Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 133 / Thursday, July 13, 2023 / Rules and Regulations 44721 

agencies, to the greatest extent 

practicable and permitted by law, to 

make environmental justice part of their 

mission by identifying and addressing, 

as appropriate, disproportionately high 

and adverse human health or 

environmental effects of their programs, 

policies and activities on minority 

populations (people of color and/or 

Indigenous peoples) and low-income 

populations. 

The EPA believes that this type of 

action does not concern human health 

or environmental conditions and 

therefore cannot be evaluated with 

respect to potentially disproportionate 

and adverse effects on people of color, 

low-income populations and/or 

Indigenous peoples. This action has no 

current or projected monetized costs or 

benefits nor does it stipulate any 

changes that may adversely affect 

people of color, low-income populations 

and/or Indigenous peoples. This rule 

pertains only to internal EPA practices 

in how the EPA conducts and considers 

benefit-cost analyses. While this rule 

does not directly address environmental 

justice impacts, it should be noted that 

a cornerstone goal of the EPA is to 

provide an environment where all 

people enjoy the same degree of 

protection from environmental and 

health hazards and equal access to the 

decision-making process to maintain a 

healthy environment in which to live, 

learn, and work. 

K. Congressional Review Act (CRA) 

This rule is exempt from the CRA 

because it is a rule of agency 

organization, procedure, or practice that 

does not substantially affect the rights or 

obligations of non-agency parties. 

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 83 

Environmental protection, 

Administrative practice and procedures, 

Reporting and recordkeeping 

requirements. 

Michael S. Regan, 

Administrator. 

PART 83—[REMOVED AND 

RESERVED] 

■ For the reasons stated in the preamble, 

and under the authority of 42 U.S.C. 

7601, the EPA removes and reserves 40 

CFR part 83. 

[FR Doc. 2023–14707 Filed 7–12–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P 

CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND 

COMMUNITY SERVICE 

45 CFR Parts 2525, 2526, 2527, 2528, 

2529, and 2530 

RIN 3045–AA66 

National Service Trust Education 

Awards 

AGENCY: Corporation for National and 

Community Service. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: The Corporation for National 

and Community Service (operating as 

AmeriCorps) is finalizing revisions to its 

National Service Trust regulations. The 

National Service Trust is an account 

from which AmeriCorps pays education 

awards to eligible AmeriCorps 

participants and interest on qualified 

student loans for AmeriCorps 

participants during their terms of 

service in approved national service 

positions. This rule improves the clarity 

of regulations applicable to education 

awards through use of consistent 

terminology and more transparent 

procedures for extensions, transfers, and 

revocations of education awards; and 

increases flexibility for those who earn 

education awards to use and transfer 

those awards. This rule also renumbers 

sections related to national service 

education awards to combine them all 

into one CFR part with subpart 

designations for easier navigation. 

DATES: This rule is effective August 14, 

2023. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Elizabeth Appel, Associate General 

Counsel, AmeriCorps, 250 E Street SW, 

Washington, DC 20525, (202) 967–5070, 

eappel@cns.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background 

II. Overview of Final Rule 

A. Renumbering To Combine Provisions 

Into One CFR Part 

B. Part-by-Part (New Subpart-by-Subpart) 

Summary of Changes 

1. Changes to Current Part 2525 (New 

Subpart A) 

2. Changes to Current Part 2526 (New 

Subpart B) 

3. Changes to Current Part 2527 (New 

Subpart C) 

4. Changes to Current Part 2528 (New 

Subpart D) 

5. Changes to Current Part 2529 (New 

Subpart E) 

6. Changes to Current Part 2530 (New 

Subpart F) 

III. Response to Public Comments 

IV. Regulatory Analyses 

I. Background 

The National and Community Service 

Act of 1990, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 

12501 et seq., aims to encourage United 

States citizens to engage in national 

service and to expand educational 

opportunity by rewarding individuals 

who participate in national service with 

an increased ability to pursue higher 

education or job training. Specifically, 

the Act establishes the National Service 

Trust and authorizes AmeriCorps to use 

funds from that Trust to provide 

education awards to eligible individuals 

who have fulfilled a term of service in 

an approved national service position 

and meet other applicable requirements. 

AmeriCorps’ regulations implementing 

the Act are within 45 CFR parts 2525 

through 2530 and address the National 

Service Trust (the Trust), who is eligible 

to receive education awards from the 

Trust, how the amount of the education 

awards is determined, the purposes for 

which the education awards may be 

used, the circumstances under which 

AmeriCorps participants will receive 

forbearance and payment of interest 

expenses on qualified student loans, 

and the circumstances in which 

participants may transfer their 

educational awards. 

II. Overview of Final Rule 

Overall, this final rule is intended to 

improve clarity of the regulations 

through use of consistent terminology 

and plain language, improve the 

transparency of the criteria and 

procedures for extensions, transfers, and 

revocations of education awards; and 

increase flexibility for those who earn 

education awards to use and transfer 

those awards. To meet these objectives, 

this rule makes changes to the following 

CFR parts: 

• Part 2525—National Service Trust: 

Purpose and Definitions 

• Part 2526—Eligibility for an 

Education Award 

• Part 2527—Determining the Amount 

of an Education Award 

• Part 2528—Using an Education 

Award 

• Part 2529—Payment of Accrued 

Interest 

• Part 2530—Transfer of an Education 

Award 

Some changes apply to all these CFR 

parts, including updating references to 

the Corporation for National and 

Community Service to refer to it by its 

operating name, AmeriCorps, rather 

than ‘‘the Corporation.’’ Specific 

mentions of AmeriCorps programs, 

Silver Scholar, and Summer of Service 

positions were replaced with the term 

‘‘national service position,’’ where 

appropriate. Other changes affect only 

one or some CFR parts. Substantive 


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44722 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 133 / Thursday, July 13, 2023 / Rules and Regulations 

changes specific to each CFR part are 

summarized here. 

The rule also renumbers sections, 

combining these CFR parts into one 

resulting CFR part, at part 2525, with 

different subparts. Combining these CFR 

parts into one allows readers to find 

regulations on education awards in a 

single CFR part, which improves 

navigability and prevents readers from 

having to switch back and forth between 

CFR parts for relevant provisions (for 

example, to refer back to part 2525 for 

definitions that apply to later CFR 

parts). 

A. Renumbering To Combine Provisions 

Into One CFR Part 

The final rule renumbers the 

provisions that currently appear in parts 

2526 through 2530 to move them into 

part 2505, so that the regulatory 

provisions regarding the National 

Service Trust education awards can be 

found in one central CFR part. The 

following table shows where the 

provisions that fall under the current 

CFR parts will instead fall under 

subparts to part 2525. 

Current Final rule 

Part 2525—National Service Trust: Purpose and Definitions .................. Part 2525—National Service Trust. 

Subpart A—Purpose and Definitions. 

Part 2526—Eligibility for an Education Award ......................................... Subpart B—Eligibility for an Education Award. 

Part 2527—Determining the Amount of an Education Award ................. Subpart C—Determining the Amount of an Education Award. 

Part 2528—Using an Education Award ................................................... Subpart D—Using an Education Award. 

Part 2529—Payment of Accrued Interest ................................................ Subpart E—Payment of Accrued Interest. 

Part 2530—Transfer of Education Awards .............................................. Subpart F—Transfer of Education Awards. 

The following table provides a more 

detailed comparison of where current 

regulatory provisions are located, and 

where those provisions will be located 

under the final rule. This table also 

shows where new subpart headings and 

new sections are being finalized. 

Current Final rule 

Part 2525—National Service Trust: Purpose and Definitions Part 2525—National Service Trust. 

Subpart A—Purpose and Definitions. 

§ 2525.10 What is the National Service Trust? § 2525.1 What is the National Service Trust? 

§ 2525.20 Definitions § 2525.2 Definitions. 

Part 2526—Eligibility for an Education Award Subpart B—Eligibility for an Education Award. 

§ 2526.10 Who is eligible to receive an education award from the National Service Trust? § 2525.10 When can an Eligible Individual receive an education award 

from the National Service Trust? 

§ 2526.15 Upon what basis may an organization responsible for the supervision of a national service participant certify that the individual 

successfully completed a term of service? 

§ 2525.15 Upon what basis may an entity responsible for the supervision of an Eligible Individual certify that the Eligible Individual successfully completed a term of service? 

§ 2526.20 Is an AmeriCorps participant who does not complete an 

originally approved term of service eligible to receive a pro-rated 

education award? 

§ 2525.20 Is an AmeriCorps participant who does not complete an 

originally-approved term of service eligible to receive a pro-rated 

education award? 

§ 2526.25 Is a participant in an approved Summer of Service position 

or approved Silver Scholar position who does not complete an approved term of service eligible to receive a pro-rated education 

award? 

§ 2525.25 Is a participant in an approved Summer of Service position 

or approved Silver Scholar position who does not complete an approved term of service eligible to receive a pro-rated education 

award? 

§ 2526.30 How do convictions for the possession or sale of controlled 

substances affect an education award recipient’s ability to use their 

award? 

§ 2525.30 How do convictions for the possession or sale of controlled 

substances affect an education award recipient’s ability to use their 

award? 

§ 2526.40 What is the time period during which an individual may use 

an education award? 

§ 2525.40 How long is an education award available for use? 

§ 2525.41 When must an application for extension be submitted? 

§ 2525.42 Under what circumstances may AmeriCorps grant an extension? 

§ 2525.43 What if the request for an extension is missing information or 

documentation? 

§ 2525.44 How will AmeriCorps notify an Eligible Individual or Designated Recipient of its decision on the extension request? 

§ 2525.45 Can an Eligible Individual or Designated Recipient appeal a 

denied request for an extension to the use period? 

§ 2526.50 Is there a limit on the total amount of education awards an 

individual may receive? 

§ 2525.50 Is there a limit on the total amount of education awards an 

individual may receive? 

§ 2526.55 What is the impact of the aggregate value of education 

awards received on an individual’s ability to serve in subsequent 

terms of service? 

§ 2525.55 What is the impact of the aggregate value of education 

awards received on an individual’s ability to serve in additional terms 

of service? 

§ 2526.60 May an individual receive an education award and related interest benefits from the National Service Trust as well as other loan 

cancellation benefits for the same service? 

§ 2525.60 May an individual receive an education award and related interest benefits from the National Service Trust as well as other loan 

cancellation benefits for the same term of service? 

§ 2526.70 What are the effects of an erroneous certification of successful completion of a term of service? § 2525.70 What are the effects of an erroneous certification of successful completion of a term of service? 

Part 2527—Determining the Amount of an Education Award Subpart C—Determining the Amount of an Education Award. 

§ 2527.10 What is the amount of an education award? § 2525.100 What is the amount of an education award? 

Part 2528—Using an Education Award Subpart D—Using an Education Award. 

§ 2528.10 For what purposes may an education award be used? § 2525.210 For what purposes may an education award be used? 


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Current Final rule 

§ 2528.20 What steps are necessary to use an education award to 

repay a qualified student loan? 

§ 2525.220 What steps are necessary to use an education award to 

repay a qualified student loan? 

§ 2528.30 What steps are necessary to use an education award to pay 

all or part of the current educational expenses at an institution of 

higher education? 

