Segal AmeriCorps Education Award Frequently Asked Questions

Transcription

1 Segal AmeriCrps Educatin Award Frequently Asked Questins The Natinal Service Trust is a fund established by the Natinal and Cmmunity Service Act f It is used t pay fr AmeriCrps Educatin Awards and interest that accrues n qualified student lans fr thse wh have successfully cmpleted apprved terms f natinal service. The mney is kept in an accunt in the U.S. Treasury and is invested in Treasury securities. The Office f the Natinal Service Trust (frequently referred t as the Trust) is the ffice within the Crpratin fr Natinal and Cmmunity Service that manages all f the varius functins related t the Segal AmeriCrps Educatin Award and investments in the Natinal Service Trust Fund. The fllwing questins, listed by categry, are frequently asked f the Trust. Term Limitatins 1. Hw many terms f service may a member serve? It depends n the prgram in which the persn is serving. Here is a list f the maximum number f terms in which an AmeriCrps member can serve in the three apprved AmeriCrps prgrams. AmeriCrps State and Natinal 4 terms AmeriCrps VISTA 5 full year terms AmeriCrps NCCC 2 terms Fr AmeriCrps State and Natinal: each separate term is cunted as ne term, regardless f the minimum required hurs; this includes terms fr which a persn received a pr-rated award Fr VISTA: each term is fr ne year; Summer Assciate terms are nt included in the 5 year limit Fr NCCC: each term is cunted as ne term, including terms fr which a persn received a pr-rated award In additin t these limits n the number f terms that can be served, a member may receive n mre than the aggregate value f tw full-time educatin awards. See the sectin belw n Educatin Award Values. 1

2 2. D terms served prir t Octber 1, 2009, the effective date f the Serve America Act, cunt twards the limits fr serving in these three AmeriCrps prgrams? Yes. The Natinal and Cmmunity Service laws, as amended by the Serve America Act (SAA), d nt differentiate between awards received prir t the effective date and thse received after the effective date. Any term an individual has served in AmeriCrps in the past will cunt twards the term limits stated abve. Educatin Award Amunts 3. What is the maximum amunt f an educatin award? The maximum amunt f a full-time educatin award is equivalent t the maximum amunt f the Pell Grant fr the year fr which the natinal service psitin was apprved. T determine the amunt f an AmeriCrps educatin award, the Crpratin will use the amunt f the Pell Grant as f the first day f the Federal fiscal year (i.e., Octber 1st) in the fiscal year in which the natinal service psitin is apprved. Apprval f natinal service psitins is managed differently fr VISTA and NCCC members than fr AmeriCrps State and Natinal members. VISTA and NCCC members may be eligible fr a new amunt earlier than AmeriCrps State and Natinal members. T cnfirm the award amunt fr which yu are eligible, cntact yur prgram r prject spnsr. Fr natinal service psitins apprved in the 2014 fiscal year, the dllar amunt f a full-time educatin award is $5, Will the amunt f the award change? The dllar amunt f the award a member may receive fr cmpleting a term in an apprved natinal service psitin will change t crrespnd t the amunt f the Pell grant and may change every year. Hwever, nce an award is earned, the amunt des nt change t reflect future changes in the updated amunt f the Pell Grant. Awards earned in previus years will nt increase in value. 5. Des the amunt f an educatin award depend n the date a member begins serving, the date the member was enrlled by the prgram, r smething else? Fr all AmeriCrps members, the dllar amunt f the educatin award is based upn the fiscal year in which the Crpratin apprved the member s natinal service psitin. In accrdance with natinal service laws, funding fr educatin awards is bligated n different schedules fr the three prgrams--americrps VISTA, NCCC, and State and Natinal. Because f this, the dates that natinal service psitins are cnsidered t be apprved vary. 2

