AmeriCorps Education Awards

SCA receives a grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service to administer an AmeriCorps Education Award program for our Conservation Interns.

This grant allows SCA members to choose to apply to become AmeriCorps members during their service. SCA AmeriCorps members complete additional program requirements and in exchange are eligible to receive an AmeriCorps Education Award, which can be used to pay qualified student loans or current educational expenses.

SCA AmeriCorps members sign a contract pledging that they will serve full-time throughout their term of service and complete a minimum number of service hours determined by the length of their service. Interns who enroll as AmeriCorps members must complete specific program requirements, including enrollment and exit paperwork, submission of 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:

• $1,132      300 minimum service hours
• $1,415      450 minimum service hours
• $2,675      900 minimum service hours
• $5,350      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 timesheets. 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 timesheets, have a supervisor sign them, and return them to SCA. Interns starting March 1, 2010 or later will fill out SCA Service Logs. AmeriCorps members use SCA Service Logs for tracking AmeriCorps Education Award service hours. AmeriCorps members should complete online service logs and have a printout of service logs approved by their supervisor at the end of each month. Specific details for AmeriCorps members are available on the Selected site.  

Members should read the step-by-step instructions in the SCA Service Logs Quick Start Guide and detailed Service Logs Member FAQ. Please contact your Conservation Internship representative with questions.

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. For details of what defines compelling personal circumstances, see FAQ.F below.
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. In addition to regular expectations of SCA supervisors and coordinators, sites hosting SCA AmeriCorps members have a few additional responsibilities to ensure compliance under AmeriCorps regulations and ensure that SCA continues to participate in this important program.

As a supervisor of an SCA AmeriCorps member, please make sure you are willing to:

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

2. Approve and sign member timesheets. It is the member’s responsibility to complete a timesheets, have a supervisor sign them, and return them to SCA.

3. Verify that member service hours do not include prohibited activities. Members may not count as service or training hours any time spent conducting activities prohibited by the Corporation for National and Community Service. See FAQ.H below for a list of prohibited activities. Members may participate in these activities as private citizens on non-SCA/AmeriCorps time.

4. Complete end-of-term evaluations and mid-term evaluations (if applicable). All SCA AmeriCorps members need completed end-of-term evaluations on file. Members enrolled in 1700-hr and 900-hr AmeriCorps Education Awards also need a completed mid-term evaluation. These evaluations will be distributed by SCA in electronic format.

5. Support 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.

6. Support members to complete their service commitment and minimum hours. Except in compelling personal circumstances, as outlined under FAQ.F, 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 and advise members on compelling personal circumstances and the process as outlined under FAQ.F

7. 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. These hours can be recorded on their AmeriCorps timesheets under “Training/Education”. For more information, see FAQ.I below.

Questions?

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

A. 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.

B. 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. This is not considered a compelling personal circumstance eligible for a pro-rated education award.

C. 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.

D. What if an intern is sick or injured?

If an extended injury or illness prevents a member from completing any service or training hours for a week or more, please contact your Program Representative. If the illness or injury will prevent a member from completing his or her service, the intern may be eligible for a pro-rated AmeriCorps Education Award based on compelling personal circumstances.

E. How can an intern receive a pro-rated education award?

Members are eligible for a pro-rated education award if they leave for compelling personal circumstances as defined below under FAQ F below. Compelling personal circumstance determinations are made by the SCA National Office in coordination with sites.

When you contact SCA about a change in dates, please let us know whether the situation should be considered compelling personal circumstances. Your Program Representative will gather details from you. As part of their end-of-service paperwork members will be asked to submit a statement in writing that outlines their request for release for compelling personal circumstances.

F. What are compelling personal circumstances?

The compelling personal circumstances allow for a member to receive a pro-rated education 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.

G. 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.

H. What activities are prohibited by the Corporation for National and Community Service?

While accumulating service or training hours, or otherwise performing activities supported by the AmeriCorps program or the Corporation, staff and members may not engage in the following activities:

• Attempting to influence legislation;
• Organizing or engaging in protests, petitions, boycotts, or strikes;
• Assisting, promoting, or deterring union organizing; Impairing existing contracts for services or collective bargaining agreements;
• Engaging in partisan political activities, or other activities designed to influence the outcome of an election to any public office;
• Participating in, or endorsing, events or activities that are likely to include advocacy for or against political parties, political platforms, political candidates, proposed legislation, or elected officials;
• Engaging in religious instruction, conducting worship services, providing instruction as part of a program that includes mandatory religious instruction or worship, constructing or operating facilities devoted to religious instruction or worship, maintaining facilities primarily or inherently devoted to religious instruction or worship, or engaging in any form of religious proselytization;
• Members may not provide a direct benefit to a business organized for profit, a labor union, or a partisan political organization.
• Staff and member may not engage in voter registration drives.
• The grantee may not use grant funds to conduct a voter registration drive.
• AmeriCorps members may not raise funds for living allowance or for an organization's general (as opposed to project) operating expenses or endowment.
• Members may not write a grant application to the Corporation or to any other Federal agency.

