The Department of Education announced Monday that it is ending the use of taxpayer funds for college students working in political activism roles on campuses.
The move rescinds guidance from the Biden administration that had allowed Federal Work Study (FWS) money to support students employed at political rallies, voter hotlines, as poll workers, or in other political-related activities. Going forward, the Trump administration said FWS will be directed toward “jobs that provide real-world work experience instead of political activities.”
“Federal Work Study is meant to provide students opportunities to gain real-world experience that prepares them to succeed in the workforce, not as a way to fund political activism on our college and university campuses,” said Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent in a statement. “Under President Trump and Secretary McMahon’s leadership, the American taxpayer will no longer fund poll workers, voter hotlines, or political rallies on campus. We will also not require institutions to solicit students to register to vote if they know they are ineligible.”
The department also clarified that under the Higher Education Act, colleges must make a “good faith” effort to distribute voter registration forms, but institutions will not be required to provide registration materials to students they believe are ineligible to vote, such as foreign students.
Before 2024, federal work study funds could not be used for “any partisan or nonpartisan political activity.” The Biden administration changed that rule in the election year by declaring that “voter registration and election administration does not constitute ‘political activity.’”
