Member Handbook

AmeriCorps VISTA

2023
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Member Handbook en Espanol

Table of Contents

Table of Contents................................................................................................................................................. i

Chapter 1: Background and Purpose............................................................................................................... 1

Background and Purpose.............................................................................................................................. 1

Overview of Roles........................................................................................................................................... 2

Role of Sponsoring Organization ............................................................................................................. 3

Role of Community..................................................................................................................................... 4

Role of AmeriCorps VISTA Member......................................................................................................... 4

AmeriCorps VISTA Assignment ................................................................................................................ 4

Supervision.................................................................................................................................................. 5

Role of AmeriCorps VISTA Leader............................................................................................................ 5

Role of the VISTA Member Support Unit ................................................................................................. 6

Role of the AmeriCorps Regional Office.................................................................................................. 6

Role of AmeriCorps VISTA Headquarters Office..................................................................................... 7

Chapter 2: Overview of Your Year in AmeriCorps VISTA .............................................................................. 8

Overview Of Your Year In Americorps VISTA.............................................................................................. 8

Before You Begin Service.............................................................................................................................. 8

Criminal History Check............................................................................................................................... 8

Drug Screening........................................................................................................................................... 9

AmeriCorps VISTA Administrative Forms and Tasks .............................................................................. 9

Mandatory Online Coursework.............................................................................................................. 10

Your Service Year ........................................................................................................................................ 10

First Week on Your Project ..................................................................................................................... 11

Ongoing Member Training and Development .................................................................................... 11
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Changing Your End-of-Service Benefit Selection ................................................................................ 11

Tenth Month............................................................................................................................................. 12

Future Plans Form ............................................................................................................................... 12

Extension of Service ............................................................................................................................ 12

Reenrollment for an Additional Year................................................................................................. 12

Last Three Weeks..................................................................................................................................... 13

After You Complete Your Year of Service................................................................................................. 13

Chapter 3: Serving your Project ..................................................................................................................... 13

Serving at Your Project ............................................................................................................................... 13

Project Application...................................................................................................................................... 14

Supervising Members ................................................................................................................................. 14

Chapter 4: Training for Members................................................................................................................... 15

Training for Members ................................................................................................................................. 16

VISTA Member Orientation........................................................................................................................ 16

On-Site Orientation and Training .............................................................................................................. 17

Ongoing Member Training and Development........................................................................................ 18

Online Resources ........................................................................................................................................ 19

Chapter 5: Financial Support ......................................................................................................................... 20

Financial Support ........................................................................................................................................ 21

Living Allowance...................................................................................................................................... 21

End-of-Service Benefit............................................................................................................................. 21

End-of-Service Stipend ........................................................................................................................... 22

Prorated End-of-Service Stipend ........................................................................................................... 22

Segal AmeriCorps Education Award..................................................................................................... 23

Prorated Segal AmeriCorps Education Award..................................................................................... 23

Changing Your End-of-Service Benefit Selection ................................................................................ 23
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Settling-In Allowance .............................................................................................................................. 24

Emergency Expense Allowance............................................................................................................. 24

How Do Members Get Paid?...................................................................................................................... 25

Direct Deposit.......................................................................................................................................... 25

Paper Check Payment (Exception Only) ............................................................................................... 26

Lost Check................................................................................................................................................ 26

Taxes: Obligations, Withholdings, and Credits ....................................................................................... 26

Federal Taxes........................................................................................................................................... 27

State, County, and Municipal Taxes....................................................................................................... 27

Social Security and Medicare ................................................................................................................. 27

W-2 Form Statement of Earnings and Taxes Withheld........................................................................ 27

Earned Income Tax Credit...................................................................................................................... 28

Deductions From Allowances .................................................................................................................... 28

Recovery of Overpayment...................................................................................................................... 28

Child Care .................................................................................................................................................... 29

State Benefit Limits .................................................................................................................................. 30

Housing Assistance ..................................................................................................................................... 30

Member Allowances at a Glance............................................................................................................... 30

Chapter 6: Benefits Towards Education........................................................................................................ 32

Education Benefits ...................................................................................................................................... 33

If You Elect the End-Of-Service Stipend ................................................................................................... 33

Student Loan Deferment During Service .............................................................................................. 33

Post-Service Cancellation of Federal Perkins Loans ............................................................................ 34

If you Elect the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award .............................................................................. 34

Overview of Segal AmeriCorps Education Award............................................................................... 35

National Service Trust ............................................................................................................................. 35
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Education Award Amount ...................................................................................................................... 35

How to Qualify ......................................................................................................................................... 36

Restrictions and Limitations.................................................................................................................... 36

Number of Awards .............................................................................................................................. 36

Time Limit on Use of Education Award............................................................................................. 36

Ineligibility for Controlled Substance Conviction ............................................................................ 37

Prorated Segal AmeriCorps Education Award..................................................................................... 37

Early Departure for Another AmeriCorps Program......................................................................... 38

Qualified Loans........................................................................................................................................ 38