§ 2525.230 What steps are necessary to use an education award to 

pay all or part of the current educational expenses at an institution of 

higher education? 

§ 2528.40 Is there a limit on the amount of an individual’s education 

award that the Corporation will disburse to an institution of higher 

education for a given period of enrollment? 

§ 2525.240 Is there a limit on the amount of an Eligible Individual’s 

education award that AmeriCorps will disburse to an institution of 

higher education for a given period of enrollment? 

§ 2528.50 What happens if an individual withdraws or fails to complete 

the period of enrollment in an institution of higher education for which 

the Corporation has disbursed all or part of that individual’s education award? 

§ 2525.250 What happens if an individual withdraws or fails to complete the period of enrollment in an institution of higher education for 

which AmeriCorps has disbursed all or part of that individual’s education award? 

§ 2528.60 Who may use the education award to pay expenses incurred 

in enrolling in a G.I. Bill approved program? 

§ 2525.260 Who may use the education award to pay expenses incurred in enrolling in a G.I. Bill-approved program? 

§ 2528.70 What steps are necessary to use an education award to pay 

expenses incurred in enrolling in a G.I. Bill approved program? 

§ 2525.270 What steps are necessary to use an education award to 

pay expenses incurred in enrolling in a G.I. Bill-approved program? 

§ 2528.80 What happens if an individual for whom the Corporation has 

disbursed education award funds withdraws or fails to complete the 

period of enrollment in a G.I. Bill approved program? 

§ 2525.280 What happens if an individual for whom AmeriCorps has 

disbursed education award funds withdraws or fails to complete the 

period of enrollment in a G.I. Bill approved program? 

§ 2525.290 What happens to an education award upon divorce or 

death? 

Part 2529—Payment of Accrued Interest Subpart E—Payment of Accrued Interest. 

§ 2529.10 Under what circumstances will the Corporation pay interest 

that accrues on qualified student loans during an individual’s term of 

service in an approved AmeriCorps position or approved Silver 

Scholar position? 

§ 2525.310 Under what circumstances will AmeriCorps pay interest that 

accrues on qualified student loans during an individual’s term of 

service in an approved position? 

§ 2529.20 What steps are necessary to obtain forbearance in the repayment of a qualified student loan during an individual’s term of 

service in an approved AmeriCorps position? 

§ 2525.320 What steps are necessary to obtain forbearance in the repayment of a qualified student loan during an individual’s term of 

service in an approved AmeriCorps position? 

§ 2529.30 What steps are necessary for using funds in the National 

Service Trust to pay interest that has accrued on a qualified student 

loan during a term of service for which an individual has obtained 

forbearance? 

§ 2525.330 What steps are necessary for AmeriCorps to pay interest 

that has accrued on a qualified student loan in forbearance? 

Part 2530—Transfer of Education Awards Subpart F—Transfer of Education Awards. 

§ 2530.10 Under what circumstances may an individual transfer an 

education award? 

§ 2525.410 Under what circumstances may an Eligible Individual transfer an education award? 

§ 2530.20 For what purposes may a transferred award be used? § 2525.420 For what purposes may a transferred award be used? 

§ 2530.30 What steps are necessary to transfer an education award? § 2525.430 What steps are necessary to transfer an education award? 

§ 2530.40 Is there a limit on the number of individuals one may designate to receive a transferred award? § 2525.440 Is there a limit on the number of recipients an individual 

may designate to receive a transferred award? 

§ 2530.50 Is there a limit on the amount of transferred awards a designated individual may receive? § 2525.450 Is there a limit on the amount of transferred education 

awards a Designated Recipient may receive? 

§ 2530.60 What is the impact of transferring or receiving a transferred 

education award on an individual’s eligibility to receive additional 

education awards? 

§ 2525.460 What is the impact of transferring or receiving a transferred 

education award on an Eligible Individual’s eligibility to receive additional education awards? 

§ 2530.70 Is a designated individual required to accept a transferred 

education award? 

§ 2525.470 Is a Designated Recipient required to accept a transferred 

education award? 

§ 2530.80 Under what circumstances is a transfer revocable? § 2525.480 Under what circumstances is a transfer revocable? 

§ 2530.85 What steps are necessary to revoke a transfer? § 2525.485 What steps are necessary to revoke a transfer? 

§ 2525.487 What happens to a transferred education award upon divorce or death? 

§ 2530.90 Is a designated individual eligible for the payment of accrued 

interest under Part 2529? 

§ 2525.490 Is the recipient of a transferred education award eligible for 

the payment of accrued interest for their own student loans under 

subpart E? 

B. Part-by-Part (New Subpart-bySubpart) Summary of Changes 

1. Changes to Current Part 2525 (New 

Subpart A) 

Under this rule, part 2525 is newly 

designated as subpart A of part 2525 

and continues to set out the description 

of the National Service Trust and 

definitions. Changes ensure that 

definitions apply throughout the newly 

compiled CFR part 2525. For example, 

the changes delete the phrase ‘‘for the 

purposes of this section’’ for definitions 

of the following terms: ‘‘AmeriCorps 

education award,’’ ‘‘economically 

disadvantaged youth,’’ ‘‘education 

award,’’ ‘‘G.I. Bill-approved program,’’ 

‘‘Silver Scholar education award,’’ and 

‘‘Summer of Service education award.’’ 

The changes to part 2525 add 

definitions for two terms and 

substantively revise two definitions. 

The newly added definitions are for the 

following terms: 

• ‘‘Eligible Individual’’ as the 

individual who is eligible for an 

education award; and 

• ‘‘Designated Recipient’’ as the 

person to whom an education award is 

transferred. 

The two definitions being revised are 

for ‘‘educational expenses’’ and 

‘‘qualified student loan.’’ The changes 

revise the definition of ‘‘educational 

expenses’’ to: 

• Provide that costs of attendance are 

determined by the Title IV institution of 

higher education or G.I. Bill approved 

program; 

• Include tuition or associated costs 

as determined by the program offered by 

the institution or establishment 


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approved for offering benefits for which 

educational assistance may be provided 

by the Secretary for Veterans Affairs; 

• Include expenses incurred 

participating in a school-to-work 

program approved by the Secretaries of 

Labor and Education; 

• Delete reference to the following, 

because they would be included in the 

category of ‘‘costs of attendance’’ as 

determined by the institution or G.I. Bill 

approved program: 

Æ Tuition and fees ‘‘normally 

assessed’’ by an institution; 

Æ Tuition and fees for students 

engaged in a course of study by 

correspondence; and 

Æ Expenses related to a student’s 

disability; and 

• Delete reference to costs associated 

with student engagement in a work 

experience under a cooperative 

education program or course because 

the costs would be included in the 

category for expenses incurred in 

participating in a school-to-work 

program. 

These changes will simplify the 

definition and do not affect what 

educational expenses an education 

award may be used for. 

Changes to the definition of ‘‘qualified 

student loan’’ delete the lists of specific 

federal family education loans, William 

D. Ford federal direct loans, Federal 

Perkins loans, and Public Health Service 

Act loans because they are included in 

the broad categories set out in the new 

definition. The changes also replace the 

category ‘‘any other loan designated as 

such by Congress’’ with the more 

specific category of loans determined by 

an institution of higher education or 

approved veterans’ benefits program to 

be necessary to cover a student’s 

educational expenses and made, 

insured, or guaranteed by certain listed 

entities. 

The changes also correct the crossreference to the Higher Education Act of 

1965 to cite to the correct section 

defining ‘‘institution of higher 

education.’’ 

Other changes to this newly designed 

subpart A are non-substantive, such as 

adding the legal name of the education 

awards to the definition of ‘‘education 

award,’’ eliminating unnecessary 

verbiage in definitions that first state the 

term and then repeat the term to provide 

the meaning. 

2. Changes to Current Part 2526 (New 

Subpart B) 

Current part 2526, which is newly 

designated as subpart B to part 2525, 

addresses eligibility for an education 

award. 

Changes to current part 2526, which 

will now be located at subpart B to part 

2525, incorporate the newly defined 

terms for ‘‘Eligible Individual’’ and 

‘‘Designated Recipient’’ for clarity. Edits 

to § 2525.10 clarify when Eligible 

Individuals are entitled to receive an 

education award, and clarify that an 

Eligible Individual may receive a full 

education award for a full-time term of 

service, a partial education award for a 

less than full-time term of service, or a 

pro-rated education award if the Eligible 

Individual was granted a release from 

completing the term of service for 

compelling personal circumstances but 

completed at least 15 percent of the 

originally approved term of service and 

performed satisfactorily during that 

time. The final rule also moves to a 

separate section (§ 2525.15) the specifics 

for what the organization responsible for 

the individual’s supervision must 

certify. 

Section 2525.15 combines 

requirements for AmeriCorps State and 

National approved national service 

positions with other approved national 

service positions for consistency. 

Section 2525.20 clarifies that there is a 

requirement, in the cross-referenced 

§ 2522.230(a)(3), for the program to 

document the basis for any 

determination that compelling personal 

circumstances prevent the Eligible 

Individual from completing their term 

of service. 

Section 2525.30 revises the factors 

that AmeriCorps considers when 

determining whether an Eligible 

Individual may be entitled to use their 

education award when the Eligible 

Individual has three or more 

convictions for possession or sale of a 

controlled substance. The final rule 

deletes factors relating to the nature and 

extent of any other criminal record, the 

nature and extent of any involvement in 

trafficking of controlled substances, and 

the length of time between offenses. 

AmeriCorps has determined that these 

factors are unnecessary considerations, 

given that the type and amount of 

controlled substance and whether 

firearms or dangerous weapons were 

involved in the offense are already 

considered, and there is already a catchall factor to allow for consideration of 

other relevant aggravating or 

ameliorating circumstances. 

Section 2525.40 revises the current 

section to separate information on 

extensions to the use period into new 

sections specific to various questions 

regarding extensions. Edits to this 

section also delete the specific reference 

to Summer of Service education awards. 

Section 2525.41 is a new section that 

specifically addresses when an 

application for an extension must be 

submitted and adds an exception to the 

requirement to submit a request for 

extension prior to the use period 

deadline for instances when the 

individual was unavoidably prevented 

from timely submitting their 

application. 

Section 2525.42 is a new section that 

specifically addresses the circumstances 

in which AmeriCorps will grant an 

extension. This section clarifies that 

AmeriCorps will automatically (upon 

receipt of an application) extend the use 

period when an individual served and 

successfully completed another term of 

service in an approved national service 

position during the use period. This 

section then clarifies that AmeriCorps 

treats all service in AmeriCorps and the 

Peace Corps as service in another 

approved national service position for 

the purposes of extensions, and 

specifies the documentation required to 

evidence service in the Peace Corps. 

Paragraph (b) of this section adds 

information on AmeriCorps’ discretion 

to grant an extension when an Eligible 

Individual or Designated Recipient is 

unavoidably prevented from using the 

education award during the use period. 

Paragraph (b) also adds examples of 

situations that may warrant an 

extension. Paragraph (b)(2) provides 

factors that AmeriCorps will consider in 

determining whether to grant an 

extension. Paragraph (c) adds examples 

of circumstances that do not warrant an 

extension, but removes the current 

example of an individual who cannot 

use the education award as a result of 

the individual’s conviction for 

possession or sale of a controlled 

substance, to allow AmeriCorps to 

examine the specific circumstances 

involved with the conviction under the 

factors. 