3 Yu can ask yur prgram r prject spnsr fr the amunt f the educatin award fr the psitin in which yu are serving. Educatin Award Values 6. What is the value f an educatin award and hw is it determined? The value f an educatin award is distinct frm the amunt f an award. The value f an educatin award refers t the service pprtunity ffered by a particular term f service, such as full-time, half-time, and summer terms f service. While the dllar amunt f an educatin award fr a particular term f service may change, the value f the award fr that term is cnstant. The value f a full-time award is always 1.0 ; the value f a half-time term is always.5. The value f every educatin award received is calculated by taking the actual amunt f the educatin award received fr the service and dividing it by the amunt f a full-time award in the fiscal year in which the natinal service psitin was apprved. The value f an educatin award received The amunt f the award received = (DIVIDED BY) The amunt f a full-time award in the fiscal year in which the natinal service psitin was apprved Fr example, an individual wh cmpleted a half-time term f service in 2008 received an educatin award f $2, The amunt f a full-time award in 2008 was $4,725. The value f this award is determined by the amunt received divided by the amunt f a full time award in the fiscal year. The value f this award is $ $4725 =.5 (r ½ using fractins). 7. Is there a limit n the value f educatin awards that an individual is eligible t receive? Yes. An individual may nt receive mre than the aggregate (r ttal) value f tw full time awards. 3

4 8. D educatin awards that were received prir t the effective date f the Serve America Act cunt tward the maximum value f educatin awards an individual may receive? Yes. The natinal service laws, as amended by the Serve America Act, d nt differentiate between awards received prir t the effective date and thse received after the Act s effective date. All awards, including thse earned in the past, will have values attributed t them fr the purpse f tracking the aggregate value f awards a persn has received. Thus, if an individual has received tw full-time educatin awards in the past, that persn is nt eligible t receive anther award. 9. Des the rule n calculating the aggregate value f an educatin award apply t awards received in all three AmeriCrps prgrams VISTA, NCCC, and State & Natinal? Yes. An individual cannt receive mre than the aggregate value f tw full-time educatin awards regardless f in which f the three AmeriCrps prgrams the awards are earned. 10. May an individual wh has already received the aggregate value f tw full-time educatin awards serve anther term in VISTA and receive a stipend fr the service? Yes. A persn wh has received the value f tw full-time educatin awards in VISTA may serve subsequent terms in VISTA up t the 5 year limit fr VISTA service. The individual can receive cash stipends upn successful cmpletin f each additinal terms. T cnfirm eligibility t serve additinal terms, members shuld cntact their prgram r prject spnsr. 11. What happens if a member wants t serve anther term but receiving the entire amunt f the award fr that term wuld cause the persn s aggregate value t exceed 2.0? An individual may receive n mre than the aggregate value f 2.0 full time educatin awards. A member may be eligible t receive a prtin f the award amunt fr serving an additinal term if the full amunt wuld cause the persn t exceed 2.0. The award amunt will be reduced (r discunted) t crrespnd t the remaining value f educatin awards the individual is eligible t receive. The individual must agree t serve the entire term f service in rder t receive the discunted amunt. If a persn is nly eligible t receive a discunted amunt, that amunt is determined using this frmula: 4

5 (2.0 [minus] the aggregate value f educatin awards the persn previusly received) x [times] (the amunt f a full-time educatin award in the year the natinal service psitin was apprved) Fr example, a member has received a half-time and a full-time educatin award. The aggregate value f the awards received is 1.5. S, the persn can receive up t the value f anther.5 award upn successful cmpletin f the entire term f service. The maximum discunted amunt f the educatin award the member can receive is.5 times the amunt f a full-time award apprved fr that fiscal year. In rder t receive the entire discunted amunt, the member must successfully cmplete the entire required term f service. 12. What happens if an individual wh is eligible t receive nly a discunted award amunt des nt cmplete the term f service but leaves early fr cmpelling persnal reasns? An individual must successfully cmplete the entire term f service in rder t receive an award fr the entire discunted amunt. If a member leaves service early and is eligible fr a prtin f the discunted amunt, the same rules apply as they d fr ther pr-rated educatin award amunts. The member must have served at 15% f the required term and must have left early fr cmpelling persnal reasns. The pr-rated amunt in this case is based upn the discunted award amunt. As an example, a member enrlls in a term f service ffering an award amunt f $ But the member is nly eligible t receive a discunted award amunt f $ based n the value f the educatin awards she has already received. The member agrees t the discunted amunt. If the member exits the term fr cmpelling persnal circumstances after having served 50% f the nrmal required term, the member will receive 50% f the $2,000.00, which is $1,