Institutions Matching the Education Award.......................................................................................... 39

Eligible Institutions .................................................................................................................................. 39

U.S. Schools.......................................................................................................................................... 39

Foreign Schools................................................................................................................................... 40

Qualified Expenses to Attend School.................................................................................................... 40

Bookstores and the Education Award................................................................................................... 41

Loan Postponement and Interest Payment .............................................................................................. 41

Forbearance or Deferment..................................................................................................................... 41

Loan Forbearance ................................................................................................................................... 42

Process for Requesting Forbearance ................................................................................................ 43

Perkins Loans, State Agency Loans, and Forbearances .................................................................. 43

Payment of Accrued Interest .................................................................................................................. 44

Process for Getting Interest Paid ....................................................................................................... 44

Tax Implications........................................................................................................................................... 45

Federal Tax............................................................................................................................................... 45

Tax Credits ............................................................................................................................................... 45
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Contacting the National Service Trust....................................................................................................... 45

Graduate Record Examination Fee Reduction Program......................................................................... 46

Educational Benefits at a Glance ............................................................................................................... 46

Chapter 7: Travel & Transportation Support ................................................................................................ 48

Travel & Transportation Support ............................................................................................................... 48

Relocation Travel ......................................................................................................................................... 48

Relocation Travel Allowance .................................................................................................................. 49

Requesting Approval for Relocation Travel .......................................................................................... 49

Modes of Travel for Relocation .............................................................................................................. 49

Requesting Reimbursement for Travel ..................................................................................................... 49

Travel Reimbursement at End of Service .............................................................................................. 50

Additional Year of Service.................................................................................................................. 50

Service-Related Transportation ................................................................................................................. 50

Public Transportation for Service-Related Travel................................................................................. 51

Vehicles Owned or Leased by Sponsoring Organizations For Service-Related Travel.................... 51

Privately Owned Vehicles for Service-Related Travel .......................................................................... 51

Licensing and Insurance ......................................................................................................................... 51

Accidents While Driving A Vehicle ........................................................................................................ 52

Travel Forms at a Glance* .......................................................................................................................... 53

Chapter 8: Healthcare Benefit Support......................................................................................................... 55

Healthcare Benefit Overview...................................................................................................................... 55

Enrollment.................................................................................................................................................... 55

Healthcare Benefit Administration ............................................................................................................ 56

Healthcare Benefit Courage....................................................................................................................... 56

Subrogation of Medical Expenses ......................................................................................................... 57

Access to Telehealth ............................................................................................................................... 57
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Federal Employees’ Compensation Act ................................................................................................... 58

Benefits ..................................................................................................................................................... 58

Claims Procedures................................................................................................................................... 58

Appeal Procedure ................................................................................................................................... 59

Death Benefits ............................................................................................................................................. 59

Chapter 9: Leave Benefits ............................................................................................................................... 60

Leave Benefits at a Glance ......................................................................................................................... 60

National Holidays ........................................................................................................................................ 61

Personal Leave............................................................................................................................................. 62

Medical Leave.............................................................................................................................................. 62

Parental Leave ............................................................................................................................................. 63

Emergency Leave........................................................................................................................................ 63

Jury Duty ...................................................................................................................................................... 63

Military Reserve Leave ................................................................................................................................ 64

Family Medical Leave Act........................................................................................................................... 64

Alternative Service Sites ............................................................................................................................ 65

Chapter 10: AmeriCorps VISTA Leaders....................................................................................................... 65

AmeriCorps VISTA Leaders........................................................................................................................ 66

Role of AmeriCorps VISTA Leaders........................................................................................................... 66

Leader Orientation...................................................................................................................................... 67

Administrative Policies for Leaders ........................................................................................................... 67

Becoming a VISTA Leader...................................................................................................................... 68

Transition from VISTA Member to Leader ............................................................................................ 68

Leader’s Relationship with Sponsoring Organizations, Supervisors, and Members........................ 68

Regional and Project-Based Leaders .................................................................................................... 68

Leader Benefits............................................................................................................................................ 69
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Living Allowance...................................................................................................................................... 69

Health Care .............................................................................................................................................. 69

Education Award ..................................................................................................................................... 69

End-of-Service Stipend ........................................................................................................................... 69

Chapter 11: Summer Associates .................................................................................................................... 69

Summer Associates ..................................................................................................................................... 70

Administrative Policies for Summer Associates ....................................................................................... 70

Benefits and Support .............................................................................................................................. 70

Leave......................................................................................................................................................... 71

Holidays................................................................................................................................................ 71

Emergency Leave ................................................................................................................................ 71

Jury Duty .............................................................................................................................................. 72

Worker’s Compensation ......................................................................................................................... 72

Income Disregard.................................................................................................................................... 72

Completion of Future Plans Form.......................................................................................................... 73

Chapter 12: End of Service............................................................................................................................. 73

End-of-Service ............................................................................................................................................. 74

End-of-Service Checklist............................................................................................................................. 74

Preparing for End-of-Service...................................................................................................................... 76

