Five years ago, a change in federal regulations required that at least 5% of work-study funds allocated for students in community service positions. While some institutions grudgingly obliged, others have seen this as the seed of a great idea. One of the most ambitious campuses in the support of service through work-study is New York University, which uses 50% of its work-study funds to support 700 students serving 43 public elementary schools in New York City. Work-study students staff the university s entire America Reads program, which logs an average of 6,000 hours of service a week supported by federal work-study.

From Service Matters 1998: Engaging Higher Education In the Renewal of America s Communities and American Democracy

Contact: Office of Community Service at 25 W. 4th Street, 3rd Floor Telephone: 212-998-2329