Reform and Invest in Federal Student Aid

Funding the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)

The Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant program serves students with the greatest financial need, yet it remains chronically underfunded. Unlike Pell Grants, which are entitlements available to all eligible students, SEOG operates as a campus-based program with limited funding that runs out. This means that equally qualified students may receive vastly different aid packages depending on when they apply or which institution they attend. Increasing SEOG funding would allow more low-income students to access these critical grants and would provide schools with greater flexibility to meet demonstrated need. For students already stretching every dollar, SEOG grants can mean the difference between staying enrolled and dropping out. Robust federal investment in SEOG demonstrates a commitment to ensuring that students with exceptional financial need have the support necessary to pursue and complete their degrees.

Funding and Reforming Federal Work-Study (FWS)

Federal Work-Study provides valuable employment opportunities for students with financial need, but funding hasn't kept pace with the growing number of eligible students or the rising cost of attendance. Many institutions can only offer work-study positions to a fraction of qualified applicants, leaving students to seek off-campus jobs that may offer less flexibility around their class schedules. Expanding FWS would allow more students to benefit from on-campus employment that provides income while building professional skills and fostering connections with faculty and staff.

Beyond funding, FWS needs structural reform to maximize its effectiveness. The current funding formula disproportionately benefits institutions that received funding decades ago, regardless of their current student demographics and income levels. Congress should update the formula to direct more resources to schools serving high percentages of low-income students and encourage or require work-study positions to align with students' academic and career interests—rather than just filling administrative needs—wherever possible. FWS doesn't have to just help students pay for college; it can be an integral part of their education, promoting career development and professional mentoring, alongside financial support.