TABLE 1

THE RELATIVE SIZE OF AAU CWSP PROGRAMS, FY 1976

Among the AAU public universities in FY 1976 (Table 3), total Work-Study populations ranged in size from 424 students at the University of Illinois to 3,546 students reported by Michigan State University. The graduate student proportion of the Work-Study population varied from 1% at the University of Maryland and Penn State University to 39% or more at UCLA, Iowa and Virginia. Total Work-Study funds spent in FY 1976 ranged from $182,000 at the University of Illinois to $2,445,000, which aided 2,215 students, at the University of California at Berkeley. Michigan State followed Berkeley closely. spending over $2.3 million in Work-Study funds.

The proportion of Work-Study funds spent at the graduate level by the public universities varied from 1%, or $10,616, at Penn State University to 47%, or $1,031,000, at UCLA. The average amount spent per undergraduate student was $735, and the amount ranged from $418 at the University of Illinois to $1,382 at the University of Washington. The average amount spent per aided graduate student ranged from S507 at Illinois to $1,491 at the University of Minnesota.

In FY 1976, 31 private and public universities reported unexpended WorkStudy authorizations including several universities which have small graduate Work-Study programs. There are numerous reasonable explanations for unexpended Work-Study authorizations, but it is at least interesting to note that $1.7 million was reported as unexpended by 18 public universities, and $781,000 was reported by 13 private universities. Two private and six public universities each reported over $100,000 in unexpended funds.

AAU Work-Study Policies

In view of this diverse experience, it is not surprising that the AAU universities' Work-Study policies governing the allocation of funds also vary dramatically. Section 175.9 (1) of the Federal regulations, which were adopted last September, requires institutions to make Work-Study employment or equivalent employment "reasonably available to the extent of available funds to all eligible students in the institution in need thereof," and to give preference in awarding funds "to those of its students with the greatest financial need.” In addition, the institutions are required to have a written student selection policy: "The institution's selection procedure shall be uniformly applied, set forth in writing, and maintained in the files of the institution's office which selects student aid recipients."

All 48 aid directors responded to the question which asked whether their university has a written policy which establishes selection procedures for awarding Work-Study funds to eligible undergraduate, graduate and professional students. Two-thirds of the private and one-half of the public university aid directors reported that they do not have written student selection policies, while eight private and 12 public university aid directors indicated that their award policy is in written form. One private aid director responded affirmatively and simply cited "The Federal guidelines" as his university's written policy.

Thirteen of the 20 aid directors who responded affirmatively also provided copies of their written policy stateinents.

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TABLE A

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Most of these documents were of two kinds: 1) either full or partial packaging instructions and formulas which counselors use to make awards or 2) general information materials typically distributed to interested students. One university provided a statement which was identified as a formally adopted university policy. The introduction read, "The financial aid packaging procedures for 1976-77 are based upon the approved policy of the university, drawn up jointly by the Office of Institutional Planning and the Office of Financial Aid and approved by the Deans, Vice-Presidents and President of the University. This packaging procedure will be utilized to make financial aid awards for the 1976-77 academic year."

The provisions of the written and unwritten policies governing the award of Work-Study funds to students, also vary widely. To illustrate, 11 private and 15 public university aid directors reported that they do not limit the use of WorkStudy or give preference to students in the award of funds by academic level. Nine aid directors in public universities and 13 private university aid directors reported that they give at least some preference to students by academic level. Policies vary widely among them. For example, two major public universities reportedly prohibit entering freshmen from accepting a Work-Study job, but they give no preference to other students by academic level. Several, however, reported they give first priority to entering freshmen. Others reported making no distinctions between freshmen and upperclassmen, while favoring undergraduates over graduate and professional students.

Interviews with several of these aid directors revealed a variety of policy ra tionales. One private university aid director who reported giving graduate and professional students third and fourth priority for Work-Study funds said:

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"The whole focus and emphasis of this office is undergraduate aid. A few graduate students walk in for NDSL and Work-Study. The graduate school has become more active in seeking Work-Study, but we have inhibited them and have used it at the undergraduate level. We have needed it there.

The graduate student aid is not sufficient. If the graduate school can latch on to Work-Study eligibility, it helps. . .I don't know what the graduate school does with its own money. We would be happy to include them if we had the Work-Study funds, but our primary focus would be to give an undergraduate a bachelor's education. That has been and will continue to be the focus of this office."

Another private university aid director explained,

"Over the years, the graduate school has asked once a year if they could participate. We said, 'No, sorry,' and that was the end of it. The graduate school is in the dark ages in financial aid. They don't package aid, know student needs or have student budgets. Some day the light will come on in the graduate school. They conceivably could make strong arguments for looking into it, if you were talking about additional money. I could with six months work put work-study in the graduate school, but there are not many arguments to shift the pie to graduate school students. We have hosted Aid Directors' Meetings here and everybody docs it differently." A public university aid director explained:

VOL. 7, NO. 3, NOVEMBER, 1977