AmeriCorps

AmeriCorps is America's national service program. Become an AmeriCorps member with SCA one of two ways:

1. If you are serving on a National Conservation Corps team (Native Plant, Green Cities, Trails, etc), you have the option to become an AmeriCorps member by joining the SCA AmeriCorps Education Award Program.
2. In our Residential AmeriCorps programs (Hudson Valley AmeriCorps, Massachusetts Parks AmeriCorps, New Hampshire Parks AmeriCorps, NY Adirondacks AmeriCorps, and the Salmon Challis AmeriCorps Forest Training Center), all members are AmeriCorps members.

If you serve with SCA as an AmeriCorps member, you commit to completing a minimum number of service hours in your SCA service. After successfully completing your service, you will receive education funds, which can be used to pay qualified student loans (loans backed by the federal government only--not private loans), graduate or undergraduate tuition, or educational expenses for qualified enrichment classes. AmeriCorps Education Awards are good for 7 years.

AmeriCorps at SCA is made possible by grants from the Corporation for National and Community Service. Find out more about the AmeriCorps Education Award on the AmeriCorps website, and learn all about SCA's AmeriCorps Education Award Program below.

AmeriCorps Enrollment Paperwork:

• Eligibility
• Awards
• Initial Paperwork

For SCA AmeriCorps Education Award Program members:

• Orientation
• Hour Requirements
• Service Logs
• Student Loans and Forbearance
• AmeriCorps Uniform
• Grievances and Incidents
• Prohibited Activities
• Taxes
• End-of-Service Paperwork
• Accessing Your Award
• Using Your Education Award
• Questions

Eligibility

To be eligible to participate in the SCA AmeriCorps Education Award Program, SCA members must:

• Be selected into an SCA Program.
• Be a U.S. Citizen, U.S. National, or lawful permanent resident alien of the U.S.
• Be at least 17 years of age at the start of their SCA position.
• Have a high school diploma or agree to obtain a high school diploma or its equivalent before using the award.
• Pass a criminal history review.

Additionally, anyone who has served in AmeriCorps previously (with SCA or another organization) must:

• Have served in AmeriCorps no more than 3 times (AmeriCorps terms are now limited to 4) and received not more than the equivalent of two full-time, 1700-hr awards.
• Have performed satisfactorily in any previous terms of service.

Awards

Members are offered Education Awards based on award availability and length of service. One of the below awards is offered in your Confirmation of Acceptance based on your length of service, and this is the award that you will be enrolled in if you choose to enroll in AmeriCorps for your position.

• $1,132 - 300 minimum hours ($1,000 for members with start dates before July 1, 2010)
• $1,415 - 450 minimum hours ($1,250 for members with start dates before July 1, 2010)
• $2,675 - 900 minimum hours ($2,362 for members with start dates before July 1, 2010)
• $5,350 - 1700 minimum hours ($4,725 for members with start dates before July 1, 2010)

Each person can now serve in AmeriCorps a maximum of 4 times (no longer limited to 2!) as long as the total amount of the awards received is no more than the value of two 1700-hr awards. Even if you leave early and receive no education award, the term will, in most cases, count as one of your maximum 4 terms but won’t count toward your monetary limit.

You must complete the entire length of your service and serve your minimum required hours to receive an education award.

For details about the AmeriCorps Education Award, visit the AmeriCorps Education Award FAQs on the AmeriCorps website.

Initial Paperwork

The AmeriCorps Enrollment forms are required before you can be officially enrolled for the award. All AmeriCorps Enrollment forms are sent to you through SCA Enrollment. They can be digitally signed and submitted along with your regular SCA forms.

TIME-SENSITIVE: AmeriCorps Education Awards are at a premium at SCA. Sign-ups for this program are first come, first served. If all AmeriCorps forms are not received at least two (2) weeks before your start date, you will no longer be eligible.

In addition to the paperwork sent from SCA Enrollment, please complete these two things:

Create your My AmeriCorps profile.

It is very important that you create a My AmeriCorps profile now. This is how you will access your AmeriCorps Education Award after your service.

Read the Forbearance Request Process.

Applicable only if you are currently repaying student loans and would like to place your loans in forbearance during your service. Please note that you will be able to request forbearance on your student loans only after you have begun your position.

For SCA AmeriCorps Education Award Program members:

Orientation

As part of your participation in the SCA AmeriCorps Education Award Program, make sure you are familiar with the policies and procedures described in the sections below, including hour requirements, timesheets, evaluations, and end-of-service paperwork.

In addition, SCA AmeriCorps Education Award Program members are required to complete the SCA AmeriCorps Orientation. Under federal regulations this orientation is required. You will be responsible for understanding the information in this orientation. If the above orientation is too large to download, you can access the same information is this smaller, text-only file.

Watch the AmeriCorps pledge.

Hour Requirements

In order to fulfill the requirements for the education award, you must complete the entire length of your service and the minimum hours offered in your Confirmation of Acceptance and agreed to in your SCA AmeriCorps Member Agreement. Most members exceed the minimum hours.

Your SCA AmeriCorps service is to be continuous, and any change in your service requires approval from your program manager and SCA. You are required to stay for the full length of your service and track hours up until your official end date unless you have an illness or emergency that results in your early departure.