Future Plans Form.................................................................................................................................... 76

Evaluation of Your Service...................................................................................................................... 77

Close of Service Travel Assistance......................................................................................................... 77

Home of Record....................................................................................................................................... 78

Breaks in Service...................................................................................................................................... 79

End-Of-Service Stipend .............................................................................................................................. 79

Segal AmeriCorps Education Award......................................................................................................... 79
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Process for Accessing Education Award............................................................................................... 80

Additional AmeriCorps VISTA Service...................................................................................................... 80

Restrictions and Requirements .............................................................................................................. 80

Life After AmeriCorps VISTA...................................................................................................................... 81

Certification of Service............................................................................................................................ 81

Staying involved....................................................................................................................................... 81

Service and Your Career......................................................................................................................... 81

Non-Competitive Eligibility for Federal Government Jobs ................................................................ 82

Employers of National Service Initiative................................................................................................ 82

Applying AmeriCorps VISTA Service Towards Federal Benefits/ Retirement .................................. 83

Chapter 13: Administrative Policies............................................................................................................... 83

Administrative Policies................................................................................................................................ 84

Break in Service ........................................................................................................................................... 84

Administrative Hold Status ..................................................................................................................... 84

Status of Service and Eligibility for Benefits ............................................................................................. 85

Change in Service ....................................................................................................................................... 86

Transfer to Another AmeriCorps VISTA Project ................................................................................... 86

Early Departure for Another AmeriCorps Program ............................................................................. 86

Deferral of Service ................................................................................................................................... 87

Separation from Service ............................................................................................................................. 87

Deselection .............................................................................................................................................. 87

Early Termination for Cause ................................................................................................................... 88

Medical Termination ............................................................................................................................... 89

Removal from Project.............................................................................................................................. 89

Termination for Lack of Suitable Assignment....................................................................................... 90

Resignation............................................................................................................................................... 91
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Early Termination of a VISTA member for a Compelling Personal Circumstance............................ 92

Types of Acceptable Documentation to Show a Compelling Personal Circumstance................ 93

Chapter 14: Terms & Conditions of Service.................................................................................................. 93

Terms & Conditions of Service................................................................................................................... 94

Teleservice and Virtual Service Sites ..................................................................................................... 94

Key Terms............................................................................................................................................. 95

Rules and Restrictions ............................................................................................................................. 95

Outside Employment.......................................................................................................................... 95

Additional Terms of Service ................................................................................................................... 96

Educational Courses ............................................................................................................................... 96

Financial Obligations .............................................................................................................................. 97

Work Study, Fellowship, and Internship programs.............................................................................. 97

Member Housing..................................................................................................................................... 97

Expressing Your Views and Concerns Regarding Service...................................................................... 98

Informal Procedure.................................................................................................................................. 98

AmeriCorps VISTA Grievance Procedure ............................................................................................. 98

Property Loss............................................................................................................................................ 99

Other Matters While in Service .................................................................................................................. 99

Responsibility for Financial Debts.......................................................................................................... 99

Keeping in Touch .................................................................................................................................. 100

Change of Address Notification ...................................................................................................... 100

Change of Name Notification .......................................................................................................... 100

Disclosure and Use of Member Addresses .................................................................................... 100

Supplies and Equipment ...................................................................................................................... 100

Donated and Other Gifts to Benefit the Project................................................................................. 101
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Intellectual Property Created During Service..................................................................................... 101

Evacuation Policy for AmeriCorps VISTA Members........................................................................... 101

Chapter 15: Basic Laws & Federal Regulations .......................................................................................... 103

Basic Laws & Federal Regulations ........................................................................................................... 103

Eligibility Requirements: Age & Citizenship........................................................................................... 103

Oath of Service .......................................................................................................................................... 104

Civil Rights and Non-Discrimination........................................................................................................ 104

Governing Federal Laws and Orders .................................................................................................. 104

Title VI Filing....................................................................................................................................... 105

Title IX Filing ...................................................................................................................................... 106

DVSA Filing ........................................................................................................................................ 106

Prohibition Against Harassment .......................................................................................................... 106

Discrimination Complaint Procedures ................................................................................................ 107

Limitation on Member Activities and Duties .......................................................................................... 108

AmeriCorps Guidelines on Service of Members in Religious Organizations or Activities............. 108

Limitation on Political Activities............................................................................................................ 109

Engaging in Electoral Activities ....................................................................................................... 109

Engaging in Lobbying ...................................................................................................................... 111

Participating in Demonstrations ...................................................................................................... 111

Social Media Use and Prohibited Political Activities...................................................................... 111

Limitation on Displacement of Employed Workers and Impairment of Contracts for Service ..... 112

Limitation on Receiving any compensation or Other Benefits for Service Members..................... 112

Limitation on Anti-Labor Activity.......................................................................................................... 113

Prohibition on Nepotism....................................................................................................................... 113

Members ............................................................................................................................................ 113
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VISTA Project Supervisory Employees ............................................................................................ 113

Limitation on AmeriCorps VISTA Fraternization................................................................................. 114

