The Trump administration scored a major win for election integrity by banning Biden-era rules that allowed taxpayer-funded programs to pay students for political activities on college campuses. The Department of Education announced Tuesday that Federal Work Study (FWS) funds “should focus on jobs that provide real-world work experience instead of political activities.”
Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent said the change ensures tax dollars will not bankroll partisan activism. “Federal Work Study is meant to provide students opportunities to gain real-world experience that prepares them to succeed in the workforce, not as a way to fund political activism on our college and university campuses,” Kent declared. The administration further barred universities from using federal money to pay for poll workers, voter hotlines, or political rallies. Schools will also no longer be required to ask ineligible students, including foreign nationals, to register to vote.
The department directed colleges to remind students of federal voting laws: only U.S. citizens may vote in federal elections, double voting is illegal, falsifying registration is a crime, and voters must register where they are legally domiciled.
The move follows President Donald Trump’s executive order titled Protecting the Integrity of American Elections. Trump emphasized his broader push to restore confidence in the ballot box, writing, “I am going to lead a movement to get rid of MAIL-IN BALLOTS” and “Seriously Controversial VOTING MACHINES.” He pledged to sign a new executive order ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