Service Logs

It is your responsibility to track your service hours daily to make sure that you reach the minimum required hours offered in your Confirmation of Acceptance as agreed to in your SCA AmeriCorps Member Agreement. 

You are expected to submit new daily SCA Service Logs by logging into your SCA account. 

First, read the downloadable Service Logs Training for Members. Second, visit the step-by-step instructions and FAQs.

In addition to completing these daily service logs, AmeriCorps members must have their service logs approved at the end of each month by having that month’s service logs signed and submitted to SCA:
1. Under the “Timesheets” tab click “Print Timesheet”. Only service logs with a status of “Submitted for Approval” will appear.
2. Print all pages of this document.
3. Sign it and have your supervisor sign it.
4. Submit the timesheet by fax to (888) 488-6838, by scanned attachment to AmeriCorps@theSCA.org , or by mail to SCA, PO Box 550, Charlestown, NH 03603.

Your service logs will be marked as “approved” after your signed service logs timesheet arrives at SCA. Hours can only be counted toward your AmeriCorps Education Award if they are marked as approved.

If you have any quesitons please read the SCA Service Log step-by-step instructions and FAQs.

Student Loans and Forbearance

If you have qualified student loans, you can place your loans in forbearance during your service and have the accrued interest paid at the end of your service. This is handled directly by you, AmeriCorps, and your lender. Read the document below for the step-by-step instructions. Please note that you will be able to request forbearance on your student loans only after you have begun your position.

• Forbearance Request Process

AmeriCorps Uniform

Corps members enrolled in the Education Award Program will receive an AmeriCorps embroidered patch and AmeriCorps button in addition to your SCA uniform. Please identify yourself as an AmeriCorps member by wearing these as part of your uniform.

Grievances and Incidents

Please contact SCA with issues related to your service assignment, training, supervision, or housing as early as possible. Most problems can be resolved through open communication between you, your program manager, and SCA. Your rights are outlined in your SCA AmeriCorps Member Agreement and in the SCA AmeriCorps Orientation.

Prohibited Activities

While you are an SCA AmeriCorps member, there are some activities you may not engage in while wearing your uniform or accruing service hours. These include: attempting to influence legislation or election to public office; organizing or engaging in boycotts, strikes, petitions, or protests; assisting or deterring union organizing; engaging in any form of religious proselytization; or providing a direct benefit to a for-profit business, labor union, partisan political organization, or religious organization. You are welcome to engage in any of these activities as a private citizen on your own time.

Taxes

Feberal income tax will be deducted from your subsistence allowance. SCA does not withhold any state, county, or municipal income tax deductions from your subsistence allowance; however, you are still responsible for all your taxes. You should contact the state and local government tax offices in the state where you are assigned, or where you maintain a permanent residence.  SCA will mail a W-2 form to you in January for the preceding year.

End-of-Service Paperwork

Visit the End-of-Service Resources page to download your required AmeriCorps End-of-Service Paperwork. Please mail in your AmeriCorps End-of-Service Paperwork, along with the originals of all timesheets, within one week after your last day of service.Complete and mail the following to SCA, PO Box 550, Charlestown, NH 03603:

Accessing Your Award

After you've completed your service and submitted your end-of-service paperwork and signed timesheets, you will receive a "Confirmation of Completion" email. You will access your award through the My AmeriCorps portal. First click "Register to create a new member/alum account", if you do not already have a username and password. Inside the My AmeriCorps portal you can access information about your award and make payments to schools and lenders.

Using Your Education Award

You can use an AmeriCorps Education Award toward qualified expenses at any Title IV institution, which means a school that can provide federal financial aid. If a school has a FAFSA code with the U.S. Department of Education (You can look it up here), the school is qualified.

Sometimes nontraditional educational institutions might have an arrangement with a nearby university that allows AmeriCorps alumni to apply an AmeriCorps Education Award toward a course payment. A few of these institutions are listed below and can be contacted directly for details:

• National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) – Partners with Central Wyoming College
• Aerie Backcountry Medicine - Partners with the University of Montana
• Stonehearth Open Learning Opportunities (SOLO) - Partners with Sterling College

Additional Resources

After you finish your service, you are officially part of the network of AmeriCorps alumni. If you are applying to school, ask the admissions office whether they offer an application fee waiver for AmeriCorps alums. Below are some other resources for you as an AmeriCorps alum:

AmeriCorps website - Everything about the AmeriCorps Education Award.

School with Benefits for AmeriCorps Alums - Lists schools that either match the education award or offer additional benefits to AmeriCorps alumni.

Getting the Most out of Your Education Award Tutorial - Offered by the Corporation for National and Community Service. Offers

AmeriCorps Alums – Stay involved with service and connect with other AmeriCorps alumni from around the country on the AmeriCorps Alums Facebook page.

Questions

Questions about SCA's AmeriCorps Education Award Program: Contact Kate Hagner, Education Award Program Manager for SCA, at 603.543.1700 X133 or khagner@theSCA.org.

Questions about an AmeriCorps Education Award payment or issues with the My AmeriCorps portal: Contact the National Service Hotline at 1-800-942-2677. The Hotline is staffed by customer service representatives from 8:00-8:00 EST.