Center for Engaged Learning

AmeriCorps Education Awards

What is AmeriCorps?

AmeriCorps provides thousands of Americans of all ages and backgrounds with Education Awards in exchange for community service. Students participating in the program apply their skills and ideals toward helping others and meeting critical needs in the community. In addition, full-time members who complete their service earn a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award to pay for college or graduate school, or to pay back qualified student loans.

WSU areas of focus include:

Education

Healthy Futures

Capacity Building

 

How does it work?

Students engage in service activities and report time and progress to a supervisor. The hours accumulate over the course of 12 months. At the end of 300 or 450 hours, students exit the program and receive the scholarship. Awards are not given for partial terms.

There are two Education Award amounts, each correlating to service terms:

2022 - 2023 Education Award Amounts

300 hours in 12 months = $1,342
450 hours in 12 months = $1,678
 

2023 - 2024 Education Award Amounts

300 hours in 12 months = $1,565.08
450 hours in 12 months = $1,956.35
 

Am I eligible?

Eligible applicants must:

  • Be a student at WSU
  • Be 17 years of age or older
  • Have a high school diploma or GED (or obtain one during the year of service)
  • Be a U.S. Citizen or Resident Alien
  • Pass an FBI background and National Sex Offender Registry check

How do I sign up?

  • Find a focus field that fits your interest: Education, Healthy Futures, or Capacity Building. Contact CCEL for field descriptions in the area you would like to pursue.
  • CCEL is the designated Campus Coordinator for AmeriCorps at Weber State. You will need a Site Supervisor to approve your field hours. Do you already have one? Contact americorps@uhean.org to help coordinate who this may be.
  • The SITE where you will be volunteering will need to have a Qualified Site Contract filled out with AmeriCorps. Is there already one for your site? (If you are unsure, contact CCEL, your Site Supervisor, or check here: uhean.org/activesites)
  • Will you be enrolling in a 300-hour term or a 450-hour term? (300 hours = $1,342; 450 hours = $1,678)
  • Now you are ready to attend an orientation. The Utah AmeriCorps office (UHEAN) can help you find the next available orientation at americorps@uhean.org. 
  • You will receive an email asking for your “Enrollment Information”. (Be sure to fill it out BEFORE you get your fingerprints.)
  • AmeriCorps requires a background check for all members before you begin service. Please ask americorps@uhean.org to learn about the best way to have your background check done as soon as possible so it won’t hold up your service. (AmeriCorps will pay for it!)
  • After you complete the orientation, americorps@uhean.org will send you a link to a quiz-- be watching your email. (Take it as soon as possible, feel free to take it multiple times to get 80% if needed.)
  • Americorps@uhean.org will also send a Position Description to your email in Adobe Sign. Please fill it out, sign it, and it will forward automatically to your Site Supervisor to sign, then to your Campus Coordinator (CCEL).
  • Once you receive an 80% or above on the quiz the Utah AmeriCorps office (UHEAN) will get started on creating two profiles for you. While you wait you can do a couple of things:
    • Be sure you've signed your Position Description in Adobe Sign.
    • Get your Driver License number and expiration date to americorps@uhean.org.
    • Watch for emails from UHEAN and AmeriCorps (IPT)
  • You will be asked to create an account for the Utah AmeriCorps database called IPT, where you will find your enrollment forms to e-sign. (Click on"Detail" then "Forms" then "View" to sign.) (This is also where you will fill out and e-sign your monthly service hour records and progress reports.)  
  • You will also receive an email asking you to create an account in the National AmeriCorps database, or your “AmeriCorps Portal”. (You will use this database to track and use your education award money after you complete your term and, if desired, to ask for loan forbearance at the beginning of your term.)
  • You will need BOTH accounts: IPT & your AmeriCorps Portal

When everything is done and your fingerprints are scheduled, you will be enrolled on the next enrollment date. There are two every month on the 1st & the 15th. You can begin counting your hours after you are fully enrolled.

Contact UHEAN at americorps@uhean.org

I'm a member, now what?

As a member, you will turn in the last month’s Monthly Service Hour Record and Monthly Progress and Demographic Reporting forms on the first day of each month. There are video tutorials if you forget how to fill them out on UHEAN.org. You will also help endorse a culture of volunteerism in your community by recruiting five (5) volunteers to serve one (1) hour each during your term. Learn more about the Volunteer Mobilization Project here. Let CCEL know a week or two before you finish your hours so we can start your exiting process and get your award processing as quickly as possible. And please always feel free to reach out to americorps@uhean.org if you ever have any questions or issues.

  • Complete both monthly forms in the state database runIPT.com 
  • If desired, you can request loan forbearance in your my.americorps.gov account. Don't wait! This needs to be done at the beginning of your term.

I'm ready to exit, how do I do that?

  • Let americorps@uhean.org know you are ready to exit and schedule an appointment to go over your monthly forms and fix any errors.
  • Have your Site Supervisor complete your End-of-Term Evaluation (UHEAN will give you the link)
  • UHEAN will have you fill out exit forms in IPT and your portal.
  • Watch for an email from UHEAN when your exit is successful, and from my.americorps.gov when your award is posted to your account.
  • Use your my.americorps.gov to request your award. (If you have questions, reach out to americorps@uhean.orgor the Cashier’s Office-- cashiers@weber.edu.)
  • For problems with the portal, visit the AmeriCorps hotline americorps.gov/contact

***If necessary, all enrollments & exits impacted by COVID-19 may be processed remotely through email and will use electronic or digital signatures or scans of real signatures. You will be notified if this is the process that will be used. Otherwise, refer to the steps above.***

More information:

For questions or more information, please contact UHEAN at americorps@uhean.org