Office of Monitoring

Created Sept. 28, 2023

Produced and published at US taxpayer expense.

Getting Started with NSCHC Resources

Complying with National Service Criminal History Check (NSCHC) requirements is an important part of 

administering your AmeriCorps grant. These resources and steps are recommended starting points for 

new grantees or new project staff involved in conducting NSCHC. Resources are available or linked 

on the NSCHC webpage unless otherwise noted. This is not an exhaustive list. Please see the NSCHC 

webpage and NSCHC Learning Path in Litmos for current guidance documents and resources. 

1. Review the regulations at 45 CFR §§ 2540.200 - 207 and NSCHC language in your General and

Program Grant Terms and Conditions.

2. Complete the NSCHC Required Annual e-Course in Litmos.

• The e-Course provides an overview of the requirements and is just a starting point. Grant terms and 

conditions require that at least one staff person responsible for NSCHC compliance complete this ecourse annually. We recommend that any staff involved in the NSCHC process take the course.

3. Review the NSCHC Manual.

• This key document provides additional guidance on NSCHC requirements and includes a 

documentation checklist. This manual also outlines the NSCHC monitoring and enforcement 

strategy: AmeriCorps enforces cost disallowance for noncompliance with the NSCHC regulations.

4. Decide which AmeriCorps approved source(s) you will use and review appropriate manual(s). 

Or, if you are a new staff to an existing program, review manual(s) for the source(s) your 

program already uses: Using NSOPW and State Repositories Manual and Using AmeriCorpsApproved Vendors Truescreen and Fieldprint Manual.

• There are two approved sources for each of the three check components. Use of any other source is 

not compliant with the regulation. AmeriCorps provides separate manuals specific to which 

approved source you use. Both manuals have their own FAQ sections specific to conducting checks 

through those sources. If you use a combination of approved sources, you will need both manuals.

• See ‘Additional Approved Vendor Resources’ section below if using Truescreen/Fieldprint.

5. Review the NSCHC Steps Table to confirm the process.

• This resource lists procedural steps, start to finish. It can be helpful if you need to learn where to begin 

or to confirm you have all the steps covered after reviewing the necessary manuals.

6. Review Recommendations for Effective Policies and Procedures to create a policy or evaluate 

your existing policy.

• This resource lists minimum content to include in your program’s policies. We recommend all 

grantees have NSCHC policies. You may be required to create or enhance an NSCHC policy as a 

corrective action to noncompliance.

7. Consult the NSCHC Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

• This general FAQ document covers various topics that apply regardless of the check source. Note 

the respective check source manuals listed above in #4 have their own FAQs specific to conducting 

checks through those sources. 

8. Make a plan for self-monitoring (or evaluate your existing self-monitoring practices) using 

AmeriCorps resources. Monitoring checks early is crucial to avoid noncompliance and 

associated cost-based disallowance.

• Overview of Uniform Monitoring Package (UMP), Section 9: NSCHC on Office of Monitoring webpage. 

• NSCHC Manual: NSCHC Documentation and Monitoring for Compliance sections.

• If using Truescreen/Fieldprint: use the monitoring reports available in your vendor client portal. 
 2

Additional NSCHC Resources

This is not an exhaustive list. Please see the NSCHC webpage and NSCHC Learning Path in 

Litmos for current guidance documents and resources. 

Additional Approved Vendor Resources (Truescreen and Fieldprint)

• Truescreen AmeriCorps CNCS 2.0 Guide in Litmos: written guide provided by 

Truescreen that describes the process for ordering, reviewing, and adjudicating 

checks in Truescreen. 

• Truescreen 2.0 Demo in Litmos: 30-minute recording provided by Truescreen that 

demonstrates the process of ordering and adjudicating checks in Truescreen. 

• AmeriCorps Fieldprint Grantee Guide in Litmos: written guide provided by AmeriCorps 

that describes the process for reviewing and adjudicating checks in Fieldprint.

• FAQs on Fieldprint’s website, fieldprintcncs.com.

• Fieldprint and Truescreen customer service: contacts are listed on the NSCHC 

webpage Quick Links section and in the Using AmeriCorps Approved Vendors 

Truescreen and Fieldprint Manual.

• AmeriCorps-hosted Truescreen and Fieldprint training recordings in Litmos. These 

include details about self-monitoring using the vendor reports.

NSCHC Learning Path in Litmos

The NSCHC Learning Path combines all current resources available in Litmos, including 

the required annual e-course, webinar/training recordings, and vendor user guides.

Common Findings of NSCHC Noncompliance

This resource summarizes key guidance around the top areas of NSCHC noncompliance. 

Review the common findings so you can “ace your (criminal history check) SATs!”

Awardee Guide to NSCHC Enforcement of Cost-Based Disallowance

This document provides guidance to prime grantees regarding their enforcement of 

NSCHC disallowance for their subrecipients. Prime grantees are expected to enforce 

disallowance when they identify NSCHC noncompliance in subrecipients. 

GovDelivery Communication Center section of NSCHC webpage

AmeriCorps sends “GovDelivery” email communications related to NSCHC. Past 

messages are posted at the bottom of the webpage.

NSCHC Archive section of NSCHC webpage

Superseded versions of written guidance, including guidance from the previous NSCHC 

rule (pre-May 1, 2021), are posted at the bottom of the webpage.