6 13. If an individual is nly eligible t receive an award fr a discunted amunt due t the value f educatin awards he had received earlier, can he enrll in VISTA, receive the discunted value f the educatin award, and receive a partial pst-service stipend crrespnding t the remainder f the term? N. An individual may nt receive bth an educatin award and a pst-service stipend fr the same term f service. 14. If a persn has already met the limit n the aggregate value f tw full-time educatin awards received, can the persn still enrll in anther term? What is a zer value educatin award? The persn may be eligible t enrll in additinal terms. Members wh have met the aggregate value f 2.0 educatin awards and are ineligible t earn additinal educatin awards may be eligible t serve additinal terms, as lng as the persn des nt exceed the term limit fr that type f AmeriCrps prgram. The persn can enrll in a term f service fr an educatin award with a zer dllar value. A zer value educatin award is an educatin award that has a mnetary dllar amunt f $0 and a crrespnding value f Are frbearance and interest payments available fr members serving in terms where they are earning zer-value educatin awards? Yes. Members wh serve apprved natinal service psitins fr zer-value educatin awards are eligible fr frbearance f their student lans and the payment f all r a prtin f the interest that accrued n qualified student lans while the persn was serving. The same cnditins and restrictins apply as fr members wh are earning educatin awards that have mnetary value. Using the Educatin Award 16. Fr what purpses can the educatin award be used? The educatin award can be used in ne f, r a cmbinatin f, the fllwing ways: T repay qualified student lans. T pay all r part f the current educatin expenses t attend eligible institutins f higher educatin (including certain vcatinal schls) and t pay ducatinal prgrams apprved under the G.I. Bills. 17. Which institutins are cnsidered eligible institutins? Eligible institutins are institutins f higher educatin (including graduate and prfessinal prgrams), as well as qualified vcatinal schls that currently participate in the Department f Educatin s Title IV student aid prgrams. An institutin is cnsidered a Title IV schl, if it has an agreement with the U.S. 6

7 Department f Educatin making its students eligible fr at least ne f the federally backed frms f financial assistance (such as Pell Grants, Perkins Lans, Staffrd Lans, Natinal Direct Lans, and Federal Cnslidated Lans). T make sure that an institutin is eligible, check with the financial aid ffice, business ffice, r veteran s affairs ffice f the institutin befre making specific plans. Legislatin enacted in 2009 expanded the use f the award t include enrlling in curses, prgrams f educatin, apprenticeships, and n jb training prgrams that have been apprved under the Mntgmery and the Pst 9/11 G.I. Bills. These are referred t as G.I. Bill apprved prgrams. If a G.I. apprved prgrams is nt ffered by a Title IV educatinal institutin, special rules apply. The next questin explains which members can use their awards at these prgrams. If an educatinal prgram is ffered by a schl that is bth GI-apprved and Title IV, anyne with an educatin award can use it fr that prgram, by virtue f it being a Title IV schl. 18. Hw can I find ut if I can use my educatin award at a GI-apprved prgram? Veterans may use their educatin awards at prgrams f educatin, curses, apprenticeships, and n-jb training prgrams that have been apprved by the Secretary f Veterans Affairs. Educatin awards can be used by nn-veterans nly during a narrw windw which depends n when the member s eligibility fr an award was certified (apprved) by authrized prgram staff. If a G.I. Bill apprved educatinal prgram is ffered by a Title IV schl, any individual with an educatin award can use the award fr that prgram because the schl is Title IV. Here are the rules fr using an award fr prgrams f educatin, curses, apprenticeships, and n-jb training that are apprved under the G.I. Bill, but the institutin ffering the prgram is nt a Title IV schl. These are referred t as GI- Only prgrams: An educatin award certified n December 23, 2011, and later, can be used fr GI-Only prgrams nly if the member is a veteran. An educatin award certified between Octber 1, 2009, and December 22, 2011, can be used by bth veterans and nn-veterans fr GI-Only prgrams. N educatin award that was certified prir t Octber 1, 2009, can be used fr a GI-Only prgram, even if the member is a veteran. 19. What types f lans can the educatin award repay? Mst pstsecndary lans backed by the federal gvernment are qualified fr repayment with a Segal AmeriCrps Educatin Award. This includes bth subsidized and unsubsidized lans. Als, lans that are made by state agencies, including state clleges and universities are cnsidered "qualified". 7