Section 2525.43 is a new section that 

specifies what will happen if a request 

for extension is missing information or 

documentation. Section 2525.44 is a 

new section that specifies how 

AmeriCorps will notify the Eligible 

Individual or Designated Recipient of its 

decision on the extension request. 

Section 2526.45 is a new section that 

provides new procedures for an Eligible 

Individual or Designated Recipient to 

appeal a denied request for extension. 

Section 2525.50 deletes information 

about the calculation of the value of 

each individual education award and 

instead focuses on how the aggregate 

value of awards is calculated, given that 

the limit is the aggregate value of two 

full-time education awards. Section 

2525.55 also simplifies the section to 

convey the impact of the aggregate value 

of education awards on ability to serve 


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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 133 / Thursday, July 13, 2023 / Rules and Regulations 44725 

and to receive additional education 

awards. 

Section 2525.70 adds a new paragraph 

(b) to state that AmeriCorps will 

disallow the education award and/or 

initiate debt collection if AmeriCorps 

determines the certification made by a 

national service program is knowingly 

false or inaccurate. 

3. Changes to Current Part 2527 (New 

Subpart C) 

Current part 2527, which will now be 

subpart C to part 2525, addresses 

determining the amount of an education 

award. 

Section 2525.100 replaces the text on 

the education award amounts that may 

be earned for part-time and reduced 

part-time service with a table setting out 

amounts specifically for three quarters 

time, half-time, reduced half-time, 

quarter-time, minimal time and summer 

associate, and abbreviated time terms of 

service. These specifics better reflect the 

range of alternatives to full-time service 

and the accompanying partial education 

award amounts available. This section 

also labels as ‘‘pro-rated awards’’ those 

awards available to Eligible Individuals 

who are released from completing a 

term of service for compelling personal 

circumstances. This section also 

replaces the formula for discounted 

education award amounts (where 

discounting is required to ensure an 

Eligible Individual receives no more 

than the aggregate value of two awards) 

with a narrative explanation of how the 

award amounts are discounted, for 

clarity. 

4. Changes to Current Part 2528 (New 

Subpart D) 

Current part 2528, which will now be 

subpart D to part 2525, addresses using 

an education award. 

Sections 2525.210 and 2525.240 refer 

to the updated definition of 

‘‘educational expenses’’ instead of 

repeating what the educational expenses 

include. 

Section 2525.250 specifies that the 

institution does not need to refund 

AmeriCorps for disbursed, but not used, 

education award funds if the Eligible 

Individual was charged for the 

uncompleted period of study or 

training. This section also clarifies that 

the institution must provide a pro-rata 

refund to AmeriCorps if the institution 

does not have a published refund 

policy. 

Section 2525.290, a new section, 

specifies that an education award is not 

to be treated as marital property and 

that, unless the listed circumstances are 

present, that an education award expires 

upon the Eligible Individual’s death. 

5. Changes to Current Part 2529 (New 

Subpart E) 

Part 2529, which will now be subpart 

E to part 2525, addresses payment of 

accrued interest. 

Section 2525.310 adds that the loan 

holder specifies the period of 

forbearance during the term of service. 

Paragraph (b) of this section adds that 

the portion of accrued interest 

AmeriCorps will pay is based on the 

length of service. 

6. Changes to Current Part 2530 (New 

Subpart F) 

Part 2530, which will now be subpart 

F to part 2525, addresses the transfer of 

education awards. 

Section 2530.10 deletes the provision 

regarding enrollment on or before 2010 

because the final rule will apply only 

after the effective date, which is in 2023. 

This section also adds the stepchild of 

an Eligible Individual to the categories 

of Designated Recipients for transferred 

awards. 

Section 2530.30 breaks out 

procedures for a Designated Recipient to 

accept a transferred award into a new 

paragraph (c). This section also adds a 

new paragraph (e) to clarify that a 

Designated Recipient may refuse to 

accept a transferred education award, 

and an Eligible Individual may revoke 

the amount of transfer that has not been 

requested for use. 

Section 2530.40 allows Eligible 

Individuals to transfer their education 

award to one or two individuals, rather 

than just one individual. Paragraph (b) 

of this section allows Designated 

Recipients to reject part of the education 

award designated to be transferred to 

them. These provisions also clarify that 

the main restriction on transfer or retransfer of an education award to an 

eligible Designated Recipient is that the 

use period for the education award must 

not have expired. 

Section 2530.50 clarifies that any 

education awards the Designated 

Recipient may have earned through 

their own service term or that were 

previously been transferred to them are 

included in the calculation of the 

aggregate education award value limit. 

Paragraph (c) allows Eligible Individuals 

to re-transfer an education award if it is 

rejected in part by a Designated 

Recipient, allowing for more flexibility 

than the current regulation, which 

prohibits re-transfer of the rejected 

portion of the award. 

This final rule also adds a new 

paragraph to § 2540.70 to clarify that a 

Designated Recipient who originally 

accepted a transferred education award 

may rescind their acceptance of any 

unused portion of the award at any time 

before the education award expires, and 

for any reason. 

Section 2540.80 removes the 

requirement for AmeriCorps to approve 

a re-transfer of an education award after 

an Eligible Individual revokes the 

award. 

Section 2530.85 deletes the paragraph 

regarding the mechanics of deducting 

and crediting the revoked amount 

because these functions are handled 

internally by AmeriCorps. 

Section 2530.87 is a new section that 

addresses what happens to a transferred 

education award upon divorce or death. 

III. Response to Public Comments 

AmeriCorps published the proposed 

rule on January 6, 2023 (88 FR 1021) 

and received two public comment 

submissions before the March 7, 2023, 

comment deadline. Summaries of the 

points raised in those comments and 

AmeriCorps’ responses are provided 

here. No changes to the proposed 

regulatory text were made in response to 

these comments or otherwise. 

One commenter was supportive of 

allowing those who earn education 

awards to spread the benefit to more 

than one beneficiary. This commenter 

stated that they have multiple 

grandchildren and would like to share 

their education award with as many of 

them as possible. They also stated they 

believe allowing sharing with multiple 

recipients would be an incentive for 

other older individuals to do more 

national service. 

Response: The final rule carries 

forward the proposal to increase the 

number of Designated Recipients to 

whom an Eligible Individual can 

transfer their earned award from one to 

two. The final rule does not increase the 

number of recipients to whom an 

education award may be transferred 

beyond two in order to best prevent 

fraud, waste, and abuse. Allowing 

transfers to more than two persons 

would substantially increase the level of 

internal controls needed and pose an 

undue administrative burden on the 

agency. The agency has determined that 

these risks can be more efficiently 

mitigated by limiting the number of 

transferees to two individuals. 

The other commenter stated their 

general support of the changes but 

provided the following suggestions and 

recommendations for additional 

changes. 

The commenter noted that § 2525.55 

states that the aggregate value of 

education awards does not limit an 

individual’s ability to serve additional 

terms of service and requested that 

AmeriCorps leverage its waiver 


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authority to allow commissions to 

request a waiver to the four-term limit 

on AmeriCorps members. 

Response: The general limitation on 

four terms of service in an AmeriCorps 

State and National program is set out in 

a different regulation than the one being 

revised by this final rule (see 45 CFR 

2522.235); however, AmeriCorps will 

consider this comment as in any future 

updates to that regulation. 

This commenter also suggested that 

AmeriCorps should provide for an endof-service ‘‘cash stipend’’ in lieu of an 

education award for individuals that 

have already earned the maximum 

aggregate value of education awards. 

The commenter stated this change 

would create more equity among 

AmeriCorps programs and assist 

AmeriCorps in recruitment and 

retention efforts: 

Response: This comment is beyond 

the scope of this regulation, but 

AmeriCorps will take it under 

advisement. 

This commenter requested that 

§ 2525.290 be revised so that, instead of 

an education award expiring upon an 

Eligible Individual’s death, it could be 

transferred to an eligible Designated 

Recipient at that time and allow an 

extension of time for the Designated 

Recipient to access the education award 

if needed, even if the recipient was not 

age-eligible at the time the Eligible 

Individual earned the education award. 

Response: The proposed and final 

§ 2525.290 reflect the statutory 

limitation, which provides that the 

Eligible Individual must transfer the 

education award prior to death in order 

for the death not to affect the use of the 

education award by the Designated 

Recipient. See 42 U.S.C. 12604(f)(5). 

This commenter expressed their 

support of adding stepchild and stepgrandchild to the categories of 

Designated Recipients for transferred 

awards, allowing transfer to one or two 

individuals rather than just one, 

allowing the recipient to reject all of 

part of the education award, and 

allowing the re-transfer of the rejected 

portion of the education award to 

someone else. 

Response: The final rule carries 

forward these aspects of the proposed 

rule. 

The commenter suggested removing 

or lowering the age requirement for 

transferring the education award and 

encouraged AmeriCorps to work with 

Congress to remove the limitation that 

an individual must be age 55 or more 

the day service begins to be eligible to 

transfer the award, and instead allow 

anyone of any age to transfer their 

education award. 

Response: The commenter is correct 

that the rule cannot remove or lower the 

age requirement for transferring an 

education award because the statute 

provides as a condition for transfer of an 

education award that the eligible 

individual is age 55 or older before 

beginning the term of service involved. 

See 42 U.S.C. 12604(f)(2)(A)(ii). 

The commenter recommended not 

having transferred education awards 

count as part of an individual’s 

aggregate value of education awards 

earned. 

Response: The current regulation 

provides that the amount received as a 

transferred education award is included 

in the aggregate value of awards 

received. See 45 CFR 2526.50(c)(4). The 

proposed rule did not propose any 

change to this requirement; however, 

AmeriCorps will take this 

recommendation under advisement for 

any future rulemaking. 

IV. Regulatory Analyses 

A. Executive Orders 12866 and 13563 

Executive Orders 12866 and 13563 

direct agencies to assess all costs and 

benefits of available regulatory 

alternatives and, if regulation is 

necessary, to select regulatory 

approaches that maximize net benefits 

(including potential economic, 

environmental, public health and safety 

effects, distributive impacts, and 

equity). Executive Order 13563 

emphasizes the importance of 

quantifying both costs and benefits, of 

reducing costs, of harmonizing rules, 

and of promoting flexibility. The Office 

of Information and Regulatory Affairs in 

the Office of Management and Budget 

has determined this is not a significant 

regulatory action, and therefore is not 

subject to review under Section 6(b) of 

Executive Order 12866, Regulatory 

Planning and Review. 

B. Congressional Review Act (Small 

Business Regulatory Enforcement 

Fairness Act of 1996, Title II, Subtitle E) 

As required by the Congressional 

Review Act (5 U.S.C. 801–808), before 

an interim or final rule takes effect, 

AmeriCorps will submit an interim or 

final rule report to the US House of 

Representatives, U.S. Senate, and to the 

Comptroller General of the U.S. A major 

rule cannot take effect until 60 days 

after it is published in the Federal 

Register. The Office of Information and 

Regulatory Affairs in the Office of 

Management and Budget anticipates 

that this will not be a major rule under 

5 U.S.C. 804 because this rule will not 

result in (1) an annual effect on the 

economy of $100 million or more; (2) a 

major increase in costs or prices for 

consumers, individual industries, 

federal, state, or local government 

agencies, or geographic regions; or (3) 

significant adverse effects on 

competition, employment, investment, 

productivity, innovation, or on the 

ability of US-based enterprises to 

compete with foreign-based enterprises 

in domestic and export markets. 