Protection of Public Assistance Benefits While Serving in AmeriCorps VISTA................................... 115

Income Exclusions of AmeriCorps VISTA Allowances From Benefit Calculations Under 

Governmental Assistance Programs ................................................................................................... 115

Public Assistance Programs and Benefits ............................................................................................... 116

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Formerly Known as Food Stamps.............. 116

Woman, Infants, and Children Program.............................................................................................. 116

Social Security Disability Payments...................................................................................................... 116

Veterans Benefits ................................................................................................................................... 117

Housing Assistance Programs.............................................................................................................. 117

Welfare Reform Law .............................................................................................................................. 117

AmeriCorps VISTA Members Considered Federal Employees Only for Limited Purposes .......... 118

Liability Coverage (Federal Tort Claims Act)...................................................................................... 119

Federal Employees’ Compensation Act.............................................................................................. 119

Unemployment Compensation............................................................................................................ 120

Civil Service Benefits ................................................................................................................................. 120

Non-Competitive Eligibility .................................................................................................................. 120

Federal Civil Service Credit.................................................................................................................. 121

Legal Support and Request for Information........................................................................................... 122

Legal Expenses ...................................................................................................................................... 122

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Privacy Act ........................................................... 122
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Chapter 1: Background and Purpose

Background and Purpose

AmeriCorps VISTA has a rich history and legacy. The program 

was first envisioned by President John F. Kennedy when, in 

1962, he commissioned a task force to explore the creation of 

a national service program modeled after the Peace Corps, 

whose purpose would be to assist Americans afflicted by 

poverty. In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson realized that 

vision and created what was then known as Volunteers in 

Service to America (VISTA).

In 1965, the first VISTA members began serving in migrant farm worker camps in California, 

the hollows of eastern Kentucky, and the urban neighborhoods of Hartford, Connecticut. 

Since then, more than 220,000 members have served in all 50 states and U.S. Territories. 

Members serve in tribal, rural, suburban, and urban communities. Poverty exists in many 

forms, which is why VISTA’s model is driven directly by communities in need. Whether that 

need is expanding job-training services for out of work coal miners in Kentucky, recruiting 

disadvantaged youth for computer literacy and coding classes in Minneapolis, or combatting 

homelessness among our veterans, members help others while gaining valuable skills for 

their careers.

“This is your job—to guide the young, to comfort the sick, to encourage the 

downtrodden, to teach the skills which may lead to a more satisfying and a 

more rewarding life. On your idealism and on your success rests much of our 

hope for the final elimination of poverty in our American life.”

- President Lyndon B Johnson in his remarks to the first VISTA class in 1964.

In 1994, VISTA became a program of AmeriCorps, founded by President Bill Clinton. 

AmeriCorps is a federal agency that engages millions of Americans in service through 

national service programs such as AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors and by leading 

volunteer initiatives for the nation. In 2009 The Serve America Act was signed and expanded 

the national service programs administered by AmeriCorps.

The purpose of AmeriCorps VISTA, as originally authorized in the Domestic Volunteer Service 

Act (DVSA) of 1973, as amended, is:
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To strengthen and supplement efforts to eliminate and alleviate poverty ... in 

the United States by encouraging and enabling persons from all walks of life, 

all geographic areas, and all age groups, including low-income individuals ... 

to perform meaningful and constructive volunteer service in agencies, 

institutions, and situations where the application of human talent and 

dedication may assist in the solution of poverty and poverty related 

problems.

The Domestic Volunteer Service Act describes three specific objectives of the program to 

achieve this purpose:

1. To strengthen local agencies and organizations to carry out the purpose of the 

program

2. To encourage volunteer service at the local level

3. To generate the commitment of private sector resources

The AmeriCorps VISTA program endorses three basic assumptions:

• Private citizens can contribute on a voluntary basis to meet the challenges confronting 

low-income communities.

• The skills and energies of AmeriCorps members in the VISTA program are used most 

effectively when the members live and work in the low-income communities they 

serve.

• The full-time personal involvement of members brings an added dimension to local 

public and private nonprofit organizations that work to develop lasting solutions to 

the problems facing low-income communities.

Overview of Roles

AmeriCorps VISTA achieves its mission by 

assigning members to sponsoring 

organizations to build the capacity of those 

organizations to lift communities out of 

poverty. Members mobilize community 

resources, engage individuals in local 

community service, and increase the capacity 

of organizations to manage effective antipoverty programs. It is crucial to the concept 

of local self-reliance that sponsoring 

organizations plan for the eventual phase out of members and for the absorption of their 

functions by other facets of the organization or community. 
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Those who designed the VISTA program envisioned that the community members served by 

AmeriCorps VISTA projects, to the maximum extent practicable, would participate in 

planning, developing, and implementing programs. In coordination with AmeriCorps 

Regional Offices and sponsoring organizations, the AmeriCorps VISTA program aims to 

ensure our service partners - sponsors, beneficiaries, and other community contacts -

meaningfully participate in our projects.