8 Qualified lans include: Staffrd Lans Perkins Lans William D. Frd Direct Lans Federal Cnslidated Lans Supplemental Lans fr Students Primary Care Lans Nursing Student Lans Health Educatin Assistance Lans Lans issued t AmeriCrps members by state agencies, including state institutins f higher educatin 20. What expenses are cnsidered t be current educatinal expenses? Educatin expenses are cnsidered current if they were incurred n r after the date the member began his r her term f AmeriCrps service. Eligible educatinal expenses are based n: The Cst f Attendance (COA) fr a degree r certificate-granting prgram at a Title IV schl. Educatinal expenses fr nn-degree curses, such as cntinuing educatin curses ffered by Title IV schls. Educatinal expenses fr enrllment in G.I. Bill apprved curses r prgrams. Each Title IV schl s financial aid ffice can determine a student s COA based upn standard U.S. Department f Educatin guidance. The COA may include tuitin, bks and supplies, transprtatin, rm and bard, and ther expenses. Fr nn-degree educatinal curses at Title IV schls, the apprpriate administrative ffice that versees the curse fr example a Business Office fr Cntinuing Educatin can determine the expenses necessary fr the curse. Nrmally it includes tuitin, bks, and supplies. Fr eligible individuals wh are enrlled in G.I. Bill apprved curses/prgrams, the schl s apprved Certifying Official fr VA curses determines the expenses based upn criteria develped by the U.S. Department f Veterans Affairs. 21. What is the perid f time in which the Segal-AmeriCrps Educatin Award can be used? A member may use the educatin award fr up t seven years after his r her last day f service. Fr a transferred award, the recipient f the transferred award can use it fr up t ten years frm the riginal award earner s service cmpletin date. In certain circumstances, the use perid may be extended if the member was unavidably prevented frm using the award. T be cnsidered fr an extensin, a member must apply fr an extensin befre the end f the seven year use perid. See the sectin n Extensins fr mre infrmatin. 8

9 22. D I have t make payments n my student lans while I m serving? A member may be eligible fr frbearance fr qualified student lans. During a perid f frbearance, the member will nt have t make payments, althugh interest cntinues t accumulate n the lans. If the lan was in frbearance, after the successfully cmpleted term, CNCS will pay all r a prtin f the interest that accrued n qualified student lans during the term f service. This payment amunt is in additin t the Segal AmeriCrps Educatin Award. Cntact yur lan hlder t see if yur student lan qualifies fr frbearance. If yu are eligible fr frbearance, it is apprved by the hlder f the lan, nt by AmeriCrps r the Natinal Service Trust. 23. Can a schl reimburse the member if he r she drps a curse, withdraws, r fails t cmplete a perid f enrllment and the institutin is nt entitled t the full amunt that was paid t it frm the member s educatin award? N. Federal law specifically addresses refunds made frm educatin awards fr withdrawal r failing t cmplete an enrllment fr which the educatin award was used. When a schl verifies a student s eligibility fr a payment, it agrees that any refund will be returned t the Crpratin cnsistent with the fair and equitable refund plicies required by the Higher Educatin Act. Refunds fr verpayments d nt g t members. If the award has nt expired, the refund will g back int the member s accunt and will be available fr future use. If it has expired, it will be returned t the Natinal Service Trust Fund. 24. Why was nly half f the payment I requested sent t my schl? By law, educatin award payments fr current educatinal expenses must be made in tw r mre installments, nne f which exceeds ½ f the amunt f the payment. The Crpratin makes tw installments, ne at the beginning f the enrllment perid upn which the amunt is based and the secnd at the middle f the enrllment perid. The schl prvides bth dates when they authrize and apprve a payment request. Fr example, if a schl determines that an individual is eligible t use $5,000 f an educatin award fr an entire schl year, the first payment (f $2,500) will be sent at the beginning f the schl year and the secnd payment (f $2,500) will be sent at the midpint f the schl year, accrding t the dates indicated by the schl. If the midpint date has passed, the entire amunt will be scheduled t be paid the next time payments are disbursed. Payments are generally made by the U.S. Treasury every Friday. Exceptins are arund hlidays and the end f the year. 9

