Contact: Bob Spieldenner
bobspieldenner@schev.edu
(804) 225-2628
For Immediate Release
May 2, 2023
RICHMOND – The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) awarded more than $142,000 in grants to four institutions of higher education to help transform on-campus Federal Work-Study jobs to function more like internships. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia awarded the grants as part of the Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership (V-TOP).
Northern Virginia Community College, Old Dominion University, Piedmont Virginia Community College and University of Virginia’s College at Wise each received grants, whose purpose is to expand paid and credit-bearing student internships and other work-based learning opportunities in collaboration with Virginia employers.
Northern Virginia Community College will receive a two-year, $67,372 grant to support an on-campus pilot of the transformation. The pilot will help faculty develop work-study position descriptions that meet course learning objectives.
One-year grants of $25,000 each to Old Dominion, Piedmont Virginia Community College and a $24,840 grant to UVA Wise will help them change and improve administrative functions to better support a transformed Federal Work-Study program.
“Federal Work Study jobs provide part-time employment to help students finance the costs of postsecondary education. However, unlike internships, they typically are not geared toward academic learning,” said Peter Blake, director of SCHEV. “This effort is meant to improve the connection between student jobs and their coursework.”
This is the first round of the Transforming Federal Work-Study grant awards. The next round of applications are due by July 14, 2023; awards for round two will be announced by October 16. V-TOP has allocated $930,000 for FY 2024 Transforming FWS competitive grants.
The Commonwealth’s Innovative Internship Fund and Program (branded as the Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership) is funded by the General Assembly. SCHEV administers the program in partnership with the Virginia Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
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The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia is the state’s coordinating agency for higher education. With Pathways to Opportunity: The Virginia Plan for Higher Education, SCHEV is dedicated to making Virginia the best state for education by 2030. For more on this statewide strategic plan, visit schev.edu/TheVirginiaPlan.
