Trump admin bans federal work-study funds from supporting political activism on college campuses

Fox News Flash top headlines for August 20

Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com.

The Trump administration on Tuesday banned former President Biden-era guidance that allowed taxpayer-funded federal programs to pay students to engage in certain political activities on college campuses.

The Education Department released updated guidance in a news release that stated Federal Work Study (FWS) funds "should focus on jobs that provide real-world work experience instead of political activities."

"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," Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent said in a written statement. 

Kent said that American taxpayers will no longer fund poll workers, voter hotlines or political rallies on campus – and will not require schools to ask students to register to vote if they know the students are ineligible, like foreign students.

TRUMP ANNOUNCES HE'LL HELM MOVEMENT TO ELIMINATE MAIL-IN VOTING AND VOTING MACHINES: 'FIGHT LIKE HELL'

Hofstra University students are getting the youth vote out on campus at a voting registration table in Hempstead, New York, on Oct. 9, 2024. (Howard Schnapp/Newsday RM via Getty Images)

The department further requested that educational institutions remind students of federal voting laws, including: only U.S. citizens may vote in federal elections; voting more than once or in multiple states is illegal; falsifying registration information is a federal crime; and voters can only register in the place where they are legally domiciled.

The updated guidance comes in response to President Donald Trump’s executive order titled, "Protecting the Integrity of American Elections." 

The updated guidance comes in response to Trump's "Protecting the Integrity of American Elections" executive order. (Rick Scuteri, File)

DOJ TARGETS NONCITIZENS ON VOTER ROLLS AS PART OF TRUMP ELECTION INTEGRITY PUSH

Trump has since pushed to eliminate what he called "controversial" methods of voting, specifically the use of mail-in voting and voting machines in U.S. elections.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon outside the White House on Tuesday, July 15, 2025. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

In a lengthy Truth Social post on Monday, Trump asserted, "I am going to lead a movement to get rid of MAIL-IN BALLOTS" as well as "Seriously Controversial VOTING MACHINES."

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

He said he would sign another related executive order in advance of the 2026 midterm elections.  

Fox News Digital’s Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report.