Over the course of VISTA’s more than 50-year legacy, the types of projects and the 

communities served have varied greatly and will continue to change as the program evolves. 

The idea of collaborative, grassroots, and sustainable development, however, has not and 

will not change as this is the heart of AmeriCorps VISTA's anti-poverty mission. Four core 

principles provide the framework of all AmeriCorps VISTA projects:

1. Ending poverty

a. The project's goal addresses helping individuals and communities move out 

of poverty, rather than making poverty more tolerable through short-term 

services.

2. Empowering communities

a. The project engages residents of low-income communities in planning, 

development, and implementation of the project.

3. Building capacity

a. Members strengthen, expand, and increase the reach of anti-poverty 

organizations and programs by working on projects with staff and volunteers, 

rather than directly with people in need.

4. Creating sustainable solutions

a. Members build capacity for organizations to address poverty long after the 

VISTA members are gone. VISTA members develop systems, relationships, 

and knowledge which they transfer to the organization and the community to 

sustain over the long-term.

Role of Sponsoring Organization

Members serve under the auspices of a sponsoring organization (often referred to as an 

AmeriCorps VISTA sponsor). A sponsoring organization may be a non-profit organization, 

educational institution, tribal, or public agency that is committed to creating solutions to 

problems affecting low-income communities. The organization partners both with the lowincome communities it serves and with AmeriCorps member.

The sponsoring organization manages AmeriCorps VISTA resources, including the members 

and sometimes grant funds, and provides the support necessary to achieve project goals. In 
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some cases, the sponsoring organization shares the cost of members by committing to pay 

the living allowance of one or more of their members.

Along with the project plan, a sponsoring organization develops a VISTA Assignment 

Description (VAD), essentially a work plan, for each member. Successfully completing the 

tasks in the VAD leads to attaining the goals of the project plan. The sponsor reports to 

AmeriCorps VISTA on the progress made in meeting its goals, in addition to reporting on the 

impact the members have had serving at its site(s). In support of the member, the sponsor 

provides supervision, orientation, professional development, and logistical support.

Role of Community

The community plays a critical role as both the advisor and beneficiary of the project. 

Community may be defined geographically (e.g., a neighborhood), demographically (e.g., 

school children), or by affinity (e.g., individuals seeking food security). Given the diversity of 

the communities in which members serve, the level of involvement and role a community 

plays in planning, developing, and implementing programs is equally diverse.

Community representatives, with varying levels of input, work with a sponsoring organization 

to develop a project. Community needs, desires, and priorities shape the project's goals and 

objectives, which determine the members' assignment descriptions.

At a project implementation level, community members directly and indirectly work with 

members. As partners, colleagues, and neighbors, the member and the community members 

share and transfer information, skills, attitudes, and behaviors. This exchange is based on a 

mutual partnership and mutual learning for the transfer to be successful, and it is the basis of 

sustainable, grassroots community development. Ultimately, all projects aim to have 

community partners assume responsibility of the project’s activities.

Role of AmeriCorps VISTA Member

Members make a full-time, one-year commitment to alleviate poverty in a particular 

community. Their role in alleviating poverty is to mobilize community resources, increase the 

capacity of the low-income community to achieve its goals, and to ensure that the activities 

initiated or expanded are sustained by the community.

AmeriCorps VISTA Assignment

A member’s assignment depends on the needs of the community being served and the 

issue(s) being addressed by the project to which the member is assigned. The VISTA 

Assignment Description (VAD) provides an overview of the member’s activities and duties as 

well as a description of how and when to accomplish them. 

Members build the capacity of individuals, organizations, and communities. The sponsor, in 

coordination with the AmeriCorps Regional Office, works with the community to establish 
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goals and to develop a plan to address identified needs. The member serves as a catalyst 

and change agent, assisting in creating or expanding the sponsor’s programs and mobilizing 

community resources.

A member assignment does not include the delivery of individual services to clients, that is, 

"direct service," nor activities more appropriately performed 

by the sponsoring organization's administrative support staff, 

except in very limited circumstances. Limited circumstances 

include situations in which (1) a brief period of direct service is 

necessary to understand the service elements of the 

sponsoring organization, (2) direct service is incidental to the 

time and effort in carrying out the primary responsibilities of 

the member assignment, or (3) direct service is necessary for 

training purposes. 

Also, in general, a member may not assume, accept, or retain 

positions of leadership, or become identified with a particular 

faction or group, or with a partisan or nonpartisan political 

group in the communities in which he/she serves. The 

assumption of such positions by a member would hinder the 

community's ability to develop its own leadership capacity.

Supervision

Each member has a supervisor responsible for managing the project. The member receives 

direction and guidance from a supervisor who works for the sponsoring organization, rather 

than the AmeriCorps Regional Office or AmeriCorps Headquarters. Members serving with 

intermediary sponsors may have a site supervisor at their host site organization as well as an 

overall project supervisor at the sponsoring organization.

