FAQ

Are There Any Other SCA People Nearby?

There is a good chance that there are. First, since we place about 2,000 interns and members each year, there may be others at a nearby site, or even at your site, whom you may want to meet. Your SCA supervisor can tell you whether this is so, and give you contact information.

Second, SCA also fields crews of high school students, and one may be working nearby. Those students would love to learn what you are doing as an SCA member. Again, your supervisor can find this out for you.

Finally, SCA operates five regional offices and numerous field offices. Staff members in those offices welcome visits from members, and may even come to visit you. Be sure to check with your SCA supervisor to learn about these offices.

I've been told I have a sponsor. What's that all about?

As you may know, the agencies and organizations that benefit from the work of SCA members reimburse us for part of the costs associated with recruiting, fielding and supporting their members. SCA must obtain substantial additional funding to cover the rest of our costs. One way we do this is through sponsorships of individual members or interns.

Most of you will receive a letter from our Membership Department telling you who your sponsor is. Your sponsor usually will be an individual who has donated funds to SCA. In other cases your sponsor might be a company. Two big ones are the Mazda Motor Corporation and the Ford Motor Company. Mazda sponsors a member or intern in each of the 50 states, while Ford sponsors 30 interns at specific sites.

If you have a sponsor, you will be asked to write a letter to that person or company during your service introducing yourself and telling a little about your experience. Sponsors eagerly await these letters, which allow them to feel connected to you and get a sense of what their money is accomplishing. The letters also keep sponsors coming back year after year. So please do write!

How can I use my Education Award and what are its limitations?

The AmeriCorps Education Award can be used in its entirety or broken-up and used numerous times. Below is a list of most common uses, and you can find out more information about the education award here.

• Repay qualified student loans. The most common include:
  o    Stafford Loans
  o    Perkins Loans
  o    Federal Direct Loans
  o    Supplemental Loans for Students (SLS)
  o    Federal Consolidated Loans
  o    Health Education Assistance Loans (HEAL)
  o    Health Professions Student Loans (HPSL)
• Pay current educational expenses, such as tuition, at a qualified, Title IV, school. Most schools are Title IV; contact National Service Trust for guidance. Educational expenses will vary from school to school.

When will I get my education award and how will I get it?

After you complete your final paperwork and timesheets, your award will be available for you to access electronically via the My AmeriCorps portal. Through this portal you can make electronic payments to schools or lending institutions.

Whom do I contact if I have a question about a payment?

For questions concerning payments you have made or would like to make using your AmeriCorps Education Award, please contact the National Service Trust at (888) 507-5962.

Is the education award taxed and what are my tax responsibilities?

The AmeriCorps Education Award is subject to federal tax for the year in which you use it to pay a school or lender. Subsistence allowances you received during your term of service and any interest the Trust paid on qualified student loans are also subject to income taxes. Find out more about the education award and taxes here.

What should I do as I near my scheduled ending date?

If you enrolled for an education award, you must complete and return an AmeriCorps Exit Form, all timesheets, and a progress report. You will receive a packet with these materials at your site, and you can download them on the Corps Member AmeriCorps page under "End-of-Service Paperwork".

Close to the end of your position, your supervisor should sit down with you to talk about what went well, what could improve, etc. If your supervisor doesn't mention this, ask him or her about it.

And remember, if you have any good photos of yourself or other SCA members at work, we would love to see them! Send them to webmaster@thesca.org. As always, if you have a question, contact your SCA supervisor.

What can I do with SCA after this?

Well, first of all, you can try for another position or internship! If you are a Resource Assistant now, you might consider a longer-term (usually 6 months to a year) Conservation Associate position. These offer somewhat greater benefits, such as a higher subsistence allowance and larger education award. If you decide to reapply, you can use the application we have on file if it is not more than a year old. We strongly recommend, however, that you update it with information about the experience you have gained in your current position and obtain a new reference from your current supervisor. Obviously, these steps will increase your likelihood of being selected again. Contact your supervisor for assistance.

SCA also runs other Corps programs Nationwide as well as some 10-month residential AmeriCorps programs at beautiful places in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and New York State. The residential programs begin in October and also offer education awards.

In addition, we place a limited number of individuals in paid internships through our Diversity Internship Program. These internships generally are 12 to 16 weeks long and start in January, June and August. A variety of assignments with the Department of the Interior, both in the field and in offices, are available.

Lastly, SCA hires Crew Leaders for our Conservation Crew Program. These are paid summer jobs as leaders/supervisors of crews of 6 to 10 high school students performing trail work and other labor-intensive tasks while camped out. SCA also hires Project Leaders for our Conservation Corps Programs. These are seasonal, paid jobs as leaders of teams ranging from 2-4 members. You must be at least 21 years old and have or obtain certification, as a minimum, in Wilderness First Aid.

Whether or not you choose to serve again with SCA, we wish you great success in the journey you began here. We hope you feel good about what you have accomplished. Stay in touch with us and let us know of your achievements. And tell your friends about us!