How does the AmeriCorps Education Award process work?

To qualify for a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award, an AmeriCorps member must successfully complete the required "term of service" for the program in which he or she is enrolled.

An Award can be used in the following ways:

To repay qualified student loans

To pay for CURRENT educational expenses--all or part of the cost of attending a qualified institution of higher education

The amount of an Award depends upon the length of service--whether the term of service is full-time or part-time. For more information, click here. Occasionally, a special program will be offered (for example, a summer program) that includes a "reduced part-time" award. The Award must be used within seven years of the completion of the national service and it can be divided up and used any way the AmeriCorps alum chooses, as long as it is for authorized expenditures, such as current educational expenses and payments on qualified student loans. The AmeriCorps alum must first authorize the payment and then you, the loan holder or school, must complete the rest of the information before sending the payment request back to the National Service Trust for payment. These payments will be made directly to the school or loan holder, not to the individual.