A member is not an employee of the sponsoring organization, nor of the host site if serving 

with an intermediary organization. A member is also not an employee of AmeriCorps, 

AmeriCorps VISTA, or the federal government, except for very specific purposes (see 

"Unemployment Compensation" section in Chapter 14) outlined in the Domestic Volunteer 

Service Act of 1973. A member is a federal resource to a local organization.

Role of AmeriCorps VISTA Leader

AmeriCorps VISTA leaders assist sponsoring organizations and members in achieving 

program objectives and developing new project activities and sources of community 

support. Leaders are sometimes assigned to larger projects or to specific regions. As such, 

not all projects will have leaders.

Leaders are former full-time AmeriCorps members, or Peace Corps volunteers who have 

demonstrated exemplary skills and leadership in community service.
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Leaders are not permitted to perform administrative or supervisory functions for their 

sponsoring organizations or for AmeriCorps Regional Offices. They do not supervise other 

members. Instead, they provide support and coordination for members to increase the 

project’s impact. In return for fulfilling this role, leaders are eligible to receive a small increase 

in their living allowance. (See Chapter 10 for further details about the leader program.)

Role of the VISTA Member Support Unit

The VISTA Member Support Unit (VMSU) provides a full array of administrative support to 

candidates, members, and alumni. This support includes assistance with the member 

application, enrollment forms, training events, active service, end-of-service, and postservice.

For questions about completing forms, or issues pertaining to benefits, including travel 

reimbursement, living allowance, and end-of-service awards, contact the VMSU for assistance 

through the AmeriCorps Hotline at 800.942.2677 or submit a request online to the VMSU on 

the AmeriCorps Hotline Webform. 

Role of the AmeriCorps Regional Office

AmeriCorps has regional staff working throughout the United States. There are AmeriCorps 

Regional Offices located in eight regions representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia, 

and U.S. territories. AmeriCorps Regional Office staff provide outreach, program 

development, technical assistance, and evaluation in support of AmeriCorps’ national service 

network, in addition to member support. Staff assist sponsoring organizations in refining 

project goals and objectives and in determining if the proposed project aligns with the 

AmeriCorps VISTA program mission.

AmeriCorps staff approve a sponsoring organization's project plan and member 

applications, arranges for the candidates to participate in VISTA Member Orientation (VMO) 

for supervisors to view the VISTA Sponsor Orientation (VSO). After members are assigned to 

a project, the AmeriCorps Regional Office supports the sponsoring organization as they 

provide training, professional development, and technical assistance to members. Moreover, 

the Regional office is a resource for AmeriCorps VISTA policy and procedure. If an issue 

cannot be resolved between a supervisor and a member, the sponsor should contact the 

appropriate regional office. A list of AmeriCorps Regional Offices is available on the 

AmeriCorps website. 

AmeriCorps Regional Office staff conduct periodic project visits and review Project Progress 

Reports to monitor the sponsoring organization's use of members toward achieving the 

project's goals and objectives.
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Role of AmeriCorps VISTA Headquarters Office 

AmeriCorps VISTA is headquartered in Washington, DC. This office, in consultation with 

AmeriCorps Regional Offices, determines goals, policy, administrative procedures, and 

budgetary requirements for effective program operation. 

The AmeriCorps VISTA Headquarters Office performs the following tasks:

• Monitors progress toward achieving national program goals and priorities

• Allocates AmeriCorps VISTA resources among the regions

• Ensures AmeriCorps staff and sponsoring organizations adhere to AmeriCorps VISTA 

policies and procedures

• Researches and shares effective program models

• Develops and implements training, professional development, and technical 

assistance for members, leaders, and sponsors

• Administers member support services, such as health care, childcare, payments and 

reimbursements for living allowances and relocation travel, and enrollment for the 

Segal AmeriCorps Education Award or end-of-service stipend

• Oversees national recruitment, marketing, and outreach efforts to attract potential 

members and provides training and technical assistance to assist sponsors in local 

recruitment practices. 

<Back to Table of Contents>
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Chapter 2: Overview of Your Year in 

AmeriCorps VISTA 

Overview Of Your Year In AmeriCorps VISTA

As an AmeriCorps member serving in VISTA, you are expected to attend key events that 

occur during your year of service and to make certain decisions to maximize your benefits 

and experience. All members participate in a VISTA Member Orientation, take the oath of 

service upon entering service, participate in on-going training and development throughout 

the year, and, upon successful completion of the year, become members of the AmeriCorps 

alumni network.

Before You Begin Service

As a candidate, you are expected to attend to important legal administrative tasks related to 

your enrollment.

Criminal History Check

AmeriCorps VISTA and its sponsoring organizations strive to maintain a safe and productive 

environment by assigning members and leaders who do not present a risk to their service 

partners, particularly vulnerable members of our communities. In addition to comprehensive 

interviews and personal reference checks, criminal history checks assist sponsors and 

AmeriCorps VISTA in determining the suitability of applicants.

AmeriCorps VISTA requires a review of the National Sex Offender Public Registry, maintained 

by the Department of Justice, before an AmeriCorps applicant can be approved for 

service. Any applicant’s records found on this registry will result in deselection.

