SCA AmeriCorps Program Overview - Student Conservation Association

Many positions at SCA are AmeriCorps eligible and as part of their SCA experience. Most members are offered the option to enroll in the AmeriCorps program. When you choose to serve in an SCA AmeriCorps program, you become an AmeriCorps member in addition to an SCA member. All you need to do is follow a few additional paperwork and easily attainable program requirements and commit to completing a minimum number of hours for your internship.

Watch this video to see how joining the SCA AmeriCorps program demonstrates your commitment to national service.

During the position, SCA AmeriCorps members receive benefits such as:

Student Loan Forbearance
Health Insurance Option (only applies to members serving 1700-hr Full Time award terms)
Child Care Benefit (if applicable)
Attending AmeriCorps State Service conferences and workshops that are a great addition to professional development and your resume

SCA AmeriCorps members, upon successful completion of service, will receive education funds to pay towards:

Qualified Federal student loans (not applicable to private loans)
Graduate or undergraduate tuition
Educational expenses for qualified enrichment classes

Awards are good for 7 years, so even if you aren’t enrolled in school you can save it for when you need it!

AmeriCorps Education Awards are made possible by a grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). SCA has a limited number of spots in AmeriCorps each year; therefore, the option to enroll in AmeriCorps is on a first-come first-serve basis. Find out more about the AmeriCorps Education Award on the CNCS website, and learn all about SCA’s AmeriCorps Education Award Program below:

Program Eligibility

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

Be selected into an AmeriCorps eligible SCA position
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 (unless part of the Summer Opportunity Affiliate Program, which requires participants to be at least 14 years old)
Have a high school diploma or agree to obtain a high school diploma or its equivalent before using the award
Provide a U.S. address (for background checks) and pass the AmeriCorps criminal history review

For those who have serving in AmeriCorps previously (with SCA or another participating organization) must:

Have served in AmeriCorps no more than 3 times (AmeriCorps terms are limited to 4) and received no more than the equivalent of two full-time, 1700-hour awards.
Have performed satisfactorily in any previous terms of service.

Award Sizes

Education Awards are offered based on award availability and the length of your term of service.

Upon Confirmation of Acceptance, you are enrolled in one of the below awards (updated annually):

$1,374.60 – 300 minimum service hours for positions 8 – 11 weeks
$1,718.25 – 450 minimum service hours for positions 12 – 16 weeks
$2,474.27 – 675 minimum service hours for positions 17 – 22 weeks
$3,247.50 – 900 minimum service hours for positions 23 – 30 weeks
$4,546.50 – 1200 minimum service hours for positions 31 – 43 weeks
$6,495.00 – 1700 minimum service hours for positions of 44 – 52 weeks

In order to receive your education award, you must complete the entire length of your service term and serve your minimum required hours. For details about the AmeriCorps Education Award, visit AmeriCorps Education Award FAQs on the AmeriCorps website.

Hour Requirements

In order to fulfill the requirements for SCA AmeriCorps and receive your education award at the conclusion of your position, you must complete the entire length of your service and the minimum hours agreed to in your SCA AmeriCorps Member Agreement. Most members exceed the minimum required hours.

If you don’t believe you’ll meet the hours or if you’ll be working more hours, SCA has 90 days to upgrade from start date and 30 days to downgrade from start date. SCA cannot downgrade or upgrade an AmeriCorps award size after you have finished service.

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/personal compelling circumstance that results in your early departure. *Please note: Early departures may result in loss of award and are handled on a case by case basis.*

Time Logs

SCA uses Time Logs to track your service hours throughout your position, it is your responsibility to track your service hours to make sure that you reach the minimum required hours offered in your Confirmation of Acceptance and agreed to in your SCA AmeriCorps Member Agreement. All SCA members are expected to submit their Time Logs on a weekly basis. If backcountry service limits computer access, please update your SCA advisor. Output Logs are completed as you finish specific hitches or projects or on a regular basis to sum up accomplishments in one work category over a period of time.

Annual leave/PTO, sick leave, and holiday non-work hours are counted as zero and must still be reported as zero hours. The pay schedule will not be affected unless it passes 7 days of non-working hours, then a service interruption will be put in place. Non-working hours will affect the total hours needed for the AmeriCorps award, please plan accordingly with your site supervisor.

For more information on navigating Time Logs and Output Logs visit the Intern Resource Page.

Mid and End-of-Term Evaluations

As an AmeriCorps member you are required to have a completed and satisfactory End-of-Term Evaluation on file. Members enrolled in 1700-hr, 1200-hr, and 900-hr AmeriCorps Education Awards also need a Mid-Term Evaluation and Final Evaluation completed by their supervisor. These evaluations are completed online and are distributed to your position supervisor by email as part of the regular communications between SCA and your site. Please make sure your supervisor completes these at the end of your position.

AmeriCorps Uniform

Members enrolled in the Education Award Program will receive an AmeriCorps labeled uniform as well as an embroidered patch and AmeriCorps button. Please proudly identify yourself as an AmeriCorps member by wearing these as part of your uniform!

SCA AmeriCorps Member Sign

Looking for a way to highlight your SCA AmeriCorps service at your site? Download and post our SCA AmeriCorps Member Serves Here sign to show your support!

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.

You will receive an official “AmeriCorps Enrollment Welcome” email with details about the AmeriCorps Education Award Program during your 1st week in the field. This email confirms your enrollment in the AmeriCorps Program, and at that time you will be able to request forbearance through your MyAmeriCorps account. Click here to learn about the process. For more information, visit the CNCS website.

Member Assistance Program (MAP)

AllOne Health provides members support with life coaching, legal referral, crisis intervention, medical advocacy, and work life service. Available 24/7, you can reach them at them at 800-451-1834. If logging in, use code: AmeriCorps.
Click here to view the orientation slides.

Grievances and Incidents

Please contact SCA with issues related to your service assignment, training, supervision, or housing as early as possible

First, attempt to settle the problem with the other party on a one-on-one basis.
If this attempt is unsuccessful, attempt to settle the problem by involving your supervisor.
If involving your supervisor is unsuccessful, attempt to solve the problem by working with your SCA Member Advisor. Your Member Advisor will facilitate conversation between your supervisor and/or additional SCA staff to assist in moving the issue to resolution.
If your Member Advisor is unable to resolve the issue, your Member Advisor will bring the issue to SCA program management and identify a resolution based on the details of the specific situation.
If you determine that this resolution is unsatisfactory, you may write to the Operations Director for your program outlining the issue and your requested resolution. This letter must be submitted within 30 days of the initial issue.
In 99.9% of situations the above process will resolve all issues. If necessary, you have the right to a Formal Resolution Procedure which is outlined in your SCA AmeriCorps Member Agreement (found in your MySCA account).

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 activities 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.
Raising funds for living allowances or for an organization’$s general operating expenses or endowment
Writing a grant application to any federal agency
Collecting fees, selling items, or participating in any money-handling duties on behalf of the agency with which you serve

You are welcome to engage in any of these activities as a private citizen on your own time.

Taxes

All SCA AmeriCorps members will have federal income tax deducted from their allowances, including living, housing and travel. You will be able to access your W-2 form in your PayCom account. Note: Your education award will be taxed in the year that you use the funds. AmeriCorps will mail you a 1099-Misc form in January for the preceding year.

Visit the page for Onboarding for SCA AmeriCorps Members

Visit the page for End of Term Wrap-Up for SCA AmeriCorps Members