The AmeriCorps education award
The Segal AmeriCorps Education Award is money for school that you earn by finishing a term of national service. Here is how the award is earned, what it can pay for and how to send it to a college.
Earning the award through service
AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service, funds the award through a trust it manages. Members earn it by completing a full term of service with an AmeriCorps program, such as a local State and National program, a team-based NCCC program or a VISTA assignment.
The value of a full-time award is tied to the maximum Pell Grant for the year your term is approved, and part-time and shorter terms earn a set fraction of it. VISTA members usually choose at the end of service between the education award and a cash stipend, so read that choice carefully before you sign.
Each program sets its own age and background rules, and NCCC takes members from 18 to 26. During service, members also receive a modest living allowance, which is separate from the education award.
What the money can cover
You can use the award for current costs at a college that takes part in federal student aid, including tuition and some approved training programs. It can also go toward qualified student loans you already hold.
Some colleges add their own scholarship for students who finished an AmeriCorps term. Ask the admissions or aid office whether yours does, since those awards come from the college's budget and follow its rules.
The trust does not give the money to you directly.
Sending the award and the time limits
The trust does not give the money to you directly. You request a payment through your My AmeriCorps account, the college confirms the charges, and the funds go straight to the school or the loan holder.
Most members have seven years from the end of their term to use the award. A member who was 55 or older when the term began may transfer it to a child, grandchild or foster child, under rules the agency publishes. A person can earn awards worth no more than two full-time awards over a lifetime.
Taxes and your aid offer
The award counts as taxable income in the year a payment is made, and AmeriCorps sends a form showing the amount. Tell the aid office when you plan to use it, because it pays toward your cost of attendance alongside the other aid on your offer.
Steps to take this week
- Log in to My AmeriCorps and check your award balance
- Note the date your award expires
- Ask your college whether it adds a scholarship for AmeriCorps members
- Tell the aid office before you request a payment
Who decides
AmeriCorps and your college's financial aid office
The education award is earned through service, paid straight to a school or loan holder, and taxed in the year you use it.