The AmeriCorps VISTA program will also conduct a comprehensive criminal history check on 

all candidates. You may be provisionally sworn in as a member or leader until the 

adjudication process and research is completed. You must submit required information to 

AmeriCorps VISTA HQ and comply fully with this process or risk termination from service. 

Re-enrollees who have undergone a criminal history check and have no lapse in service need 

not undergo a second check. Reinstated members and leaders who have a lapse in service 

greater than 120 days are required to undergo another background check. AmeriCorps will 

provide you with instructions as required.

Potential and current members and leaders are expected to cooperate fully with criminal 

history checks. Cooperation includes, but is not limited to, fully disclosing past convictions, 

providing information as required, and responding with truthful and complete information to 
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inquiries made during the criminal history check process. Additionally, if you are arrested 

during your service term, you are required to report the arrest to your sponsor and 

AmeriCorps Regional Office within three days of the arrest. Failure to cooperate with these 

requirements, or any attempt to interfere with implementation of this policy, will result in 

denial of your application, deselection, or early termination from AmeriCorps service.

Drug Screening

Alcohol abuse and illegal drug use adversely affect health and performance on projects, 

create potentially dangerous situations, and serve to undermine the community's confidence 

in AmeriCorps VISTA. Therefore, AmeriCorps VISTA prohibits illegal drug use and alcohol 

abuse by its leaders and members. Some sponsoring organizations may require leaders and 

members to pass a drug screening test before or upon arrival or during service at the project 

site. Failure to submit to drug screening, or a positive test result for illegal drugs, may lead to 

deselection of the candidate or early termination of the member.

AmeriCorps VISTA Administrative Forms and Tasks

Before VISTA Member Orientation, you must complete various forms and administrative tasks 

to ensure your benefits are properly administered and that you meet the conditions of 

service.

Unless otherwise noted, all forms must be completed in the My AmeriCorps Portal and must 

be completed prior to VISTA Member Orientation.

• Current Mailing Address. If you relocate to a new community as part of your service, 

this address is used to contact you during your year of service (see Chapter 7 for 

relocation travel information).

• Email Address. AmeriCorps VISTA sends members several communications prior to 

and during the service year. Ensuring your email address is up to date is essential for 

timely communication. 

• Direct Deposit Form. As a member, you will have your biweekly living allowance sent 

to you via electronic funds transfer or direct deposit. The U.S. Treasury requires 

federal payments to be made by direct deposit, except when this form of payment 

would cause unusual hardship on the payee. (For hardship cases, see guidance 

related to paper checks in the Paper Check Payment section of Chapter 5 for the 

procedure to have payments made by paper check.) Failure to enter your direct 

deposit information correctly will result in at least a two- week delay in receiving your 

living allowance. 

• W-4 Employee's Withholding Allowance Form. Complete the W-4 Form to 

establish income tax withholding for your year of service.
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• Designation of Beneficiary of Unpaid Compensation Form. This form ensures that 

any unpaid compensation (e.g., subsistence allowance, stipend, or travel 

reimbursement) is paid to your designee[s] in the event of your death during your 

service.

• End-of-Service Benefit Election Form. Members have a choice between one of two 

end-of-service benefits: either the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award or the end-ofservice cash stipend. Select either the education award or the cash stipend. 

(See Chapter 5 for information about the end-of-service stipend and Chapter 6 for 

details about the education award.) If you select the end-of-service stipend, you 

will not be able to switch to the education award.

Mandatory Online Coursework

Prior to attending VISTA Member Orientation (VMO), you must complete certain pre-service 

online coursework. For details, please see the VISTA Member Orientation learning path in 

the VISTA Campus.

Having completed this coursework, you will participate in a pre-service orientation designed 

to introduce you to the AmeriCorps VISTA mission and theory of change, to your project 

assignment, and to resources that may support you throughout the year. 

Your Service Year

As a candidate, you attend a VISTA Member Orientation, which provides an overview of your 

role as a member, the role of your sponsoring organization, and the role of the AmeriCorps 

Regional Office. The orientation is your final step to becoming a member and the starting 

point to your year of service. The chart below highlights important milestones and timelines 

occurring during your service year.

Month Event

Pre-Service

• Candidates complete all online courses and forms, 

including electing an end-of-service benefit

• Candidates attend two online VISTA Member Orientation 

(VMO) webinars and complete additional online 

coursework the first weeks of service 

• Candidates take the Oath of Service and complete 

electronic oath form

1 • New members begin service with their project site

• Members continue to complete additional online 

coursework during the first weeks of service as part of 

VMO 
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• Members receive On-Site Orientation and Training 

(OSOT) to introduce them to their sponsoring 

organization, their community, and their role on the 

project

3-11

• Members participate in ongoing member training and 

development—webinars, online tutorials, and other 

learning opportunities

10

 

• Last chance to switch from Segal AmeriCorps Education 

Award to the end-of-service cash stipend

• Members complete the Future Plans Form

12

• Members end service

First Week on Your Project

Your sponsoring organization will provide you with an On-Site Orientation and Training 

during your first weeks on the project. This orientation will introduce you to your sponsoring 

organization, the community at large, and your role during your year of service. During the 

on-site training period, it is important that you review and integrate the VISTA Member 

Orientation material as appropriate.