C. Regulatory Flexibility Act 

As required by the Regulatory 

Flexibility Act of 1980 (5 U.S.C. 601 et 

seq.), AmeriCorps certifies that this rule 

will not have a significant economic 

impact on a substantial number of small 

entities. Therefore, AmeriCorps has not 

performed the initial regulatory 

flexibility analysis that is required 

under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 

U.S.C. 601 et seq.) for rules that are 

expected to have such results. 

D. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 

1995 

For purposes of Title II of the 

Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 

1995, 2 U.S.C. 1531–1538, as well as 

Executive Order 12875, this regulatory 

action does not contain any federal 

mandate that may result in increased 

expenditures in either federal, state, 

local, or tribal governments in the 

aggregate, or impose an annual burden 

exceeding $100 million on the private 

sector. 

E. Paperwork Reduction Act 

This rule requires a revision to one 

OMB Control Number, Education 

Award Transfer Forms, currently 

approved under OMB Control Number 

3045–0136, which expires January 31, 

2024. 

The other information collections in 

the rule are already authorized by 

another OMB Control Number. 

Specifically, the requirements for 

certifications referred to in §§ 2525.15 

and 2525.20 restate requirements in 

other parts of title 45 (specifically 

§§ 2522.220 and 2522.230), which are 

authorized by OMB Control Number 

3045–0006, Enrollment and Exit Forms, 

on which the sponsoring entity provides 

their certifications, and for which 

entities maintain supporting 

documentation as a usual and 

customary business practice. 

This final rule does not affect the 

information collections associated with 

parts 2528 and 2529 (other than 

affecting the CFR citations, which will 

be updated during routine renewals) 

that have been approved by OMB: 

• For 45 CFR 2528: Voucher and 

Payment Request Form—approved 


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under OMB Control Number 3045–0014, 

which expires March 31, 2026. 

• For 45 CFR 2529: Interest Accrual 

Form—currently approved under OMB 

Control Number 3045–0053, which 

expires March 31, 2026. Forbearance 

Request for National Service Form— 

approved under OMB Control Number 

3045–0030, which expires March 31, 

2026. 

This final rule affects the Education 

Award Transfer Forms because the 

Request to Transfer a Segal Education 

Award Amount form must be updated 

to clarify that an award may be 

transferred to no more than two 

individuals, that a transfer may be 

declined in part or in full or revoked in 

part or in full, and to delete the portion 

of the form requiring request of a waiver 

to re-transfer. The Accept/Decline 

Award Transfer Form requires a change 

to indicate that step-children and stepgrandchildren may accept the transfer of 

an education award. There is no change 

to the estimated time or hour or nonhour cost burdens resulting from these 

form changes. With this rulemaking, 

AmeriCorps is seeking to revise the 

following information collection: 

OMB Control Number: 3045–0136. 

Title: Education Award Transfer 

Forms. 

Brief Description of Collection: This 

information collection consists of the 

questions that AmeriCorps members 

answer to request a transfer of their 

education award or revoke a transfer, 

and that education award recipients 

answer to accept or decline the transfer 

or rescind their acceptance. The 

information collected identifies those 

qualified to transfer their award, the 

transfer award amount, and those 

qualified to receive the award transfer, 

as well as establish a National Service 

Trust account for the transfer recipient. 

Forms Affected: Transfer Application 

Form, Award Transfer Acceptance 

Form. 

Type of Review: Revision of a 

currently approved information 

collection: 

Respondents/Affected Public: 

Individuals. 

Total Estimated Number of Annual 

Respondents: 900. 

Total Estimated Number of Annual 

Responses: 900. 

Estimated Time per Response: 5 

minutes. 

Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 

75 hours. 

Respondents’ Obligation: Required to 

obtain a benefit. 

Frequency of Response: Occasional. 

Total Estimated Annual Non-Hour 

Burden Response: $0. 

As part of our continuing effort to 

reduce paperwork and respondent 

burdens, we invite the public to 

comment on any aspect of this 

information collection, including: 

(1) Whether or not the collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of the functions of the 

agency, including whether or not the 

information will have practical utility; 

(2) The accuracy of our estimate of the 

burden for this collection of 

information, including the validity of 

the methodology and assumptions used; 

(3) Ways to enhance the quality, 

utility, and clarity of the information to 

be collected; and 

(4) Ways to minimize the burden of 

the collection of information on those 

who are to respond, including through 

the use of appropriate automated, 

electronic, mechanical, or other 

technological collection techniques or 

other forms of information technology, 

e.g., permitting electronic submission of 

response. 

Written comments and 

recommendations for the information 

collection revision should be sent 

within 30 days of publication of this 

rulemaking to www.reginfo.gov/public/ 

do/PRAMain. Find this particular 

information collection by selecting 

‘‘Currently under 30-day Review—Open 

for Public Comments’’ or by using the 

search function. Please provide a copy 

of your comments to the person listed 

in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT section. Please reference OMB 

Control Number 3045–0136 in the 

subject line of your comments. 

F. Federalism (Executive Order 13132) 

Executive Order 13132, Federalism, 

prohibits an agency from publishing any 

rule that has federalism implications if 

the rule imposes substantial direct 

compliance costs on state and local 

governments and is not required by 

statute, or the rule preempts state law, 

unless the agency meets the 

consultation and funding requirements 

of section 6 of the Executive Order. This 

rulemaking does not have any 

federalism implications, as described 

above. 

G. Takings (Executive Order 12630) 

This rule does not affect a taking of 

private property or otherwise have 

taking implications under Executive 

Order 12630 because this rule does not 

affect individual property rights 

protected by the Fifth Amendment or 

involve a compensable ‘‘taking.’’ A 

takings implication assessment is not 

required. 

H. Civil Justice Reform (Executive Order 

12988) 

This rule complies with the 

requirements of Executive Order 12988. 

Specifically, this rulemaking: (a) Meets 

the criteria of section 3(a) requiring that 

all regulations be reviewed to eliminate 

errors and ambiguity and be written to 

minimize litigation; and (b) Meets the 

criteria of section 3(b)(2) requiring that 

all regulations be written in clear 

language and contain clear legal 

standards. 

I. Consultation With Indian Tribes 

(Executive Order 13175) 

AmeriCorps recognizes the inherent 

sovereignty of Indian tribes and their 

right to self-governance. The agency has 

evaluated this rulemaking under the 

AmeriCorps consultation policy and the 

criteria in Executive Order 13175 and 

determined that this rule does not 

impose substantial direct effects on 

federally recognized tribes. 

List of Subjects in 45 CFR Part 2525 

Grant programs—social programs, 

student aid, volunteers. 

For the reasons discussed in the 

preamble, under the authority of 42 

U.S.C. 12651c(c), the Corporation for 

National and Community Service 

amends chapter XXV of title 45 of the 

Code of Federal Regulations as follows: 

■ 1. Revise part 2525 to read as follows: 

PART 2525—NATIONAL SERVICE 

TRUST 

Subpart A—Purpose and Definitions 

Sec. 

2525.1 What is the National Service Trust? 

2525.2 Definitions. 

Subpart B—Eligibility for an Education 

Award 

2525.10 When can an Eligible Individual 

receive an education award from the 

National Service Trust? 

2525.15 Upon what basis may an entity 

responsible for the supervision of an 

Eligible Individual certify that the 

Eligible Individual successfully 

completed a term of service? 

2525.20 Under what circumstances is an 

Eligible Individual who does not 

complete an approved term of service 

eligible to receive a pro-rated education 

award? 

2525.25 If a participant in an approved 

Summer of Service or Silver Scholar 

position does not complete their term of 

service, are they eligible to receive a prorated education award? 

2525.30 How do convictions for the 

possession or sale of controlled 

substances affect an Eligible Individual’s 

ability to use their award? 

2525.40 How long is an education award 

available for use? 


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2525.41 When must an application for an 

extension be submitted? 

2525.42 Under what circumstances will 

AmeriCorps grant an extension? 

2525.43 What if the request for an extension 

is missing information or 

documentation? 

2525.44 How will AmeriCorps notify an 

Eligible Individual or Designated 

Recipient of its decision on the extension 

request? 

2525.45 Can an Eligible Individual or 

Designated Recipient appeal a denied 

request for an extension? 

2525.50 Is there a limit on the total amount 

of education awards an individual may 

receive? 

2525.55 What is the impact of the aggregate 

value of education awards received on 

an individual’s ability to serve in 

additional terms of service? 

2525.60 May an individual receive an 

education award and related interest 

benefits from the National Service Trust 

as well as other loan cancellation 

benefits for the same term of service? 

2525.70 What are the effects of an 

erroneous certification of successful 

completion of a term of service? 

Subpart C—Determining the Amount of an 

Education Award 

2525.100 What is the amount of an 

education award? 

Subpart D—Using an Education Award 

2525.210 For what purposes may an 

education award be used? 

2525.220 What steps are necessary to use an 

education award to repay a qualified 

student loan? 

2525.230 What steps are necessary to use an 

education award to pay all or part of the 

current educational expenses at an 

institution of higher education? 

2525.240 Is there a limit on the amount of 

an Eligible Individual’s education award 

that AmeriCorps will disburse to an 

institution for a given period of 

enrollment? 

2525.250 What happens if an individual 

withdraws or fails to complete the period 

of enrollment in an institution of higher 

education for which AmeriCorps has 

disbursed all or part of that individual’s 

education award? 

2525.260 Who may use the education 

award to pay expenses incurred in 

enrolling in a G.I. Bill-approved 

program? 

2525.270 What steps are necessary to use an 

education award to pay expenses 

incurred in enrolling in a G.I. Billapproved program? 

2525.280 What happens if an individual for 

whom AmeriCorps has disbursed 

education award funds withdraws or 

fails to complete the period of 

enrollment in a G.I. Bill-approved 

program? 

2525.290 What happens to an education 

award upon divorce or death? 

Subpart E—Payment of Accrued Interest 

2525.310 Under what circumstances will 

AmeriCorps pay interest that accrues on 

qualified student loans during an 

individual’s term of service in an 

approved position? 

2525.320 What steps are necessary to obtain 

forbearance in the repayment of a 

qualified student loan during an 

individual’s term of service in an 

approved AmeriCorps position? 

2525.330 What steps are necessary for 

AmeriCorps to pay interest that has 

accrued on a qualified student loan in 

forbearance? 

Subpart F—Transfer of Education Awards 

2525.410 Under what circumstances may 

an Eligible Individual transfer an 

education award? 

2525.420 For what purposes may a 

transferred award be used? 

2525.430 What steps are necessary to 

transfer an education award? 

2525.440 Is there a limit on the number of 

recipients an individual may designate 

to receive a transferred award? 

2525.450 Is there a limit on the amount of 

transferred education awards a 

Designated Recipient may receive? 

2525.460 What is the impact of transferring 

or receiving a transferred education 

award on an Eligible Individual’s 

eligibility to receive additional education 

awards? 

2525.470 Is a Designated Recipient required 

to accept a transferred education award? 

