The Students Helping Young Students Act of 2025 would amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to add an off-campus work-study option tied to after-school activities. It defines after-school activities and expands how work-study funds may be used to compensate students for time spent in training and service with eligible schools and partner organizations.
The bill also creates a registration pathway for eligible schools, directs the Secretary to set participation standards, and prioritizes programs serving low-income communities while allowing a higher-than-usual federal share for compensation.
At a Glance
What It Does
It extends the federal work-study program to cover after-school activities, allowing funds to compensate students for time spent in eligible after-school services and related training and travel.
Who It Affects
Eligible public elementary and secondary schools and the organizations that run after-school programs, plus students enrolled in higher education who participate in these activities.
Why It Matters
It ties student work in after-school programs to federal work-study funding, potentially expanding access to youth services while altering how funds are allocated and overseen.
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What This Bill Actually Does
The bill expands the Higher Education Act to include an after-school work-study option. It defines after-school activities as programs occurring outside standard school hours with educational purposes, run by eligible schools or partner community organizations.
Institutions receiving funds under the work-study program may use those funds to compensate students for work performed in after-school activities, including time spent in training and travel directly related to those activities. The Secretary would establish a registration process within 180 days of enactment, outline participation standards, and ensure priority for schools serving low-income communities.
The bill also allows the federal share of compensation to exceed 75 percent, reflecting an emphasis on subsidizing student involvement in community-based education.
The Five Things You Need to Know
The bill adds after-school activities to the authorized work-study purposes and defines them as non-school-hours, educationally oriented activities.
Funds under this program may be used to compensate students for time in after-school activities and related training/travel.
A 180-day registration window is created for eligible schools to participate in the program.
The Secretary will set standards for participation and the registration process, and prioritize schools serving low-income communities.
The federal share of compensation under this program may exceed 75 percent.
Section-by-Section Breakdown
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Short Title
The act may be cited as the Students Helping Young Students Act of 2025, establishing a new framework within the Higher Education Act to support after-school community service through work-study funds.
Community Services Defined
Section 441(c) is amended to add after-school activities to the list of community services defined in the Higher Education Act. The addition clarifies that after-school activities are educationally oriented programs conducted outside normal school hours and may be run by eligible schools or partner community organizations.
Grants for Federal Work-Study Program
Section 443 is amended to include after-school activities in the permissible use of funds and to introduce new governance for the program. Subsection (d) is modified to require that funds can be used by an institution that is carrying out other subsections to support the described after-school activities. Subsection (f) creates the new after-school activities framework, detailing use of funds, a registration process, implementation standards, a priority for low-income schools, and definitions relevant to eligibility and program terms.
After-School Activities Framework
This subsection lays out the core mechanics: funds must be used to compensate students involved in after-school activities at eligible schools or partner sites, including compensation for training and travel directly related to the activities. It requires the Secretary to publish and carry out a registration process within 180 days of enactment, establish participation standards, and implement the program. It also envisions prioritizing schools serving low-income communities and allows the federal share of compensation to exceed 75 percent.
Registration Process
Not later than 180 days after enactment, the Secretary must inform eligible schools about the work-study program and establish a process for eligible schools to register to participate, enabling a defined pool of schools to access these funds for after-school activities.
Implementation Standards
The Secretary will establish standards for participation in the work-study program and the registration process, ensuring a consistent approach to implementing after-school activities with federal funds.
Priority and Training
Where practical, institutions should give priority to eligible schools serving low-income communities and ensure students receive appropriate training to perform their educational services.
Federal Funding Flexibility
The bill allows the Federal share of compensation to exceed 75 percent for work-study recipients under the after-school activities framework, reflecting a concerted effort to maximize student participation and program reach.
Definitions
Key terms are defined: after-school activities (non-school hours with educational purpose run by eligible schools or partner organizations), elementary and secondary schools as defined by ESEA, eligible schools (public elementary/secondary schools), and low-income community (per existing statutory meaning.
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Explore Education in Codify Search →Who Benefits and Who Bears the Cost
Every bill creates winners and losers. Here's who stands to gain and who bears the cost.
Who Benefits
- Eligible public elementary and secondary schools gain access to dedicated funds to compensate students for after-school activities, helping expand service delivery and supervision.
- Students participating in after-school roles gain paid work experience and training, with compensation supported by federal funds.
- Community learning centers and partner nonprofits benefit from a defined funding stream and potential capacity to run more after-school programs.
- School administrators and coordinators gain a formal framework and standards for integrating work-study into after-school services.
Who Bears the Cost
- Institutions hosting or coordinating after-school activities may incur payroll and administrative costs associated with implementing and reporting on the program.
- Eligible schools may bear administrative costs to register, monitor, and report on program participation and outcomes.
- The federal government may assume a larger share of compensation costs than typical for work-study programs, reflecting higher upfront funding obligations.
Key Issues
The Core Tension
Balancing broad access to federal funds for after-school work with rigorous, uniform standards and oversight to ensure funds are used for high-quality, educational activities and not misallocated or poorly tracked.
The bill introduces a significant expansion of federal work-study to cover after-school activities, which creates a strong incentive for schools and partner organizations to participate. That said, the new process relies on a robust registration and standards framework that must be implemented by the Secretary; without clear, enforceable reporting requirements, there is a risk of uneven execution across districts.
The definition of after-school activities hinges on educational purpose and partnership arrangements, which could broaden or blur what counts as compensable work and may raise questions about equity in access and quality control across programs.
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