Work Colleges Consortium
Federal legislation defines a Work College as a special type of degree-granting institution where a “comprehensive work-learning-service program” is “an integral and stated part of the institution’s educational philosophy and program”, a “valuable educational approach” and an “integral part of the institution’s educational program and part of a financial aid plan that decreases reliance on grants and loans and encourages students to participate in community service activities”. Work Colleges are defined through federal legislation as having residential campuses where all resident students are expected to work in campus-supervised and evaluated work-learning-service positions in every semester of the educational experience (exceptions are made for students engaged in alternate experiential learning opportunities such as internships, study abroad, and student teaching). More importantly, every Work College operates a comprehensive work-learning-service programs that are an integral component of the educational experience and provide opportunities for reduced debt, practical work experience, integration of work and academics, expanded opportunities to engage in service to both the College and the broader community, and a guided and evaluated experience designed to maximize learning. Work Colleges receive additional federal funding to support these comprehensive programs.
Established in 1996 and comprised of the seven federally recognized Work Colleges, the Consortium works to promote the common interests of the member institutions. Members include: Alice Lloyd College, Pippa Passes, KY; Berea College; Blackburn College, Carlinville, IL; College of the Ozarks, Point Lookout, MO; Ecclesia College, Springdale, AR; Sterling College, Craftsbury Commons, VT; and Warren Wilson College, Asheville, NC.