2525.480 Under what circumstances is a 

transfer revocable? 

2525.485 What steps are necessary to 

revoke a transfer? 

2525.487 What happens to a transferred 

education award upon divorce or death? 

2525.490 Is the recipient of a transferred 

education award eligible for the payment 

of accrued interest for their own student 

loans? 

Authority: 42 U.S.C. 12601–12606 

Subpart A—Purpose and Definitions 

§ 2525.1 What is the National Service 

Trust? 

The National Service Trust is an 

account in the Treasury of the United 

States from which AmeriCorps makes 

payments of education awards, pays 

interest that accrues on qualified 

student loans for AmeriCorps 

participants during terms of service in 

approved national service positions, and 

makes other payments authorized by 

Congress. 

§ 2525.2 Definitions. 

In addition to the definitions in 

§ 2510.20 of this chapter, the following 

definitions apply to terms used this 

part: 

AmeriCorps means the Corporation 

for National and Community Service. 

Cost of attendance has the same 

meaning as in Title IV of the Higher 

Education Act of 1965, as amended (20 

U.S.C. 1070 et. seq.). 

Current educational expenses means 

the cost of attendance, or other costs 

attributable to an educational course 

offered by an institution of higher 

education that has in effect a program 

participation agreement under Title IV 

of the Higher Education Act, for a 

period of enrollment that begins after an 

individual enrolls in an approved 

national service position. 

Designated Recipient means the 

person to whom an earned education 

award is transferred. 

Economically disadvantaged youth 

means a child who is eligible for a free 

lunch or breakfast under the Richard B. 

Russell National School Lunch Act (42 

U.S.C. 1758(b)). 

Education award means the Segal 

AmeriCorps Education Award of 

financial assistance available under this 

part, including the Silver Scholar 

education awards, and Summer of 

Service education awards. 

Educational expenses means— 

(1) Cost of attendance as determined 

by the Title IV institution of higher 

education or G.I. Bill-approved program 

as provided in 20 U.S.C. 1087ll; or 

(2) Tuition or associated costs as 

determined by a program offered by an 

educational institution or training 

establishment approved for educational 

benefits under 38 U.S.C. 3670 et seq. for 

offering programs of education, 

apprenticeship, or on-job training for 

which educational assistance may be 

provided by the Secretary for Veterans 

Affairs; and 

(3) Expenses incurred participating in 

a school-to-work program approved by 

the Secretaries of Labor and Education. 

Eligible Individual means an 

individual who has enrolled in and 

successfully completed a term of service 

in an approved national service 

position, as certified under § 2525.15. 

G.I. Bill-approved program is an 

educational institution or training 

establishment approved for educational 

benefits under the Montgomery G.I. Bill 

(38 U.S.C. 3670 et seq.) for offering 

programs of education, apprenticeship, 

or on-job training for which educational 

assistance may be provided by the 

Secretary for Veterans Affairs. 

Holder means— 

(1) The original lender; or 

(2) Any other entity to which a loan 

is subsequently sold, transferred, or 

assigned if such entity acquires a legally 

enforceable right to receive payments 

from the borrower. 

Institution of higher education has the 

same meaning given the term in section 

102 of the Higher Education Act of 

1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. 1002). 

Period of enrollment means the period 

that the institution has established for 

which institutional charges are 

generally assessed (e.g., length of the 


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student’s course, program, or academic 

year.) 

Qualified student loan means: 

(1) Any loan made, insured, or 

guaranteed under Title IV of the Higher 

Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070 

et seq.), other than a loan to a parent of 

a student under section 428B of that Act 

(20 U.S.C. 1078–2); 

(2) Any loan made under Title VII or 

VIII of the Public Service Health Act (42 

U.S.C. 292a et seq.); or 

(3) Any other loan determined by an 

institution of higher education or an 

approved veterans’ benefits program to 

be necessary to cover a student’s 

educational expenses and made, 

insured, or guaranteed by: 

(i) An eligible lender, as defined in 

section 435 of the Higher Education Act 

of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1085); 

(ii) The direct student loan program 

under part D of Title IV of the Higher 

Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087a 

et seq.); 

(iii) A State agency; or 

(iv) A lender otherwise determined by 

AmeriCorps to be eligible to receive 

disbursements from the National 

Service Trust. 

Silver Scholar education award 

means the financial assistance available 

under this part for which an individual 

in an approved Silver Scholar position 

may be eligible. 

Summer of Service education award 

means the financial assistance available 

under this part for which an individual 

in an approved Summer of Service 

position may be eligible. 

Term of service means— 

(1) For an individual serving in an 

approved AmeriCorps position, one of 

the terms of service specified in 

§ 2522.220 of this chapter 

(2) For an individual serving in an 

approved Silver Scholar position, not 

less than 350 hours during a one-year 

period 

(3) For an individual serving in an 

approved Summer of Service position, 

not less than 100 hours during the 

summer months of a single year. 

Subpart B—Eligibility for an Education 

Award 

§ 2525.10 When can an Eligible Individual 

receive an education award from the 

National Service Trust? 

(a) General. An Eligible Individual is 

entitled to receive an education award 

from the National Service Trust if that 

person: 

(1) Is a citizen or national of the 

United States or a lawful permanent 

resident alien of the United States; and, 

(2) Met the applicable eligibility 

requirements for the approved national 

service program as appropriate; and, 

(3) Either: 

(i) Is certified by their supervising 

entity to have successfully completed a 

term of service—whether a full-time 

1,700-hour term corresponding to a full 

education award or a less than full-time 

term of service with a corresponding 

partial award amount described in 

§ 2525.100(b)—as certified under 

§ 2525.15; or 

(ii) For a pro-rated education award 

amount described in § 2525.100(c), is 

certified by their supervising entity to 

have completed at least 15 percent of 

the originally-approved term of service 

and performed satisfactorily prior to 

being granted a release for compelling 

personal circumstances, consistent with 

§ 2522.230(a) of this chapter. 

(b) Prohibition on duplicate benefits. 

An Eligible Individual who receives a 

post-service benefit in lieu of an 

education award may not receive an 

education award for the same term of 

service. 

(c) Penalties for false information. 

Any individual who makes a materially 

false statement or representation in 

connection with the approval or 

disbursement of an education award or 

other payment from the National 

Service Trust may be liable for the 

recovery of funds and subject to civil 

and criminal sanctions. 

§ 2525.15 Upon what basis may an entity 

responsible for the supervision of an 

Eligible Individual certify that the Eligible 

Individual successfully completed a term of 

service? 

(a) An Eligible Individual’s 

supervising entity must certify that the 

individual has successfully completed a 

term of service. The individual 

successfully completed a term of service 

if the individual has: 

(1) Completed the number of service 

hours required; 

(2) Satisfactorily performed on 

assignments, tasks, or projects; 

(3) Met any performance criteria as 

determined by the program and 

communicated to the member; and 

(4) Fulfilled any other enrollment and 

program requirements to earn an 

education award. 

(b) A certification by the supervising 

entity that an individual did or did not 

successfully complete a term of service 

will be deemed to incorporate an endof-term evaluation. 

§ 2525.20 Under what circumstances is an 

Eligible Individual who does not complete 

an approved term of service eligible to 

receive a pro-rated education award? 

(a) Release for compelling personal 

circumstances. An Eligible Individual 

who is released before they complete an 

approved term of service is eligible for 

a pro-rated education award if their 

supervising entity: 

(1) Released the Eligible Individual 

for compelling personal circumstances 

in accordance with the requirements of 

§ 2522.230(a) of this chapter, including 

requirements for maintaining 

documentation of the basis for the 

entity’s decision; 

(2) Certifies that the Eligible 

Individual: 

(i) Performed satisfactorily before they 

were granted a release for compelling 

personal circumstances; and 

(ii) Completed at least 15 percent of 

the originally approved term of service. 

(b) Release for cause. An individual 

who is released for cause before they 

completed an originally approved term 

of service is not eligible for any portion 

of an education award. 

§ 2525.25 If a participant in an approved 

Summer of Service or Silver Scholar 

position does not complete their term of 

service, are they eligible to receive a prorated education award? 

No. An individual released for any 

reason before they complete an 

approved term of service in a Silver 

Scholar or Summer of Service position 

is not eligible to receive a pro-rated 

award. 

§ 2525.30 How do convictions for the 

possession or sale of controlled 

substances affect an Eligible Individual’s 

ability to use their award? 

(a) Except as provided in paragraph 

(b) of this section, an Eligible Individual 

who is convicted under Federal or State 

law of the possession or sale of a 

controlled substance is not eligible to 

use his or her education award from the 

date of the conviction until the end of 

a specified time period, which is 

determined based on the type of 

conviction as follows: 

(1) For conviction of the possession of 

a controlled substance, the individual is 

ineligible from the date of conviction 

for— 

(i) One year for a first conviction; 

(ii) Two years for a second conviction; 

and 

(iii) For a third or subsequent 

conviction, indefinitely, as determined 

by AmeriCorps according to the 

following factors: 

(A) Type and amount of controlled 

substance; 

(B) Whether firearms or other 

dangerous weapons were involved in 

the offense; 

(C) Employment history; 

(D) Service to the community; 

(E) Recommendations from 

community members and local officials, 

including experts in substance abuse 

and treatment; and 


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(F) Any other relevant aggravating or 

ameliorating circumstances. 

(2) For conviction of the sale of a 

controlled substance, the individual is 

ineligible from the date of conviction 

for— 

(i) Two years for a first conviction; 

and 

(ii) Two years plus any additional 

time AmeriCorps determines is 

appropriate for second and subsequent 

convictions, based on the factors set 

forth in paragraphs (a)(1)(iii)(A) through 

(F) of this section. 

(b) AmeriCorps will restore the 

Eligible Individual’s access to use the 

education award if AmeriCorps 

determines that the individual has 

successfully completed a legitimate 

drug rehabilitation program, or in the 

case of a first conviction that the 

individual has enrolled in a legitimate 

drug rehabilitation program and: 

(1) The drug rehabilitation program is 

recognized as legitimate by appropriate 

Federal, State, or local authorities; and 

(2) The Eligible Individual’s 

enrollment in or successful completion 

of the legitimate drug rehabilitation 

program has been certified by an 

appropriate official of that program. 

§ 2525.40 How long is an education award 

available for use? 

Unless AmeriCorps approves an 

extension under § 2525.42, the use 

period for an education award is as 

follows: 

(a) An education award is available 

for an Eligible Individual to use until 

seven years from the date when they 

successfully completed the term of 

service for which the award was earned; 

(b) An education award that is 

transferred to a Designated Recipient 

under subpart F of this part may be used 

until 10 years from the date when the 

Eligible Individual who transferred the 

award successfully completed their term 

of national service. 

§ 2525.41 When must an application for an 

extension be submitted? 

An application for an extension must 

be submitted to AmeriCorps before the 

award use period ends, or the 

individual must have been unavoidably 

prevented from timely submitting the 

extension application. 

§ 2525.42 Under what circumstances will 

AmeriCorps grant an extension? 

(a) AmeriCorps will automatically 

grant an extension to the use period of 

an education award if the individual 

served and successfully completed a 

term of service in an approved national 

service position that fell within the use 

period for that education award and 

applies for an extension under 

§ 2525.41. 

