[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 20 (Tuesday, January 31, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E76]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       REINTRODUCTION OF THE STUDENTS HELPING YOUNG STUDENTS ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ANDRE CARSON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 31, 2023

  Mr. CARSON. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to reintroduce the Students 
Helping Young Students Act. This important legislation will invest in 
college students who support and mentor K-12 students at after-school 
activities. This legislation will make a meaningful difference in the 
lives of all Hoosier students, and young Americans across the country, 
by ensuring that college students can be compensated for the critical 
work of mentoring and supporting their younger counterparts. I would 
like to thank my Senate Colleague, Senator Cory Booker, for leading the 
companion of this important legislation.
  It is an honor to represent students of all ages in Indiana's Seventh 
District. I am continually impressed by the many college students in my 
district and across the country that, in addition to their studies, 
help mentor and support K-12 students in after-school programs. These 
college students, by serving as powerful examples and mentors, continue 
to inspire my colleagues and I about the importance of peer mentorship 
opportunities. This includes the crucial role of work-study programs in 
helping students finance their postsecondary education.
  Several examples in Indiana underscore the importance of supporting 
mentorship programs, both to the mentee and the mentor. The influence 
and investment from a mentor can improve younger student lives and 
outcomes. Their stories are common: in fact, at-risk youth that have a 
mentor are 55 percent more likely to attend college. Moreover, at-risk 
youth that have a mentor are 52 percent less likely to skip a day of 
school and 46 percent less likely to use drugs. Mentoring also 
increases community engagement, as at-risk students are 78 percent more 
likely to volunteer in their community and are 130 percent more likely 
to hold a leadership role in clubs or teams with a mentor in their 
lives. Mentoring not only helps students stay away from drugs and 
violence, but also live healthier lives and improve school performance. 
Mentees participating in mentorship programs have also performed higher 
on the Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress (ISTEP) 
tests.
  Because of these unmistakable benefits, Congress must do more to 
support these after-school programs and their student mentors. Although 
after-school mentorship programs often intersect with students' courses 
of study and benefit the community, after-school activities are not 
currently considered a community service under the Federal Work-Study 
program. This means that college students cannot rely on compensation 
from Federal Work-Study for their participation in after-school 
activities.
  The Federal Work-Study program has helped support undergraduate and 
graduate students, who have exhibited financial need, find part-time 
jobs. The Federal Work-Study program employs hundreds of thousands of 
undergraduate and graduate students. Across all higher education, 7 in 
10 college students work at least 15 hours per week to help cover their 
tuition, and 1 in 4 work more than 35 hours a week. While mentorship's 
benefits are clear, the absence of after-school activities from 
consideration as work-study programs causes students with financial 
need to more often pursue other opportunities. This means that many 
students are unable to serve in mentorship roles, even if it aligns 
with their course of study, for financial reasons. This dynamic 
exacerbates the widening mentoring gap, which includes the over 9 
million young people without a mentor outside their family to support 
their growth and education.
  As a result, more work needs to be done to help compensate students 
who choose to serve their communities by mentoring younger students. 
That is why the Students Helping Young Students Act is so important. 
This bill incorporates work at after-school programs into the Federal 
Work-Study Program under community service by making participation in 
these programs eligible for federal funds. In short, this bill allows 
college students to access Federal Work-Study funds for their 
participation in after-school activities.
  Through the Students Helping Young Students Act, after-school 
mentoring programs will count as community service under the Federal 
Work-Study program. Students can be compensated for their work, 
including time spent in training and travel, directly related to the 
program. This will allow any student who wishes to serve in their 
community to participate in mentorship activities, regardless of their 
financial background. As a result, the Students Helping Young Students 
Act will also help close the mentoring gap and ensure that younger 
students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, have the 
support they need to succeed and reach their goals.
  Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this 
bill to ensure that Federal Work-Study students are compensated for 
their mentorship efforts. It is important that Congress supports these 
students in their pursuit to serve our communities. I urge the House to 
support this bill.

                          ____________________