10 25. What can I d abut a payment that I requested thrugh My AmeriCrps several mnths ag and the payment has been yet t be made? Yu shuld check the status f yur request in My AmeriCrps. If the schl r lan cmpany denied the request, they are required t enter their reasn. If the schl r lan cmpany has nt yet acted upn the request, yu shuld call them t inquire abut the delay. If a payment request has been made in My AmeriCrps and n actin has been taken after 90 days and there is n indicatin that the delay is being wrked upn by the Trust r the institutin, the payment may be cancelled. The Trust will investigate the payment request prir t cancellatin t see if it might be a duplicate f an earlier payment. The status f any payment requests in yur accunt that are cancelled by the Trust will indicate the status Cancelled and the reasn fr the cancellatin. 26. Wh can I cntact if I have additinal questins abut the Segal AmeriCrps Educatin Award? Yu can cntact the Natinal Service Htline at The Htline is staffed by custmer service representatives frm 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. EST, Mnday thrugh Thursday. During high vlume mnths---january, May, June, July, August, and September--the Htline will be staffed n Fridays. Yu can update yur address thrugh yur accunt in My AmeriCrps. Transferring Educatin Awards 27. What rules apply t a member wh earned an award and wants t transfer it? In rder t transfer an award, the transferring individual must: have been at least 55 years f age befre beginning the term f service upn which the award is based; have begun the term n r after Octber 1, 2009; transfer the award befre its expiratin date; have earned the Award in an apprved AmeriCrps State r Natinal Prgram; and ensure that the Crpratin receives the transfer request prir t the date the award expires. 28. What rules apply t the recipient f a transferred award? The recipient f a transferred award must: be the child (which includes step-child), grandchild (which includes stepgrandchild), r fster child f the transferring individual; be a citizen, natinal, r lawful permanent resident alien f the US; 10

11 have been designated as the recipient by a qualified educatin award-earner; and cmplete the required prcess fr accepting the award. 29. Can a persn wh has received an educatin award fr service in AmeriCrps NCCC r VISTA transfer his r her award? N. The legislatin authrizing award transfers limits transfers t apprved AmeriCrps State and Natinal r Silver Schlar psitins. AmeriCrps alumni with awards frm NCCC and VISTA service are nt able t transfer their awards. 30. Am I able t transfer sme f my award t a recipient nw and then transfer mre later if the persn needs an additinal amunt fr classes? N. An individual wh is eligible t transfer an award can nly make a single transfer fr that award. The transferring individual can transfer all r a prtin f the award t a designated recipient. But, fr each award, there can be nly ne transfer t ne individual. 31. If I ffer t transfer an award t an eligible recipient and the persn rejects the ffer, can I transfer it t anther recipient? If an eligible recipient rejects an ffer f a transferred award in full, the transferring individual may transfer the award t anther eligible recipient (r t the same recipient wh had rejected the ffer earlier), if the award has nt yet expired. Once an actual transfer takes place, n additinal transfers can be made frm that award. 32. Am I able t transfer half f an award t ne child and the ther half t anther child N. Fr each award, there can be nly ne transfer t ne individual. If yu have mre than ne award, yu may transfer all r part f each eligible award ne time t ne eligible recipient. 33. Why can t I transfer an award that I earned befre Octber 1, 2009? Octber 1, 2009 was the effective date f the prvisin in the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act that allwed awards t be transferred. Prir t that time, transfers were nt authrized. 34. I m thinking f transferring an award t my tw-year-ld granddaughter but it will expire befre she gets a chance t use it. Will she be able t get an extensin f the perid f time fr using the award based n the fact that she is t yung t use it? N. An individual wh is unable t use an educatin award as a result f being t yung will nt be cnsidered t be unavidably prevented frm using the award. While there is n minimum age fr a designated recipient, members wishing t transfer an award will be reminded at the time they request a transfer that extensins based upn age will nt be granted. 11

