Frequently Asked Questions Jobs-AmeriCorps Educational Awards Tell a Friend Contact Us AmeriCorps Educational Award In return for one year of service with Marin Conservation Corps, AmeriCorps members receive an educational award that may be used for higher education or to repay student loans. A member serving 1700 hours may earn $4,725, or 900 hours of service may earn $2,323.50. An AmeriCorps member may serve up to two years and earn two educational awards. You may use your educational award to repay qualified existing or future student loans, to pay all or part of the current cost of attending a qualified institution of higher education, or to pay current expenses while participation in an approved school to work program. You may use your education award at most institutions of higher education, including graduate and professional programs, as well as some vocational schools. To make sure the institution you want to attend is qualified, check with the financial aid office to see that they are a Title IV school before you make specific plans. Most post-secondary loans that are backed by the federal government are qualified for repayment with an AmeriCorps Education Award. Your lender should be able to tell you if your loan is qualified. Some qualified loans include Stafford Loans, William D. Ford Direct Loans, Supplemental Loans for Students, Perkins Loans, Federal Consolidated Loans, Primary Care Loans, Health Education Assistance Loans, and Nursing Student Loans. AmeriCorps educational awards will pay for the cost of attending college also. This may include tuition, room and board, books, supplies, transportation, and other various expenses. The financial aid office of each school has information on expenses for specific academic programs, and that office determines the cost of attendance for that school. You may use your educational award any time after you receive your voucher -- up to seven years after the date you ended your AmeriCorps service. You may apply for an extension if you are unavoidably prevented from using the sward during that time, or you perform another term of service in an approved program. The AmeriCorps educational awards are taxable in the year of use. For example, if you use all or part of your award for college in the Spring of 2002, when you file your 2002 taxes, you must pay taxes on the portion of the award you used. However, you may take advantage of the Hope Scholarship Credit, which provide AmeriCorps members with significant tax relief. To read more about AmeriCorps Educational Awards, go to www.cns.gov.

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