Finances & Debit Cards

Intern Finances & Debit Cards

Although this is a volunteer program, SCA does reimburse participants for basic expenses through a travel grant , a food allowance and a uniform grant (when authorized). For most areas outside Alaska, the food allowance for a 12-16 week position is $120 every two weeks. For those participating in a 6-12 month position, the living allowance is usually $320 every two weeks.

SCA uses Chase JP Morgan e-funds cards to disburse intern subsistence allowances. The card will be mailed by Chase Bank to your site. The card typically arrives 2 – 3 weeks after the intern starts their position. Please alert your mail department to its impending arrival, and watch for it. Save this mail for the intern upon his or her arrival. The intern will already have been sent detailed instructions about activating and using the card, security, replacing a lost card, etc. The card will be “loaded” with travel reimbursement, uniform allowance (if any) and the first two-week subsistence allowance. It will be “re-loaded” with subsequent subsistence allowance and the Return Travel Allowance.

To activate a new card, an intern should call 1-866-222-5704 or visit the JP Morgan Chase website at www.myaccount.chase.com and follow the directions. Interns can use the card to pay for purchases and to get cash back at most stores. It can be used either as a credit or debit card. Interns can check their card balance any time by phone or on-line. The card will expire 45 days after the end of the internship.

In unusual cases when reimbursements from cooperating agencies or donations from private funders are unexpectedly delayed, our payments to participants may be late. We recommend to interns that they bring extra cash in the event that subsistence allowance payments are delayed. If the post office has any problem delivering the e-funds card to your site, it will be returned to SCA and we will contact you about correcting the address or means of delivery.

Interns will receive their Return Travel Allowance 1 - 3 weeks prior to the scheduled end of their position. This grant will be “loaded” into their debit card. On-the-job travel expenses or use of an intern’s car for job-related travel must be reimbursed by the agency/site.

Unless other explicit arrangements are made, funds not expended at the end of the program are to be returned with documentation (either photocopy of checks and/or payment log) to:

SCA
P.O. Box 550
Charlestown, NH 03603