美國聯邦勤工儉學計劃
近些年來，美國公立和私立大學學費都在飆升，對許多家庭來說都是一種負擔。很多大學生需要通過申請貸款、兼職等方式支付大學學費。但對于國際學生來說，校外打工也有限制，校內兼職則競爭很大。
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美國出臺的聯邦勤工儉學計劃（Federal Work-study Program）用于援助符合條件的學生，讓他們更好地完成學業。這可以成為留學生考慮的一個范疇。
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.
與其他類型的學生財政資助不同，聯邦勤工儉學計劃通常只占家庭用于支出大學學費資金的一小部分。
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.
根據《2022年美國如何支付大學費用》研究表明，在2022年，20%的家庭需要依靠勤工儉學支付大學學費，這些家庭收到的平均援助金額為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，當涉及到支付學費時，每一分錢都需要花在刀刃上。以下是學生和家長需要了解的聯邦勤工儉學計劃。
01
什么是勤工儉學計劃？
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.
聯邦勤工儉學是一種基于需求的財政援助形式，它為本科生和研究生提供從事兼職工作的機會，讓他們能夠支付學業費用。
The federal government subsidizes a portion of a student"s paycheck – up to 75% – so the employer only has to pay a fraction.
聯邦政府會對學生工資進行一部分的補貼，最高可達75%，因此雇主只需要支付一小部分的補貼。
"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.
弗吉尼亞聯邦大學負責學生財務服務的副校長諾姆·貝德福德表示：“這是學校以相對較低的成本雇傭學生的一個好方法。”
02
誰有資格申請勤工儉學計劃？
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.
勤工儉學是為學校全日制和非全日制的本科生、研究生和專業學生提供的，但這不意味著所有人都符合勤工儉學的申請條件。學生必須通過填寫聯邦學生援助免費申請表（FAFSA）來說明他們的經濟需求。
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.
學生能夠獲得勤工儉學獎學金取決于幾個因素，例如他們的申請時間、經濟需求和學校的資助水平。
03
如何申請勤工儉學計劃？
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中的一個問題是：學生是否有興趣參與勤工儉學項目，申請人必須回答“是”。除此之外，申請人需在截止日期前提交表格才能被考慮。專家建議盡早申請，因為截止日期最早會早于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."
“財政資助資金是有限的，”貝德福德表示，“聯邦勤工儉學并不是一個無底的資金池。學校從美國教育部得到的資金是有限的。為了最大限度地利用你擁有的資金，就需要設定一個期限。”
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.
聯邦勤工儉學并不會因為學生有經濟需求就會進行擔保。像其他工作一樣，學生必須申請并進行面試。學生可以從學院的就業網頁上找到工作表格，其中列出了可以獲得勤工儉學的工作。
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，有資格參與勤工儉學并不意味著學生每年都可以參加。學生需要每年完成FAFSA，因為隨著學生家庭收入的變化，可能會導致學生不再符合資格。
04
勤工儉學計劃提供什么工作類型？
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.
勤工儉學的學生通常在校內工作。然而，學生也可選擇在非營利機構、政府機構等服務于公共利益的公司，以尋求校外就業。
"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.
南卡羅萊納州克萊姆森大學的財政資助主任伊麗莎白·米拉姆在郵件中寫道：“校內工作可能符合學生課程和學術研究的需求，在沒有交通工具的情況下更方便。”
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.
勤工儉學的工作時間往往很靈活。學生每周工作5到20小時。專家表示，在學校放假期間，例如暑假，學生可能會工作40小時。
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.
薪酬因所需技能和學生的工作經驗水平而異，但學校必須符合聯邦和州的最低工資規定。
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教育咨詢公司的財務和社交媒體高級主管香農·瓦斯康塞洛斯表示，學生每周或每兩周領取一次工資，因此這些勤工儉學的錢并不能在學期開始時立即用于支付學費。
"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."
“實際上，你想要獲得工資必須先得工作并工作上一段時間，”她說，“因此，我更傾向于資助學生整個學期的生活費或是將錢用于購買書籍。”
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.
為了方便納稅，在填寫下一年的FAFSA時，勤工儉學并不計入學生的收入，但必須向美國國稅局報告。貝德福德說，如果一個學生做兩份工作，一份在塔吉特，另一份是學校內的勤工儉學，那只有在塔吉特的收入才計入FAFSA的總收入。
05
勤工儉學計劃有什么好處？
There are several non-monetary benefits to the federal work-study program, including gaining work experience and developing necessary workplace skills.
聯邦勤工儉學計劃有幾個非金錢方面的好處，包括獲得工作經驗和發展工作技能。
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.
即使勤工儉學的工作與職業無關，它仍然可以幫助學生了解他們工作的偏好，與校園里的同齡人建立聯系。
"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項目的獨特之處在于，校園工作的便利性、與學院員工和教師的密切合作、以及FWS堅持認為學生為先的想法。這些方面提高了其在大學融資和職業規劃方面的價值。”米拉姆在電子郵件中說道。“除了掙錢支付大學費用外，許多學生還找到了他們心之所向的職業。
美國聯邦政府的勤工儉學是不錯的，不過留學生要在掌握當地的政策法規后再綜合進行考慮。同時，也要注意保護自己的權利和安全，希望留學生都能在學習工作中收獲滿滿。
來源：U.S. News，圖片源于網絡，如侵刪
監制：李璨
審核：劉煜
責任編輯：田江含
記者：張佳玲（實習）
