回答“是”。除此之外，申请人需在截止日期前提交表格才能被考虑。专家建议尽早申请，因为截止日期最早会早于11月。
"There"s only so much financial aid funding available," Bedford says. "Federal work-study is not an infinite pool of money. Schools only receive so much from the U.S. Department of Education. In order to maximize the money that you have, there has to be a deadline for this."
“财政资助资金是有限的，”贝德福德表示，“联邦勤工俭学并不是一个无底的资金池。学校从美国教育部得到的资金是有限的。为了最大限度地利用你拥有的资金，就需要设定一个期限。”
Federal work-study is not guaranteed simply because a student has financial need. Like any other job, students have to apply and go through an interview process. Job listings can usually be found on a college"s student employment webpage, which typically indicates what jobs are eligible for work-study.
联邦勤工俭学并不会因为学生有经济需求就会进行担保。像其他工作一样，学生必须申请并进行面试。学生可以从学院的就业网页上找到工作表格，其中列出了可以获得勤工俭学的工作。
Additionally, qualifying for the work-study program once does not mean a student can participate each year. Students need to complete the FAFSA every year they want any form of financial aid, as family income often changes and may result in a student no longer qualifying.
此外，有资格参与勤工俭学并不意味着学生每年都可以参加。学生需要每年完成FAFSA，因为随着学生家庭收入的变化，可能会导致学生不再符合资格。
04
勤工俭学计划提供什么工作类型？
Work-study students typically have jobs on campus. However, students can seek off-campus employment at companies that serve the public interest, such as a nonprofit or government agency.
勤工俭学的学生通常在校内工作。然而，学生也可选择在非营利机构、政府机构等服务于公共利益的公司，以寻求校外就业。
"On-campus jobs may be more accommodating with the demands of classes and the academic calendar and may be more convenient without transportation," Elizabeth Milam, director of financial aid at Clemson University in South Carolina, wrote in an email.
南卡罗莱纳州克莱姆森大学的财政资助主任伊丽莎白·米拉姆在邮件中写道：“校内工作可能符合学生课程和学术研究的需求，在没有交通工具的情况下更方便。”
Work-study jobs tend to be flexible, with students working anywhere between five and 20 hours a week. During school breaks, such as the summer, students may be able to work up to 40 hours in some cases, experts say.
勤工俭学的工作时间往往很灵活。学生每周工作5到20小时。专家表示，在学校放假期间，例如暑假，学生可能会工作40小时。
Compensation varies, depending on the skills required and a student"s level of work experience. But schools must at least meet federal and state minimum wage regulations.
薪酬因所需技能和学生的工作经验水平而异，但学校必须符合联邦和州的最低工资规定。
Students get paid weekly or biweekly, so work-study money is not immediately available to pay off tuition at the start of the semester, says Shannon Vasconcelos, senior director of college finance and social media at Bright Horizons College Coach, an education consulting company.
Bright Horizons College Coach教育咨询公司的财务和社交媒体高级主管香农·瓦斯康塞洛斯表示，学生每周或每两周领取一次工资，因此这些勤工俭学的钱并不能在学期开始时立即用于支付学费。
"You actually have to get the job and work the hours before you see any money," she says. "So I tend to consider it more for financing some living expenses throughout the semester or buying books."
“实际上，你想要获得工资必须先得工作并工作上一段时间，”她说，“因此，我更倾向于资助学生整个学期的生活费或是将钱用于购买书籍。”
Work-study earnings do not count against a student when completing the FAFSA for the following year, but the wages must be reported to the Internal Revenue Service for tax purposes. If a student works two jobs, one at Target and the other on campus through a work-study position, for instance, only the earnings from Target would count toward the total income on the FAFSA, Bedford says.
为了方便纳税，在填写下一年的FAFSA时，勤工俭学并不计入学生的收入，但必须向美国国税局报告。贝德福德说，如果一个学生做两份工作，一份在塔吉特，另一份是学校内的勤工俭学，那只有在塔吉特的收入才计入FAFSA的总收入。
05
勤工俭学计划有什么好处？
There are several non-monetary benefits to the federal work-study program, including gaining work experience and developing necessary workplace skills.
联邦勤工俭学计划有几个非金钱方面的好处，包括获得工作经验和发展工作技能。
Even if the work-study position is not career-related, it can still help students figure out what they like and dislike in a job. And it also allows students to build connections with their peers and adults on campus.
即使勤工俭学的工作与职业无关，它仍然可以帮助学生了解他们工作的偏好，与校园里的同龄人建立联系。
"The convenience of working on campus, the opportunity to work closely with the college’s staff and faculty and the recognition that FWS employees are students first – these unique aspects of the FWS program enhance its value in college financing and career planning," Milam wrote in an email. "In addition to earning money for college expenses, many students find their vocational calling."
“FWS项目的独特之处在于，校园工作的便利性、与学院员工和教师的密切合作、以及FWS坚持认为学生为先的想法。这些方面提高了其在大学融资和职业规划方面的价值。”米拉姆在电子邮件中说道。“除了挣钱支付大学费用外，许多学生还找到了他们心之所向的职业。
美国联邦政府的勤工俭学是不错的，不过留学生要在掌握当地的政策法规后再综合进行考虑。同时，也要注意保护自己的权利和安全，希望留学生都能在学习工作中收获满满。
来源：U.S. News，图片源于网络，如侵删
监制：李璨
审核：刘煜
责任编辑：田江含
记者：张佳玲（实习）
