Publication ranks Stanford first in community service

BY CRAIG KAPITAN

Stanford ranks first among top universities in using federal work-study money for community service, according to a magazine's analysis of government data.

The Washington Monthly analyzed data that the country's top 20 universities (as ranked by U.S. News and World Report) provided to the U.S. Department of Education. The data showed that 22.3 percent of students who earn federal work-study funding at Stanford do so through community service. Of top universities, the next-ranking school was Emory University, where 13.8 percent of students earned work-study through community service. Harvard and Yale trailed in fifth and sixth place, respectively, and MIT closed up the top 20 schools with 1.9 percent of work-study recipients choosing community service, according to the magazine analysis of government data.

"We had the Haas Center [for Public Service] before the Federal Work-Study Program required community service, so we're way ahead," explained Mary Morrison, director of funds management in Stanford's Financial Aid Office. "For us, community service has been a substantial ongoing concern. It wasn't a fly-by-night outfit [to fulfill work-study requirements]."

The Federal Work-Study Program was established in 1964 to help low-income students earn money for tuition and to encourage community service. The government provides the majority of the wages, while the employer -- whether it is a community organization or a university -- foots the rest of the bill. Oftentimes, instead of working in community service, students fill campus jobs in areas such as food service.

Until last academic year, universities were only required to guarantee that 5 percent of work-study recipients worked in community service. Last year, however, the requirement was raised to 7 percent, and Sens. John McCain and Evan Bayh recently proposed legislation that would raise the level to 25 percent.

"Several years ago when we found out about the [community service] requirement, other universities were saying 'What are we going to do?' -- but I was just sitting there, smiling," Morrison said. "I already knew what we were going to do."

A firm commitment from the university administration has helped ensure Stanford's high ranking in community service, explained Nadinne Cruz, director of the Haas Center. Former Provost Condoleezza Rice made a policy decision to encourage community service, and the commitment has been supported by current Provost John Etchemendy. As a result, the Haas Center was provided funding for an extra staff position to handle placing work-study students with community service agencies.

"It wasn't just words," Cruz said of the administration's support. "When they actually gave a budget line to pay for the salary of a person, that was a huge thing."

Much of the work-study participation in the Haas Center involves filling out paperwork to verify a community service agency, managing the payroll for each student and, in some cases, hunting down a suitable agency for a student in his or her hometown. Much of the Federal Work-Study money is used during the summer, when most students return home.

"If a student wants to be placed in an agency, we do all the work to get it done," Cruz said. "There's support for the students and plenty of flexibility in how they can do it."

The Financial Aid Office also has been instrumental in encouraging students to take community service jobs, Cruz noted.

"That's a pretty big departure from self-interest," she said, explaining that if students were not working in their communities, they could be working on campus, saving the university on wages that it has to pay other workers. "Some institutions may cap [community service participation] because it's not in their best interest."

Community service is ingrained in Stanford culture, added Morrison, explaining that many students who don't need the financial aid volunteer through the Haas Center without pay.

"I think you'd be hard pressed to find a student who didn't know where the Haas Center was," she said. "Community service is just part of what goes on here."