12 35. If the recipient f a transferred award serves in an apprved AmeriCrps prgram during the transferred award s use perid, can the recipient apply fr an extensin f time t use the transferred award? Yes. The recipient f a transferred award has ten years t use the award beginning n the date the relative earned the award. If the recipient f the award serves in an apprved AmeriCrps prgram during the transferred award s ten-year use perid, the recipient is eligible t receive an extensin f the use perid fr the transferred award. The extensin will be fr a perid f time equivalent t the recipient s wn AmeriCrps service. 36. Instead f transferring an award can a member with an award simply create a request t have a payment sent frm the member s wn educatin award accunt t pay fr the relative s educatinal expenses r lan payment? N. A transfer cannt be made using the payment prcess. Individuals wh have earned educatin awards cannt make payments frm their awards fr anyne s educatinal expenses r student lans ther their wn. The nly way an individual can have any prtin f their educatin award transferred t anther persn is thrugh the fficial award transfer prcess. And the transfer must meet all f the cnditins that apply t transfers. A transfer cnsists f an ffer being made by an eligible transferring individual t an eligible recipient using the Request fr Transfer prcess. The recipient must accept the ffer fr the transfer t be cmplete. Once the transfer is cmplete, the recipient is able t use the transferred funds t make payments t qualified and eligible institutins. 37. Can an eligible individual transfer an educatin award nline using the My AmeriCrps prtal? Eligible members are able t transfer their educatin awards using the My AmeriCrps prtal. Frm a member s Hme Page, click n the Create Transfer Request ptin and fllw the instructins. Taxes 38. Is the educatin award taxable? Yes. The educatin award is cnsidered taxable incme in the year it is used. Fr example, if a member uses all r part f the educatin award fr cllege in the fall f 2013, that member must include as taxable incme the prtin f the award that was used that year when he r she files 2013 taxes. The Crpratin fr Natinal and Cmmunity Service (CNCS) des nt withhld taxes frm the award. 12

13 By the end f January each year, the Crpratin sends a 1099 MISC Frm t all AmeriCrps members fr whm payments have been made ttaling $ r mre during the previus year. These include bth payments frm educatin awards and payments f interest that accrued while the persn was serving. The 1099 MISC Frm reflects the amunt that CNCS reprts as taxable miscellaneus incme t the IRS. 39. What is the difference between W2 and 1099 frms? W-2s are used t reprt t the IRS that prtin f the living allwance r stipend that is taxable. It is nt used fr reprting the amunt f the educatin award used. Frm 1099 MISC is used t reprt t the IRS educatin award and interest payments that were made. AmeriCrps State and Natinal members receive their W-2s frm the prgram where they served. AmeriCrps VISTA and AmeriCrps NCCC members receive their W-2s frm the Crpratin fr Natinal and Cmmunity Service. My AmeriCrps 40. D I have t use the n-line My AmeriCrps system t request payments? In rder t minimize a delay in the prcessing f Segal AmeriCrps Educatin Award payments, individuals must request payments electrnically using the n-line system, My AmeriCrps. This is a user friendly, secure, and fast methd t request that a payment be made frm yur accunt t qualified schls and lan hlders. It als prvides an electrnic recrd f payments requested and made and their current status. There are n frms t mail r get lst! The Crpratin fr Natinal and Cmmunity Service cannt guarantee the prmpt prcessing f payments when paper frms are used. Payments requested by paper culd take up t six mnths r mre t prcess and they are less secure. It is fast and easy t access yur accunt in the My AmeriCrps prtal. T register in My AmeriCrps r t lg int yur accunt, g t Des the My AmeriCrps prtal shw members and prgrams the value f educatin awards that a member has already earned? Yes. Frm a member s Hme Page, click n My Educatin Award in the bx n the left. In the next screen, under Accunt Statement Award Infrmatin, the Award Value f each educatin award received is listed in the table. Als, when a prgram enrlls an individual int a psitin, the enrllment screen will shw the aggregate value f awards earned. A statement similar t this will appear n the screen: This member has served 2 previus term f service earning the value f 1.5 fulltime educatin awards ut f a maximum pssible tw full-time awards (2.0). 13

