Trump administration ends Biden-era rule funding poll workers with student aid
New federal guidance bars colleges from paying students to staff elections with taxpayer-funded work study jobs.
The Trump administration halts Biden-era rule as the Education Department warns schools against subsidizing political activism with student aid.
The Department of Education announced on Aug. 19 that colleges may no longer use Federal Work Study (FWS) funds to employ students in political activities, rolling back a Biden-era policy that allowed taxpayer dollars to pay students serving as poll workers, voter hotline staff, or in voter registration drives.
FWS is a federal aid program that provides part-time jobs for students with financial need to help pay for college expenses. According to its website, the program is designed to support community service and work tied to a student’s academic field.
In its new guidance, the department said institutions are prohibited from using FWS funds “to employ students whose work involves any partisan or nonpartisan political activity.” The agency classified jobs such as poll workers, voter assistance staff, and those supporting voting legislation as ineligible because “these activities support the process of voting which is a quintessential political activity.”
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At the same time, the department reiterated that schools must continue to make a “good faith” effort to distribute voter registration forms to students. It also directed institutions to implement “proper controls” to ensure that no FWS-funded positions involve political work.
“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,” Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent said in a press release.
He added that “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.”
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The department further requested that institutions remind students of federal voting rules, including that only U.S. citizens may vote in federal elections, casting multiple ballots is illegal, and in most states, voters must register where they reside.
The new policy mirrors an executive order signed by President Trump in March directing federal agencies to preserve election integrity and ensure “free, fair, and honest elections unmarred by fraud, errors, or suspicion.”
Campus Reform has contacted the Department of Education and Defending Education for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
