Earlier this year, the Biden Administration urged colleges and universities to lend a hand to the nation’s K-12 schools. Specifically, it called on postsecondary institutions to use at least 15% of their annual allocation of roughly $1.2 billion in Federal Work-Study Program funds to employ more college students as tutors, mentors and student success coaches in public schools.

The White House included the call to action in its agenda for accelerating K-12 academic performance after pandemic-era school closures. But for higher education, this announcement should increase urgency around rethinking the connection between education and employment.

Under the Federal Work-Study program, low- and middle-income college students are paid by their colleges for part-time work to help cover their educational costs. Using these dollars more effectively to enhance the early-career prospects of college students is critical to giving them quality work-based learning experiences.

For college students considering careers in education, public policy, social work, or human services, working in our nation’s public schools is not only a win for the K-12 students they serve but also will provide them with needed experience — the definition of a high-quality learn and earn program.

However, most undergraduates don’t get a high quality, career accelerating opportunity to combine work and learning while in college. Yet, nearly two-thirds of undergraduates work while they’re in school. One-quarter of students from low-income backgrounds have full-time jobs — which is concerning, as working long hours correlates with lower grades, fewer credits earned and a higher chance of dropping out.

Although it might seem counterintuitive, working merely to pay the bills while in college often does little to prepare students for the kinds of employment opportunities envisioned by policymakers and higher education leaders.

The reason? Too many of today’s learners have jobs disconnected from their college majors and eventual careers. It’s time to reframe how higher education thinks about work-based learning and how federal dollars should be spent.

Read the full article about working while in college by Jane Swift at Higher Ed Dive.