14 Extensins 42. Fr what reasn may a request fr an extensin t the 7- r 10-year use perid be apprved? The Crpratin may grant an applicatin fr an extensin under the fllwing circumstances: The individual served a subsequent term f service in anther apprved natinal service psitin that fell within the use perid f a previus educatin award. The individual served in Peace Crps r in the military during the award s use perid. The individual was unavidably prevented frm using the educatin award during the award s use perid. Examples f situatins that may warrant an extensin under this categry include, but are nt limited t: The individual s serius illness r disability The death r serius illness r disability f smene in the individual s immediate family (mther, father, spuse, child, sibling, grand parent, grandchild) The destructin r inaccessibility f imprtant service recrds maintained by the prgram Natural disasters, such as flds, fires, hurricanes, trnades A term f service where a VISTA receives a stipend rather than an educatin award des nt fall under the definitin f apprved term f natinal service and is nt cnsidered a reasn fr granting an extensin. 43. Aside frm the reasn fr the extensin, what ther criteria must exist in rder fr the request t be cnsidered? The award must have an unspent balance. The reasn fr the extensin ccurred during the use perid f the subject educatin award. The award hlder must apply fr an extensin in writing; the applicatin must be submitted t the Crpratin prir t the date the award expires. There was n previus extensin f the award fr any reasn. Only ne extensin is allwed per award. The individual must prvide dcumentatin t supprt the reasn, unless it is fr having served in anther apprved term f natinal service. Dcumentatin can include items such as death certificates and letters frm dctrs. The reasn fr the extensin was nt already used t extend the use perid fr a previus educatin award. 44. What is the length f time that an award can be extended? Fr serving subsequent apprved terms f natinal service, including Peace Crps and military service: the length f the extensin will be equivalent t the time perid f the subsequent service, up t a ttal use perid f 10 years. 14

15 Fr being unavidably prevented frm using the award: the length f the extensin will be ne year. 45. What are sme examples f reasns that wuld nt meet the criteria and cnditins? The persn was incarcerated as a result f a cnvictin f a criminal ffense. The individual was emplyed, even if the psitin was with a nn-prfit cmmunity service rganizatin. The individual had a busy 7-year perid with many activities, didn t get arund t using the award, and is nw ready t use it. The individual frgt t use the award r lst it. The individual claims that he r she did nt receive the award expiratin ntice frm the Crpratin. The individual served anther term r was seriusly ill during a time that did nt fall within the use perid f the educatin award. The applicatin fr an extensin was nt submitted t the Natinal Service Trust until after the award s expiratin date. Pregnancy and child birth 46. If the recipient f a transferred award serves in an apprved natinal service prgram during the transferred award s use perid, can the persn apply fr an extensin f time t use the transferred award? Yes. The recipient f a transferred award has ten years t use the award beginning n the date the relative earned the award. If the recipient f the award serves in an apprved natinal service (AmeriCrps) prgram during the transferred award s tenyear use perid, the recipient is eligible t receive an extensin f the use perid fr the transferred award. The extensin will be fr a perid f time equivalent t the recipient s wn AmeriCrps service. 47. Can I mail in a request fr an extensin r d I have t use the nline system, My AmeriCrps? Yu are strngly encuraged t use the nline system t request an extensin. Thse requests are prcessed faster and there will be n dispute whether r when the request was submitted by the member a critical pint in determining timely submissin. Yu can attach supprting dcuments t yur nline request and there will always be a recrd f the actins that were taken. Hwever, yu may als mail, fax, r a request t the Trust, alng with supprting dcuments. It must be submitted t the Trust prir t yur award s expiratin date and there must be a recrd f the date it was submitted, such as a pstmark. Requests submitted thrugh My AmeriCrps autmatically track the submissin date. 15