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TO: State Service Commissions and AmeriCorps National Grantees

FROM: Chester W. Spellman

 Director, AmeriCorps State and National

SUBJECT: 2019.04: AmeriCorps State and National Enrollment and Enrollment Date Change Policy - Corrected

DATE: July 3, 2019

An individual is presumed to be an AmeriCorps member as of the start date reflected in the MyAmeriCorps Portal. An 

enrollment can be recorded up to 8 days after the start date of the member. The 8-day limit to report enrollments will 

become effective with MyAmeriCorps updates in June 2019. 

System of Record

The system of record for an AmeriCorps member’s National Service Trust information is eSPAN. The MyAmeriCorps 

Portal is the mechanism through which programs enter and update member records in eSPAN including enrolling a 

member and recording an individual’s start date. Programs are responsible for ensuring the data values they enter via the 

MyAmeriCorps Portal are accurate and submitted within the required timeframes. CNCS will rely on the information 

entered by programs via MyAmeriCorps Portal. The member’s start of service date indicated on the Member Service 

Agreement/Contract should agree with the value entered into eSPAN via the MyAmeriCorps Portal. 

Programs must verify that individuals are eligible to serve based on the requirements specified in 45 CFR § 2522.200. The 

system is set up so that:

1. An individual may not start service until CNCS has automatically or manually verified an individual’s Social 

Security Number and citizenship eligibility.

2. An individual may not start service until:

a. The program certifies that it has conducted and adjudicated the results of the nationwide NSOPW.gov 

check; and

b. The program certifies that it has initiated any required state and FBI criminal history checks, as 

appropriate for the individual’s level of access to vulnerable populations. 

c. If the member is not eligible for the full education award due to prior service, the member has completed 

the member acknowledgement for reduced or no award. 

3. After the completion of steps 1 and 2, above, programs must enter the members’ start date, assignment and term 

of service to complete the member enrollment in the National Service Trust through the MyAmeriCorps Portal no 

more than eight days after the individual starts their term of service. 
NationalService.gov

Member Right to Appeal Ineligibility

Any member deemed ineligible because their Social Security Number or citizenship could not be verified has an absolute 

right to appeal to CNCS. See Requesting Administrative Review below. 

Correcting Errors that Require CNCS Review

Changes to an individual’s start date after the eight-day enrollment period ends require CNCS review and approval. 

Grantees and AmeriCorps members have 30-days from the effective date of enrollment to request an Administrative 

Review to modify an enrollment record. 

CNCS will consider changes in member start date if:

1. The member or program can document a failure of CNCS’s technology platform that prevented the member or 

program staff from completing the enrollment within the required timeframe; or

2. The member or program can demonstrate other circumstances that prevent a program from making a timely 

enrollment to the MyAmeriCorps Portal, such as a natural disaster. 

Requesting an Administrative Review of a Member’s Enrollment or to Appeal SSN or Citizenship Ineligibility:

Members or grantee organizations may request an Administrative Review in writing to 

ASNAdministrativeReview@cns.gov. The request for an Administrative Review must include all information and 

supporting documentation needed for CNCS to make a decision on changing the start date or reconsidering eligibility. At 

a minimum the information must include:

1. Member Name 

2. NSPID

3. Grantee Organization

4. Program Name

5. Program Code

6. Program Year

7. Desired Data Correction(s) (e.g., enrollment start date, service hours, other)

8. Justification for Making the Requested Change(s)

9. Requestor’s Contact Information

CNCS will consider requests submitted and provide a written determination as to whether changes can be made. If an 

Administrative Review Request requires the submission of Personally Identifiable Information (PII), please contact the 

National Service Hotline and request a Secure File Transfer Link to transmit PII separately.