(1) The use period will be extended 

by the length of the individual’s 

additional approved and completed 

term of service at the time of the 

extension application. 

(2) For purposes of this extension, 

AmeriCorps will treat all service in 

AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps as 

service in another AmeriCorpsapproved national service position. 

(3) If the additional of service is in the 

Peace Corps, the individual requesting 

an extension will need to provide a 

Description of Service, signed by the 

country’s director or designee for the 

Peace Corps service. 

(b) If AmeriCorps determines that an 

Eligible Individual or Designated 

Recipient was unavoidably prevented 

from using the education award during 

the original use period, AmeriCorps 

may grant an extension for a period of 

time that AmeriCorps deems 

appropriate, but generally not for more 

than one year from the end of the 

original use period. Also, AmeriCorps 

will grant only one extension of the use 

period except in very limited 

circumstances, such as, for example, 

when the event preventing the member 

from timely using their education award 

is likely to exist for more than 12 

months, such as active military duty. 

(1) Examples of situations that may 

warrant an extension if they hinder use 

of an education award may include, but 

are not limited to: 

(i) The Eligible Individual’s serious 

illness, injury, or disability; 

(ii) The death, serious illness, injury, 

or disability of someone in the Eligible 

Individual’s immediate family that 

occurs close to the end of the use 

period; 

(iii) The destruction or inaccessibility 

of important service records maintained 

by the program; 

(iv) Natural disasters; 

(v) Military service that prevents the 

use of an education award, such as 

active duty overseas (but a person in the 

reserves or National Guard who has not 

been called up on active duty, or who 

is enlisted in the military, is not 

necessarily unavoidably prevented from 

timely using their education award 

because of their military service). 

(2) When considering whether to 

grant an extension, AmeriCorps also 

will consider whether: 

(i) The extension is a result of the 

individual’s choices or actions or factors 

beyond the individual’s control; 

(ii) The need for the extension is in 

any part attributable to AmeriCorps’ or 

an AmeriCorps-funded entity’s actions; 

(iii) The lending institution or 

institution entitled to the payment 

failed to take an action, or took an 

action, that resulted in the individual 

needing/wanting the extension. 

(c) Examples of circumstances that do 

not meet the criteria for granting an 

extension may include but are not 

limited to: 

(1) Employment or unemployment, 

even in a position with a non-profit 

organization involved in community 

service. 

(2) Forgetting to use the education 

award, being unaware of the use-period 

restrictions, or not receiving his or her 

education award expiration notice. 

(3) Being too young to use a 

transferred education award. 

§ 2525.43 What if the request for an 

extension is missing information or 

documentation? 

If the extension application lacks 

necessary information or 

documentation, AmeriCorps may 

request additional documentation. If the 

requested additional documentation is 

not provided to AmeriCorps within 30 

days, AmeriCorps may close the request 

for an extension. 

§ 2525.44 How will AmeriCorps notify the 

Eligible Individual or Designated Recipient 

of its decision on the extension request? 

AmeriCorps will notify the Eligible 

Individual or Designated Recipient in 

writing if the request for an extension 

has been granted or denied. The 

notification will advise the requester of 

the process for appealing the denial if 

the requester has a good-faith basis to 

believe their request was erroneously 

denied. 

§ 2525.45 Can an Eligible Individual or 

Designated Recipient appeal a denied 

request for an extension? 

(a) If an Eligible Individual or 

Designated Recipient submits a timely 

application for an extension and the 

application is denied, the individual 

may file an appeal. The appeal must: 

(1) Be received within 30 days of the 

denial determination; 

(2) Be made in writing—either online 

through the My AmeriCorps portal if the 

education award has not expired—or 

through a submission to the National 

Service Hotline at 1–800–942–2677; 

(3) Explain why the initial 

determination was erroneous/should be 

reviewed; and, 

(4) Include supporting 

documentation, if applicable. 

(b) AmeriCorps may grant an appeal 

when, after review of all the information 

provided originally and on appeal, it 

appears that the extension should have 

been granted. AmeriCorps may ask for 


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additional documentation to inform the 

appeal determination. 

(c) Individuals who submit appeals 

will be notified in writing of the final 

determination. 

§ 2525.50 Is there a limit on the total 

amount of education awards an individual 

may receive? 

(a) General limitation. While there is 

no limit on the specific dollar amount, 

no individual may receive more than 

the amount equal to the aggregate value 

of two full-time education awards. 

(b) Calculation of aggregate value of 

awards received. The aggregate value of 

education awards received is the sum 

of: 

(1) The value of each education award 

received for successful completion of an 

approved national service position; 

(2) The value of each partial 

education award received upon release 

from an approved national service 

position for compelling personal 

circumstances; and 

(3) The value of any amount received 

from a transferred education award, 

except as provided in § 2525.460. 

(c) Determination of receipt of award. 

For purposes of determining the 

aggregate value of education awards, an 

award is considered to be received at 

the time it becomes available for use. 

§ 2525.55 What is the impact of the 

aggregate value of education awards 

received on an individual’s ability to serve 

in additional terms of service? 

The aggregate value of education 

awards received does not limit an 

individual’s ability to serve in 

additional terms of service, but does 

impact the amount of the education 

award the individual may receive 

pursuant to § 2525.100(d) upon 

successful completion of any additional 

term of service. 

§ 2525.60 May an individual receive an 

education award and related interest 

benefits from the National Service Trust as 

well as other loan cancellation benefits for 

the same term of service? 

An individual may not receive an 

education award and related interest 

benefits from the National Service Trust 

for a term of service and have that same 

service credited toward repayment, 

discharge, or cancellation of other 

student loans, except an individual may 

credit the service toward the Public 

Service Loan Forgiveness Program, as 

provided under 34 CFR 685.219. 

§ 2525.70 What are the effects of an 

erroneous certification of successful 

completion of a term of service? 

(a) If AmeriCorps determines that the 

certification made by a national service 

program under § 2525.10(a)(2) is 

erroneous, AmeriCorps shall assess 

against the national service program a 

charge for the amount of any associated 

payment or potential payment from the 

National Service Trust, taking into 

consideration the full facts and 

circumstances that led to the erroneous 

or incorrect certification. 

(b) If AmeriCorps determines that the 

certification made is knowingly false or 

inaccurate, AmeriCorps will disallow 

the education award and/or initiate a 

debt collection process for any 

education award funds disbursed. 

(c) Nothing in this section prohibits 

AmeriCorps from taking any action 

authorized by law based upon any 

certification that is knowingly made in 

a false, materially misleading, or 

fraudulent manner. 

Subpart C—Determining the Amount of 

an Education Award 

§ 2525.100 What is the amount of an 

education award? 

(a) Full-time term of service. Except as 

provided in paragraph (d) of this 

section, the education award for a fulltime term of service in an approved 

national service position of at least 

1,700 hours will be equal to the 

maximum amount of a Federal Pell 

Grant under section 401 of the Higher 

Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a) 

that a student eligible for that grant may 

receive in the aggregate for the award 

year in which the term of service is 

approved by AmeriCorps. 

(b) Less than full-time term of service. 

Except as provided in paragraph (d) of 

this section, the amount of an education 

award for an approved national service 

position for less than full-time term of 

service (i.e., partial award) is 

determined in accordance with the 

following table: 

TABLE 1 TO PARAGRAPH (b) 

For: 

In an approved 

position of at least: 

(hours) 

Is equal to the following percentage of 

the amount of an education award for 

a full-time term of service described in 

paragraph (a) of this section: 

Three quarters time term of service (TQT) .......................................................... 1,200 70 percent. 

Half-time term of service (HT) .............................................................................. 900 50 percent. 

Reduced half-time term of service (RHT) ............................................................ 675 Approximately 39 percent. 

Quarter-time term of service (QT) ........................................................................ 450 Approximately 26 percent. 

Minimal time and summer associate (MT & SA) ................................................. 300 Approximately 21 percent. 

Abbreviated time (AT) .......................................................................................... 100 5.6 percent.

(c) Calculating a pro-rated award 

following release for compelling 

personal circumstances. The education 

award for an Eligible Individual who is 

released from completing an approved 

term of service for compelling personal 

circumstances is equal to the product of: 

(1) The number of hours completed 

divided by the number of hours in the 

approved term of service; and 

(2) The amount of the education 

award for the approved term of service. 

(d) Calculating a discounted 

education award amount. To ensure 

that an Eligible Individual receives no 

more than the aggregate value of two 

awards, pursuant to § 2525.50, if the 

sum of the education award value 

offered for a term of service and the 

aggregate value of previously-received 

education awards exceeds the value of 

two awards, then the individual may 

receive only a portion of that offered 

education award, such that the aggregate 

value of the education awards is not 

greater than the value of two awards. 

Subpart D—Using an Education Award 

§ 2525.210 For what purposes may an 

education award be used? 

(a) An education award may be used 

to pay educational expenses and/or to 

repay qualified student loans, as defined 

in § 2525.2; 

(b) An education award is divisible 

and may be applied to any combination 

of loans, costs, or expenses described in 

paragraph (a) of this section. 


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§ 2525.220 What steps are necessary to 

use an education award to repay a qualified 

student loan? 

(a) Required information. Before 

disbursing an amount from an education 

award to repay a qualified student loan, 

AmeriCorps must receive: 

(1) An Eligible Individual’s written 

authorization and request for a specific 

payment amount; and 

(2) Any identifying and other 

information from the loan holder as 

requested by AmeriCorps. 

(b) Payment. When AmeriCorps 

receives the information required under 

paragraph (a) of this section, it will pay 

the loan holder and notify the Eligible 

Individual of the payment. 

(c) Aggregate payments. AmeriCorps 

may establish procedures to aggregate 

payments to holders of loans for more 

than a single individual. 

§ 2525.230 What steps are necessary to 

use an education award to pay all or part 

of the current educational expenses at an 

institution of higher education? 

(a) Required information. Before 

disbursing funds from an education 

award to pay all or part of the current 

educational expenses at an institution of 

higher education, AmeriCorps must 

receive: 

(1) An Eligible Individual’s written 

authorization and request for a specific 

payment amount; 

(2) Information from the institution of 

higher education as requested by 

AmeriCorps, including verification 

that— 

(i) It has in effect a program 

participation agreement under section 

487 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 

(20 U.S.C. 1094); 

(ii) Its eligibility to participate in any 

of the programs under Title IV of the 

Higher Education Act of 1965 has not 

been limited, suspended, or terminated; 

(iii) If an Eligible Individual who has 

used an education award withdraws or 

otherwise fails to complete the period of 

enrollment for which the education 

award was provided, the institution of 

higher education will ensure an 

appropriate refund to AmeriCorps of the 

unused portion of the education award 

under its own published refund policy, 

or if it does not have one, provide a prorata refund to AmeriCorps of the unused 

portion of the education award; 

(iv) Individuals using education 

awards to pay for current educational 

expenses at that institution do not 

comprise more than 15 percent of the 

institution’s total student population; 

(v) The requested amount will be used 

to pay all or part of the Eligible 

Individual’s educational expenses 

attributable to a course offered by the 

institution; 

(vi) The requested amount does not 

exceed the difference between: 

(A) The Eligible Individual’s cost of 

attendance and other educational 

expenses; and 

(B) The Eligible Individual’s 

estimated student financial assistance 

for that period under Part A of Title IV 

of the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. 

