Laney work-study disparities revealed

Most community college students work. They have to. Work-study provides an opportunity for students to work on campus while attending classes.

There are 300 jobs on campus annually, including about 100 Federal Work-Study positions. According to data from the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office, there are disparities among who gets FWS positions at Laney.

Of the 95 students at Laney who received FWS positions on campus 2006-2007, 73 were Asian. While African-Americans represent almost an equal portion of Laney's population compared to Asians, African-Americans received only 16 FWS allotments. Latinos, whites, and Pacific Islanders faired no better.

Depending on who you ask, some blame the college, while others put the responsibility on the students themselves.

Getting work-study

"There are two ways students can work on campus," said Student Employment Specialist Robert Fleming. "Through federal work-study," money provided by the federal government, or "through department funds." There are allotments for students to work in the departments. "Overall, 250-300 students are employed throughout the year on campus."

"The FWS program provides funds that are earned through part-time employment to assist students in financing the costs of postsecondary education," according the U.S. Department of Education's website. Over 3,400 institutions participate.

In order to get a work-study position, a student must be 18 years of age. Students who cannot provide correct information cannot be hired, according to "How to Hire Hourly Student Workers: A Supervisor's Guide" for Laney College.

When school is in session, students may work a maximum of 20 hours per week. Hourly wages cannot be less than the federal minimum wage. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) must be completed in order for students to receive FWS.

The Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, whose goal was "to mobilize the human and financial resources of the Nation to combat poverty in the United States" establish a new program for work-study. After the Higher Education Act of 1965 the program was transferred to the Department of Education.

The trend of Asian students getting a majority of FWS positions is not new at Laney. According to data from the state chancellor's office, the trend goes back as far as 1994. Allotments between 1992-1994 were evenly dispersed between Asian and African-American students, and other groups proportionately with the college's demographics.

"When students fill out the FAFSA, there is a question that asks if they are interested in working," explains Laney Financial Aid Coordinator Judith Cohen. "Students also have to meet a few criteria to be eligible. They have to meet the financial-need criteria, have their paperwork correctly completed and they must be enrolled."

"Financial need" is determined by congressional formula that evaluates the financial information reported on the FAFSA and determines the expected family contribution (EFC), according to the Department of Education.

Fleming said, "Students are given an amount they are expected to contribute, after their fee waiver is deducted and whatever other awards they receive. If they still have a remaining need, they are eligible for work study."

"We package them up on a first-come first-serve basis," said Cohen.

Winning the lottery

When Fleming started in 2000, work-study positions were distributed differently, and for his first two years, he "followed the old way," where students had one day in May in which they could pick up the applications.

"People would be waiting at 6 a.m. for an application," said Fleming. "It wasn't the best process. People who couldn't make it lost the opportunity."

Laney "used to have one day and they'd line up early in the morning," recalls Cohen. "It would be all Asian students. It wasn't fair.

Fleming now uses a lottery system to distribute work-study positions to students.

For most of the month of April, Fleming advertised the positions by putting up notices that students could get summer work-study applications, which had to be turned in by May 2. While he typically receives about 130 each year, this year he received 166 before the deadline.

"Sixty-six percent of the students who applied were Asian," said Fleming. "This is down in comparison to the past."

Fleming uses a random lottery to select 50 students from those who turned in the applications on time. He then checks to make sure those who have applied are enrolled for the fall semester. If not, they are bumped from the list and others are randomly chosen.

Fleming suggests this practice is fair.

"It's random selection," said Fleming. "But if you have a large population of one group of people over others, the odds are in their favor."

Occasionally students find work off campus or decide they have too many units to work, and the positions are filled randomly. This process of elimination is continued in this lottery format until all work-study slots are allotted.

Who gets work-study at Laney

"I don't know why they don't apply," said Fleming in response to why other ethnicities are not applying for work-study positions. He has made a few observations, however. When students are in the hallway waiting to get to the financial aid counter, "more Asians look at the information on the walls."

Getting financial aid is not an easy process said Laney President Dr. Frank Chong, who admits he had to "fill out FAFSA two or three times" in college.

"Obviously one can conclude that those students have figured out the system," said Chong. "They've learned to navigate the FAFSA and get through a myriad of requirements to get work-study." Chong admits that it is not an easy process however.

"I would suspect that African-American students, particularly those who are first generation college students, are not aware and there is no one helping them figure out the system," added Chong.