Members may exercise their rights as private citizens and may participate in the activities listed above on their initiative, on non-AmeriCorps time, and using non-Corporation funds. Individuals should not wear the AmeriCorps logo while doing so. 

I. How do I know if there are nearby AmeriCorps events my interns can participate in?

Nearly every state in the U.S. has a state commission on national and community service. These state service commissions are valuable resources for members and offer “life after service” trainings and opportunities to connect with other AmeriCorps members at service days such as the MLK Day of Service.

The SCA National Office staff will contact your state’s service commission to let them know there are AmeriCorps members serving with you. The SCA AmeriCorps Education Award Program manager will contact members as training opportunities and events arise. Please support members to attend these events and network with other AmeriCorps national service members as schedules permit.

J. What is the grievance procedure for SCA’s AmeriCorps members?

Under the terms of SCA’s agreement with the Corporation for National and Community Service, SCA is required to outline an informal and formal resolution procedure for grievances. This process is outlined below for your information:

Informal Resolution Procedure:

•           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 representative or program manager.
•           If this attempt is unsuccessful, address the issue with the Program Director.
•           If the problem is not resolved by involving the Program Director, arrange a meeting with SCA Leadership.

Formal Resolution Procedure
In the event that informal efforts to resolve the dispute are unsuccessful, the Formal Resolution Procedure is open to AmeriCorps members, labor unions, and other interested individuals. The following procedures are not limited to any subject matter but may include issues such as assignments, evaluations, suspensions, or release for cause; and issues related to non-selection of members, displacement of employees, or duplication of activities by AmeriCorps.

Alternative Dispute Resolution
Alternative Dispute Resolution will be initiated within 45 calendar days of the alleged occurrence. The process will be aided by a neutral party and the neutral party will not compel the resolution. The proceeding will be informal, and the rules of evidence will not apply. With the exception of the written agreement, the proceedings will be confidential. If the matter is resolved, the terms of the resolution will be recorded in a written agreement, and the Member agree to forego filing any formal grievance on the matter under consideration. At the initial session of the dispute resolution proceedings, the Member will be advised in writing of the right to file a formal grievance and right to arbitration. If the matter is not resolved within 30 calendar days from the date the informal dispute resolution process began, the aggrieved party will be informed in writing of the right to file a formal grievance.

Grievance Hearing
The aggrieved party must make a written request to a grievance hearing to the Program Director. Except for a grievance that alleges fraud or criminal activity, a request for a hearing must be made within one year after the date of the alleged occurrence. The grievance must clearly outline the matter of concern or dissatisfaction and indicate the personal relief requested. Personal relief means a specific remedy directly benefiting you, but you may not include a request for disciplinary action for another Member, agency or SCA employee.

The Program Director will arrange and conduct one more pre-hearing conferences at a time mutually convenient to the parties. Pre-hearing conferences are not a substitute for a hearing. They are intended to facilitate a mutually agreeable resolution of the matter to make a hearing unnecessary or to narrow the issues to be decided at a hearing. The format of pre-hearing conferences may be flexible, involving meeting with one party at a time and/or with both parties together.

If a hearing is held on a formal grievance, it will be conducted no later than 30 calendar days after the filing. A decision on any such filed grievance will be made no later than 60 days after filing. The neutral party will not be involved in the formal grievance process. Communications or proceedings of the alternative dispute resolution process will not be referred to or introduced into evidence at the grievance or arbitration hearing.

Binding Arbitration
The filing party may submit the grievance to binding arbitration if the decision of the hearing is adverse to the grievance, or if no decision has been reached in 60 days. A qualified arbitrator will be jointly selected and independent of the interested parties. If the parties cannot agree on an arbitrator within 15 calendar days after receiving a request from one of the parties, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) will appoint an arbitrator.

An arbitration proceeding will be held no later than 45 calendar days after the request for arbitration, or 30 calendar days after an arbitrator is appointed by CNCS. An arbitration decision will be made no later than 30 calendar days after the arbitration commences.

The cost of the arbitration proceeding will be divided evenly between the parties to the arbitration. If the Member, labor organization, or other interested individual prevails under a binding arbitration proceeding, the Student Conservation Association will pay the total cost of the proceeding and the attorney’s fees of the prevailing party.

K. Can my members participate in fundraising activities?

No, members are not allowed to write grants or raise funds for an organization's general operating expenses or endowment.

The only kind of fundraising that members are allowed to do is fundraising directly in support of their particular project. Examples of allowable activities:
•           Seeking donations (in the form of in-kind materials or dollars) for a specific project they are carrying out as an AmeriCorps member.
•           Write a grant to a foundation for funds for a specific project they’re carrying out, such as a community clean-up.

Allowable fundraising activities must add up to no more than 10% of the member’s total hours.