1070 et seq.). 

(b) Payment. When AmeriCorps 

receives the information required under 

paragraph (a) of this section, it will pay 

the institution and notify the Eligible 

Individual of the payment. 

(c) Installment payments. AmeriCorps 

will disburse the education award 

payment to the institution in at least 

two separate installments, none of 

which exceeds 50 percent of the total 

amount. The interval between 

installments may not be less than onehalf of the period of enrollment, except 

as necessary to permit the second 

installment to be paid at the beginning 

of the second semester, quarter, or other 

division of a period of enrollment. 

§ 2525.240 Is there a limit on the amount 

of an Eligible Individual’s education award 

that AmeriCorps will disburse to an 

institution for a given period of enrollment? 

Yes. AmeriCorps’ disbursement from 

an Eligible Individual’s education award 

for any period of enrollment may not 

exceed the difference between: 

(a) The Eligible Individual’s 

educational expenses, determined by 

the institution; and 

(b) The Eligible Individual’s estimated 

financial assistance for that period 

under part A of Title IV of the Higher 

Education Act. 

§ 2525.250 What happens if an individual 

withdraws or fails to complete the period of 

enrollment in an institution of higher 

education for which AmeriCorps has 

disbursed all or part of that individual’s 

education award? 

(a) If an Eligible Individual for whom 

AmeriCorps has disbursed education 

award funds withdraws or otherwise 

fails to complete a period of enrollment, 

then an institution that receives a 

disbursement of education award funds 

from AmeriCorps must: 

(1) Provide a refund to AmeriCorps in 

an amount determined under that 

institution’s published refund 

requirements, unless the institution 

charged the Eligible Individual for the 

uncompleted period of study or 

training. 

(2) Provide a pro-rata refund to 

AmeriCorps of the unused portion of the 

education award if the institution does 

not have a published refund policy. 

(b) AmeriCorps will credit any refund 

received for an Eligible Individual 

under paragraph (a) of this section to the 

individual’s education award allocation 

in the National Service Trust. 

§ 2525.260 Who may use the education 

award to pay expenses incurred in enrolling 

in a G.I. Bill-approved program? 

To use the education award to pay 

expenses incurred in enrolling in a G.I. 

Bill-approved program, an Eligible 

Individual must have received an 

education award for successfully 

completing a term in an approved 

national service position, in which they 

enrolled on or after October 1, 2009. 

§ 2525.270 What steps are necessary to 

use an education award to pay expenses 

incurred in enrolling in a G.I. Bill-approved 

program? 

(a) Required information. Before 

disbursing funds from an education 

award for this purpose, AmeriCorps 

must receive: 

(1) An individual’s written 

authorization and request for a specific 

payment amount; 

(2) Verification from the individual 

that they meet the criteria in § 2525.260; 

and 

(3) Information from the educational 

institution or training establishment as 

requested by AmeriCorps, including 

verification that— 

(i) The amount requested will be used 

to pay all or part of the individual’s 

expenses attributable to a course, 

program of education, apprenticeship, 

or job training offered by the institution 

or establishment; 

(ii) The course(s) or program(s) for 

which the individual is requesting to 

use the education award has been and 

is currently approved by the State 

approving agency for the State where 

the institution or establishment is 

located, or by the Secretary of Veterans 

Affairs; and 

(iii) If an individual who has used an 

education award withdraws or 

otherwise fails to complete the period of 

enrollment for which the education 

award was provided, the institution or 

establishment will ensure a pro-rata 

refund to AmeriCorps of the unused 

portion of the education award. 

(b) Payment. When AmeriCorps 

receives the information required under 

paragraph (a) of this section, it will pay 

the institution or establishment and 

notify the individual of the payment. 

§ 2525.280 What happens if an individual 

for whom AmeriCorps has disbursed 

education award funds withdraws or fails to 

complete the period of enrollment in a G.I. 

Bill approved program? 

(a) If an individual for whom 

AmeriCorps has disbursed education 

award funds withdraws or otherwise 


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fails to complete a period of enrollment, 

the approved educational institution or 

training establishment that received a 

disbursement of education award funds 

from AmeriCorps must provide a prorata refund to AmeriCorps of the unused 

portion of the education award. 

(b) AmeriCorps will credit any refund 

received for an individual under 

paragraph (a) of this section to the 

individual’s education award allocation 

in the National Service Trust. 

§ 2525.290 What happens to an education 

award upon divorce or death? 

(a) Prohibition on treatment of an 

education award as marital property. 

An education award may not be treated 

as marital property, or the asset of a 

marital estate, subject to division in a 

divorce or other civil proceeding. 

(b) Death of Eligible Individual. An 

educational award expires and is no 

longer available for any purpose upon 

the death of the Eligible Individual, 

except for: 

(1) Any award or portion of the 

educational award the Eligible 

Individual transferred prior to death; 

(2) Any amount for which the Eligible 

Individual submitted a request for 

disbursement prior to death that the 

National Service Trust had not yet 

either received or acted upon as of the 

date of death. 

Subpart E—Payment of Accrued 

Interest 

§ 2525.310 Under what circumstances will 

AmeriCorps pay interest that accrues on 

qualified student loans during an 

individual’s term of service in an approved 

position? 

(a) Eligibility. AmeriCorps will pay 

interest that accrues on an Eligible 

Individual’s qualified student loan, 

subject to the limitation on amount in 

paragraph (b) of this section, if: 

(1) The Eligible Individual 

successfully completes a term of 

national service in an approved 

position; and 

(2) The loan holder approves the 

Eligible Individual’s request for 

forbearance for a time period specified 

by the loan holder during the term of 

service. 

(b) Amount. The portion of accrued 

interest that AmeriCorps will pay is 

determined by the length of service. The 

percentage of accrued interest that 

AmeriCorps will pay is the lesser of— 

(1) The product of— 

(i) The number of completed service 

hours divided by the number of days for 

which forbearance was granted; and 

(ii) 365 divided by 17; and 

(2) One hundred (100). 

(c) Supplemental to education award. 

A payment of accrued interest under 

this part is supplemental to an 

education award received by an Eligible 

Individual under this part. 

(d) Limitation. AmeriCorps is not 

responsible for the payment of any 

accrued interest in excess of the amount 

determined in accordance with 

paragraph (b) of this section. 

(e) Suspended service. AmeriCorps 

will not pay interest expenses that 

accrue on an Eligible Individual’s 

qualified student loan during a period of 

suspended service. 

§ 2525.320 What steps are necessary to 

obtain forbearance in the repayment of a 

qualified student loan during an individual’s 

term of service in an approved AmeriCorps 

position? 

(a) An Eligible Individual seeking 

forbearance must submit a request to the 

loan holder. 

(b) If, before approving a request for 

forbearance, the loan holder requires 

verification that the Eligible Individual 

is serving in an approved national 

service position, AmeriCorps will 

provide verification upon a request from 

the Eligible Individual or the loan 

holder. 

§ 2525.330 What steps are necessary for 

AmeriCorps to pay interest that has 

accrued on a qualified student loan in 

forbearance? 

(a) If an Eligible Individual has 

obtained forbearance on a qualified 

student loan, AmeriCorps will make 

payments from the National Service 

Trust for interest that has accrued on 

that student loan during the individual’s 

term of service, after: 

(1) The program verifies that the 

Eligible Individual has successfully 

completed the term of service and the 

dates when the term of service began 

and ended; 

(2) The holder of the loan verifies the 

amount of interest that has accrued 

during the term of service. 

(b) When AmeriCorps receives all 

necessary information from the program 

and the loan holder, it will pay the loan 

holder and notify the individual of the 

payment. 

Subpart F—Transfer of Education 

Awards 

§ 2525.410 Under what circumstances may 

an Eligible Individual transfer an education 

award? 

An Eligible Individual may transfer an 

education award if— 

(a) The Eligible Individual was 55 or 

older on the day they began the term of 

service in an approved national service 

position; 

(b) The Eligible Individual 

successfully completed a term of service 

in an approved national service 

position; 

(c) The education award the Eligible 

Individual is requesting to transfer has 

not expired, consistent with the period 

of availability set forth in § 2525.40(a); 

(d) The individual designated to 

receive the transferred education award 

(the Designated Recipient) is: 

(1) The Eligible Individual’s child, 

grandchild, stepchild, step-grandchild, 

or foster child; and 

(2) A citizen, national, or lawful 

permanent resident of the United States. 

(e) The Designated Recipient is not 

entitled to the education award until 

their citizenship status has been 

verified. Once citizenship is confirmed, 

the Designated Recipient has all the 

benefits of an Eligible Individual. 

§ 2525.420 For what purposes may a 

transferred award be used? 

A transferred award may be used by 

the Designated Recipient to repay 

qualified student loans or to pay current 

educational expenses at an institution of 

higher education, as described in 

§ 2525.210. 

§ 2525.430 What steps are necessary to 

transfer an education award? 

(a) Request for transfer. Before 

transferring an education award to a 

Designated Recipient, AmeriCorps must 

receive a request from the transferring 

Eligible Individual, including: 

(1) The Eligible Individual’s written 

authorization to transfer the education 

award, the year in which the education 

award was earned, and the specific 

amount of the education award to be 

transferred; 

(2) Identifying information for the 

Designated Recipient who is to receive 

the transferred education award; 

(3) A certification that the transferring 

Eligible Individual and the Designated 

Recipient have completed or satisfy the 

requirements of § 2525.410. 

(b) Notification to Designated 

Recipient. Upon receipt of a request, 

including all required information listed 

in paragraph (a) of this section, 

AmeriCorps will contact the Designated 

Recipient to: 

(1) Notify the Designated Recipient, or 

their legal guardian, of the proposed 

transfer; 

(2) Confirm the Designated 

Recipient’s identity; 

(3) Confirm that the Designated 

Recipient is a citizen, national, or lawful 

permanent resident of the United States; 

and 

(4) Give the Designated Recipient the 

opportunity to accept or reject the 

proposed transferred education award. 


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(c) Acceptance by Designated 

Recipient. To accept an education 

award, a Designated Recipient, or their 

legal guardian, must certify that the 

Designated Recipient is eligible under 

§ 2525.410. Upon receipt of the 

Designated Recipient’s acceptance and 

verification of the Designated 

Recipient’s eligibility, AmeriCorps will 

create an account in the National 

Service Trust for the Designated 

Recipient, if an account does not 

already exist, and the accepted amount 

will be deducted from the transferring 

Eligible Individual’s account and 

credited to the Designated Recipient’s 

account. 

(d) Timing of transfer. AmeriCorps 

must receive the request from the 

transferring Eligible Individual before 

the date the education award expires. 

(e) Refusal. The Designated Recipient 

can refuse to accept the transferred 

education award under § 2525.470. 

(f) Revocation. The Eligible Individual 

can revoke part or all of the remaining 

balance of the transfer that has not yet 

been requested for use under 

§§ 2525.480 and 2525.485. 

§ 2525.440 Is there a limit on the number 

of recipients an individual may designate to 

receive a transferred award? 

(a) An Eligible Individual may 

transfer all or part of a non-expired 

education award to no more than two 

recipients. 

(b) If a Designated Recipient rejects, in 

whole or in part, a transferred education 

award, or a transfer was revoked in 

accordance with § 2525.480, the 

education award can be transferred to 

another Designated Recipient, so long as 

the education award has not yet 

expired. 

