AmeriCorps Education Awards

SCA’s plans to transition from paper to electronic timesheets has been pushed back due to unexpected delays. We will be sending information – including a final launch date and training materials to help you navigate the new system -- as soon as it’s available and well in advance of any changes. Please continue to have members track hours on a monthly paper timesheet. If you have questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact Kate Hagner, Education Award Program Manager at SCA at 603.543.1700 X 133 or KHagner@theSCA.org. – Posted February 11, 2009

Through a granting authority provided by the Corporation for National and Community Service, SCA administers an AmeriCorps Education Award program for our Conservation Intern and Corps programs. As an additional benefit to serving with SCA, eligible members may elect to sign a contract pledging that they will serve full-time throughout their term of service as well as complete a minimum number of service hours determined by the length of their service; in return, these members receive funds they can use to pay qualified student loans or current educational expenses. Interns who elect this benefit are considered SCA AmeriCorps members and must complete specific program requirements, including enrollment and exit paperwork, submission of monthly timesheets, and participation in AmeriCorps-sponsored events or trainings.

What is AmeriCorps?

Overseen by the Corporation for National and Community Service, AmeriCorps is a network of organizations that offer opportunities for people to dedicate themselves to a period of long-term volunteer service by tutoring and mentoring youth, building affordable housing, cleaning parks and streams, and recruiting, training, and managing community volunteers. In return, these AmeriCorps members receive funds they can use for education. Since 2000, nearly 10,000 men and women have served in the SCA AmeriCorps program and received education award funds.

What is the AmeriCorps Education Award?

The AmeriCorps education award is a sum of money SCA AmeriCorps members receive after successfully completing their service. Members are able to use this award to pay education costs at qualified institutions of higher education, for educational training, or to repay qualified student loans.

Upon selection for a position, members are offered an education award relative to their length of service and may choose to sign an SCA AmeriCorps Member Agreement confirming that they will complete both their term of service and their minimum hours. SCA AmeriCorps Award designations are as follows:

• $1,000      300 minimum service hours
• $1,250      450 minimum service hours
• $2,362      900 minimum service hours
• $4,725     1700 minimum service hours

What are the responsibilities of SCA AmeriCorps Members?

All members who elect to sign up for an Education Award will receive information outlining the following policies and procedures. Members are required to:

1. Complete a timesheet for each month of service. Members will receive a welcome packet, which includes a blank timesheet, a few weeks into their service. It is the member’s responsibility to complete a timesheet, have a supervisor sign it, and return it to SCA each month.

2. Complete and submit enrollment and end-of-service paperwork. All members should have completed enrollment paperwork before arriving at the site and beginning service. It is the member’s responsibility to complete end-of-service paperwork, which includes AmeriCorps Exit Form, an SCA AmeriCorps Progress Report and Performance Measures questionnaires, and an SCA Alumni Form prior to their departure from the program. Failure to submit enrollment paperwork and exit paperwork, as well as monthly timesheets, will forfeit their education award.

3. Successfully complete both their term of service and their minimum hours. Members need to complete the minimum number of service hours originally agreed to in their SCA AmeriCorps Member Agreement as well as complete their entire term of service.

Members who leave their service early forfeit their entire award, unless they leave for compelling personal circumstances. The below circumstances only allow for a pro-rated award:
a. Member has serious injury or illness that makes completing the term impossible;
b. Serious injury, illness or death of an immediate family member and the member is needed to care for that family member or take over the duties of the family member;
c. Member is drafted by the Armed Services of the United States; or
d. Circumstances that occur which makes it impossible or very difficult for the member to complete their term of service, for example a natural disaster or a significant program change.

While SCA is proud of the number of interns who take on paid employment in their field after their internship, please encourage members to fulfill their volunteer service commitment before leaving for paid work. Leaving positions early for paid work is not considered a compelling personal circumstance, and, unfortunately, any member who leaves service for that reason forfeits their award.

What is the role of the SCA AmeriCorps Member’s Supervisor?

Members are responsible for completing the tasks required for receiving the education award. It will help members fulfill their commitment and receive the education award if the member’s supervisor is willing to:

1. Complete the SCA AmeriCorps Site Coordinator Agreement. This agreement will be sent when members are selected into your position.

2. Approve and sign member timesheets at the end of each month. It is the member’s responsibility to complete a timesheet each month, have a supervisor sign it, and return it monthly to SCA.

3. Encourage members to complete end-of-service paperwork. It is the member’s responsibility to complete end-of-service paperwork, which includes AmeriCorps Exit Form, an SCA AmeriCorps Progress Report and Performance Measures questionnaires, and an SCA Alumni Form, prior to their departure from the program. Members may ask for assistance completing the progress report and performance measures questionnaires, both of which help SCA continue to fund interns by documenting their service.

4. Support members who desire to attend national service events locally. Periodically throughout the year there may be AmeriCorps-sponsored events in your state or region. Members are encouraged to attend if their schedule allows, but hours spent at these events cannot be recorded on their AmeriCorps timesheets.

5. Support members to complete their service commitment and minimum hours. Except in compelling personal circumstances, as outlined above, members who leave the program early forfeit their education award. Leaving positions early for paid work is not considered an acceptable reason for a member to leave early. Please encourage members to complete their volunteer service commitment first.

Please contact SCA with any questions regarding AmeriCorps or the Education Award. Our relationship with AmeriCorps and the Corporation for National and Community Service is an important aspect of our Conservation Internship and Corps Program design and we appreciate your support in reaching our compliance and evaluation requirements.

SCA AmeriCorps Education Award Program Contact:
Kate Hagner
Education Award Program Coordinator
Khagner@theSCA.org This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Phone: 603.543.1700 x133
Fax: 603.543.1755

FAQs

How do I know if my SCA intern is enrolled in the AmeriCorps Education Award Program?

Most SCA interns are. Members can only receive two awards in a lifetime, though, so most often members who have been involved in many SCA internships are no longer eligible. Ask your members if they filled out the paperwork for the education award, or contact SCA to find out.

What happens to an intern’s education award if the member leaves service for a paid job?

While SCA is proud that our interns are qualified for paid positions in their field, AmeriCorps requires interns to complete the minimum hours and length of service they agreed to in their SCA AmeriCorps Member Agreement. Even the most hard-working intern unfortunately loses the education award if she leaves her service early for a paid job.

Can interns count comp or sick time hours in their timesheets? Is there a way for a site to compensate an intern for serving on a holiday?

The hours compiled on the timesheet should be either hours spent in active training/education or actual direct service hours. As the site you are welcome to coordinate time off for members, when appropriate, but hours on timesheets should reflect actual hours served.

Can interns count training hours on their timesheets?

Yes, interns can count any hours spent in training or education related to their position on their timesheets, though this should be no more than 20% of their total hours. Interns are welcome to include on timesheets any time spent learning about their position, reading about issues or topics related to their position, or attending training or conferences.