§ 2525.450 Is there a limit on the amount 

of transferred education awards a 

Designated Recipient may receive? 

(a) If the sum of the value of the 

requested transfer plus the aggregate 

value of education awards a Designated 

Recipient has previously earned or 

received, through the Designated 

Recipient’s own service term or having 

previously been transferred an 

education award, would exceed the 

aggregate value of two full-time 

education awards, as determined 

pursuant to § 2525.50(b), the Designated 

Recipient will be deemed to have 

rejected that portion of the education 

award that would result in the excess. 

(b) If a Designated Recipient has 

already received the aggregate value of 

two full-time education awards, they 

may not receive a transferred education 

award, and the Designated Recipient 

will be deemed to have rejected the 

education award in full. 

§ 2525.460 What is the impact of 

transferring or receiving a transferred 

education award on an Eligible Individual’s 

eligibility to receive additional education 

awards? 

(a) Impact on transferring individual. 

Pursuant to § 2525.50, an education 

award is considered to be received at 

the time it becomes available for a 

Designated Recipient’s use. Transferring 

all or part of an award does not reduce 

the aggregate value of education awards 

the transferring individual is considered 

to have received. 

(b) Impact on Designated Recipient. 

For the purposes of determining the 

value of the transferred education award 

under § 2525.50, a Designated Recipient 

will be considered to have received a 

value equal to the amount received 

divided by the amount of a full-time 

education award in the year the 

transferring Eligible Individual’s 

position for that education award was 

approved. 

(c) Result of revocation on education 

award value. If the Eligible Individual 

revokes the transferred education 

award, in whole or in part, the value of 

the education award considered to have 

been received by the Designated 

Recipient for purposes of § 2525.50 will 

be reduced accordingly. 

§ 2525.470 Is a Designated Recipient 

required to accept a transferred education 

award? 

(a) General rule. No. A Designated 

Recipient is not required to accept a 

transferred education award and may 

reject an education award in whole or 

in part. 

(b) Result of rejection in full. If the 

Designated Recipient rejects a 

transferred education award in whole, 

the amount is credited back to the 

transferring Eligible Individual’s 

account in the National Service Trust, 

and may be transferred to another 

individual, or may be used by the 

transferring Eligible Individual, 

consistent with the original period of 

availability set forth in § 2525.40(a). 

(c) Result of rejection in part. If the 

Designated Recipient rejects a 

transferred education award in part, the 

rejected portion is credited to the 

transferring Eligible Individual’s 

account in the National Service Trust 

for their use, including re-transfer of the 

education award, consistent with the 

original period of availability set forth 

in § 2525.40(a). 

(d) Rescission. A Designated Recipient 

who originally accepted a transferred 

education award may rescind their 

acceptance of any unused portion of the 

award at any time before the education 

award expires, and for any reason. 

§ 2525.480 Under what circumstances is a 

transfer revocable? 

(a) Revocation. An Eligible Individual 

who transferred an award may revoke 

the transfer at any time and for any 

reason before the education award’s 

expiration and use by the Designated 

Recipient. 

(b) Use of award. Upon revocation, 

the revoked amount will be deducted 

from the Designated Recipient’s account 

and credited to the transferring Eligible 

Individual’s account. The transferring 

Eligible Individual may use the revoked 

transferred education award for any of 

the purposes described in § 2525.210, 

consistent with the original time period 

of availability set forth in § 2525.40(a). 

(c) Re-transfer. An Eligible Individual 

may re-transfer an education award to 

another qualifying individual after 

revoking the education award. 

§ 2525.485 What steps are necessary to 

revoke a transfer? 

(a) Request for revocation. Before 

revoking a transfer, the transferring 

Eligible Individual must submit a 

request to AmeriCorps that includes: 

(1) The Eligible Individual’s written 

authorization to revoke the education 

award; 

(2) The year in which the education 

award was earned; 

(3) The specific amount to be revoked; 

and 

(4) The identity of the Designated 

Recipient. 

(b) Used education awards. A 

revocation may only apply to the 

portion of the transferred education 

award that has not been used by the 

Designated Recipient. If the Designated 

Recipient has used the entire transferred 

amount before AmeriCorps receives the 

revocation request, no amount will be 

returned to the transferring Eligible 

Individual. An amount is considered to 

be used when it is disbursed from the 

National Service Trust, not when a 

request is received for its use. 

(c) Notification to Designated 

Recipient. AmeriCorps will notify the 

Designated Recipient of the amount 

being revoked as of the date of its 

receipt of the revocation request. 

(d) Timing of revocation. AmeriCorps 

must receive the request to revoke the 

transfer from the transferring Eligible 

Individual before the education award’s 

expiration as calculated pursuant to 

§ 2525.40(a)(2), from the date the 

education award was originally earned. 

§ 2525.487 What happens to a transferred 

education award upon divorce or death? 

(a) Prohibition on treatment of a 

transferred education award as marital 

property. An education award 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with RULES1
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 133 / Thursday, July 13, 2023 / Rules and Regulations 44735 

1Our rules and other Commission documents 

refer to a series of P.O. Boxes used for the collection 

of fees as ‘‘lockboxes.’’ These P.O. Boxes are located 

at U.S. Bank in St. Louis, Missouri. Once a payment 

is received, it is processed and recorded by the 

bank. 

transferred under this subsection may 

not be treated as marital property, or the 

asset of a marital estate, subject to 

division in a divorce or other civil 

proceeding. 

(b) Death of transferor. The death of 

an Eligible Individual who has 

transferred, or initiated the transfer of, 

an education award under this 

subsection does not affect the use of the 

education award by the Designated 

Recipient. 

§ 2525.490 Is a recipient of a transferred 

education award eligible for the payment of 

accrued interest for their own student 

loans? 

No. The transfer of an education 

award does not convey eligibility for 

payment of accrued interest under 

subpart E of this part. 

PART 2526—[REMOVED AND 

RESERVED] 

■ 2. Remove and reserve part 2526. 

PART 2527—[REMOVED AND 

RESERVED] 

■ 3. Remove and reserve part 2527. 

PART 2528—[REMOVED AND 

RESERVED] 

■ 4. Remove and reserve part 2528. 

PART 2529—[REMOVED AND 

RESERVED] 

■ 5. Remove and reserve part 2529. 

PART 2530—[REMOVED AND 

RESERVED] 

■ 6. Remove and reserve part 2530. 

Fernando Laguarda, 

General Counsel. 

[FR Doc. 2023–14729 Filed 7–12–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6050–28–P 

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS 

COMMISSION 

47 CFR Parts 0, 1, and 80 

[MD Docket No. 23–156; FCC 23–39; FR ID 

145447] 

Closure of FCC Lockbox 979097 Used 

To File Fees for Services Provided by 

the Wireless Telecommunications 

Bureau 

AGENCY: Federal Communications 

Commission. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: In this document, the Federal 

Communications Commission (FCC or 

Commission) adopts an Order that 

closes Lockbox 979097 and modifies the 

relevant rule provisions to require 

electronic filing and fee payments. 

DATES: Effective August 14, 2023. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Warren Firschein, Office of Managing 

Director at (202) 418–2653 or Roland 

Helvajian, Office of Managing Director 

at (202) 418–0444. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a 

summary of the Commission’s Order, 

FCC 23–39, MD Docket No. 23–156, 

adopted on May 17, 2023 and released 

on May 18, 2023, which is the subject 

of this rulemaking. The full text of this 

document is available for public 

inspection and copying by downloading 

the text from the Commission’s website 

at https://www.fcc.gov/document/ 

closure-lockbox-used-collect-feepayments-wtb. 

I. Procedural Matters 

A. Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis 

1. Section 603 of the Regulatory 

Flexibility Act, as amended, requires a 

regulatory flexibility analysis in notice 

and comment rulemaking proceedings. 

See 5 U.S.C. 603(a). As we are adopting 

these rules without notice and 

comment, no regulatory flexibility 

analysis is required. 

B. Final Paperwork Reduction Act of 

1995 Analysis 

2. This document does not contain 

new or modified information collection 

requirements subject to the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), Public 

Law 104–13. In addition, therefore, it 

does not contain any new or modified 

information collection burden for small 

business concerns with fewer than 25 

employees, pursuant to the Small 

Business Paperwork Relief Act of 2002, 

Public Law 107–198, see 44 U.S.C. 

3506(c)(4). 

C. Congressional Review Act 

3. The Commission will not send a 

copy of the Order pursuant to the 

Congressional Review Act, see 5 U.S.C. 

801(a)(1)(A), because the adopted rules 

are rules of agency organization, 

procedure, or practice that do not 

‘‘substantially affect the rights or 

obligations of non-agency parties. See 5 

U.S.C. 804(3)(C). 

II. Introduction 

4. In the Order, we reduce 

expenditures by the Federal 

Communications Commission (FCC or 

Commission) and modernize 

Commission procedures by amending 

§ 1.1102 of our rules, 47 CFR 1.1102, 

which sets forth the fees for applications 

and other filings processed by the FCC’s 

Wireless Telecommunications Bureau 

(WTB). The rule amendment reflects the 

closure of the P.O. Box 979097 (i.e., 

lockbox) 1 used for manual payment of 

filing fees for three different broad 

categories of filings: (1) Site-based 

license applications; (2) Personal license 

applications; and (3) Geographic-based 

license applications. We discontinue the 

option of manual fee payments and 

instead require the use of an electronic 

payment for each listing in this rule, 

and make conforming changes to other 

related provisions. 

5. Section 1.1102 of the Commission’s 

rules, 47 CFR 1.1102, provides a 

schedule of fees for applications and 

other filings processed by WTB. The 

rule also directs filers that do not utilize 

the Commission’s on-line filing and fee 

payment systems to send manual filings 

and/or payments to the Commission at 

P.O. Box 979097 at U.S. Bank in St. 

Louis, Missouri. In recent years, there 

have been a decreasing number of 

lockbox payments, and, although paper 

filings are contemplated by the rule, 

WTB now requires electronic filing of 

all wireless radio service applications 

and pleadings. As a result, transition to 

all electronic payments is consistent 

with Commission-wide efforts to 

digitize our systems and create efficient 

and more accessible interactions with 

the agency. 

6. The Commission has reduced its 

reliance on P.O. Boxes for the collection 

of fees, instead encouraging the use of 

electronic payment systems for all 

application and regulatory fees and 

closing certain lockboxes. We find that 

electronic payment of fees for the 

services processed by WTB reduces the 

agency’s expenditures (including 

eliminating the annual fee for the bank’s 

services) and the cost of manually 

processing each transaction, with little 

or no inconvenience to the 

Commission’s regulatees, applicants, 

and the public. As part of this effort, we 

are now closing P.O. Box 979097 and 

modifying the relevant rule provisions 

that permit manual filings and require 

payment of fees via the closed P.O. Box. 

Specifically, §§ 0.482, 1.1102, and 

1.2107 are being modified to eliminate 

references to the lockbox at U.S. Bank. 

In addition, § 1.907 is being modified to 

eliminate references to applications 

submitted on paper, and the caption to 

§ 1.913 is being adjusted to eliminate a 

reference to manual filing. In addition, 

we make minor modifications to our 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with RULES1