Ongoing Member Training and Development

After your service begins, you may participate in ongoing professional development activities 

to enhance your knowledge and skills in order to effectively carry out your project 

assignment. The VISTA Campus an online resource hosted by AmeriCorps VISTA, houses 

many training opportunities including online tutorials and forums and a series of webinars. 

You might also attend a workshop, conference, or other professional development 

opportunity. You should join the member community on the VISTA Campus as well as work 

with your supervisor to identify training and development opportunities that are available 

and appropriate. (For more information about training, see Chapter 4.)

Changing Your End-of-Service Benefit Selection

At any time before the end of your tenth month of service, you may change your post-service 

benefit to the cash stipend if you originally elected the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award. 

To make this change, you must select the stipend under “In-Service Benefits” in your My 

AmeriCorps Portal account. If you initially elected the end-of-service stipend, you cannot 
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switch to the education 

award. Members serving in the summer 

associate program do not have the ability 

to change their end-of-service benefit 

selection once a selection has been 

made.

Tenth Month 

Future Plans Form

You will need to complete an AmeriCorps 

Future Plans Form in the tenth month of your service. The form is on your member homepage 

in the My AmeriCorps Portal under “Close-of-Service.” This form requires you to notify 

AmeriCorps if you are ending your service as scheduled, or if you are requesting continuation 

of service. Your termination date is usually 365 days following the day you begin service. You 

should complete this form in the My AmeriCorps Portal at least 60 days before your end-ofservice date. Your supervisor will review your form at least 45 days before your end-of-service 

date. You will have an opportunity to review your supervisor's remarks and enter additional 

comments before the form is processed. 

Extension of Service

Sometimes members find that the tasks to which they have committed their service cannot be 

completed within one year. In this case, members and their sponsoring organization may 

request an extension of the first year of service for a period of no less than two weeks to no 

more than six months. Requests are subject to AmeriCorps Regional Office approval. 

You can only receive a prorated end-of-service stipend for the period of extended service.

Reenrollment for an Additional Year

You may also reenroll for an additional year of service without a break between terms. You 

may pursue an additional year with your current project, or you may decide to serve with a 

different project. If you are considering pursuing another term of service with a different 

project, you should visit the My AmeriCorps Portal to search for service opportunities by 

location, skill areas, or issues of interest. You also may want to consider applying to become a 

leader (see Chapter 10).

The decision to extend, reenroll, or be designated as a leader requires the approval of the 

AmeriCorps Regional Office. Approval to extend, reenroll, or become a leader is dependent 

on AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps VISTA program policy, the funding available to AmeriCorps, 

the nature of the agreement between AmeriCorps and the sponsoring organization, and your 

performance and conduct as a member. Members are not entitled to an extension, 

reinstatement, or reenrollment as a member or leader in the AmeriCorps VISTA program.
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Last Three Weeks

In the last three weeks of your service, you should prepare to leave your sponsoring 

organization and phase out of your service as a member. (See Chapter 12 for the end-ofservice checklist of things you should do to ensure this transition is as smooth as possible.) If 

you elected to receive the cash stipend at the end of your service year, you will receive $400 

of your accrued stipend (minus federal income tax and FICA [Social Security] deductions) in 

the living allowance payment for the next-to-the-last pay period of your service year. The 

remaining stipend balance is disbursed in the last pay period of your term of service.

If you extend service, the end-of-service benefit (Education Award or cash stipend) will be 

disbursed at the end of the full year term of service. A cash stipend will begin accruing as the 

end-of-service benefit for your extension period. 

After You Complete Your Year of Service

Your AmeriCorps VISTA healthcare benefits end at 11:59 p.m. on the day you end service. 

After ending service, you have up to 30 days to convert your healthcare benefits via the 

Health Insurance Marketplace at healthcare.gov (see Chapter 8).

If you elected an end-of-service stipend, please review Chapter 5. If you elected the Segal 

AmeriCorps Education Award, see Chapter 6. 

See Chapter 12 for more information about Life After VISTA.

<Back to Table of Contents>

Chapter 3: Serving your Project

Serving at Your Project

Before a member is assigned, a sponsoring organization develops a project to address 

identified needs of a low-income community. The community and sponsoring organization 
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work collaboratively to design the project. A member's assignment is designed so that when 

the project is completed, the low-income community is better equipped to solve its own 

problems, and the systems, services, funding, and organization remain in the community to 

continue the efforts initiated by the project.

Project Application

The project application details the specific problem the project will 

address in the low-income community, provides a set of goals and 

objectives for the overall project, and includes a project plan that 

describes the activities the member will undertake.

The project application serves as an important assessment and 

recruitment tool. The performance measures portion of the 

application is the basis of subsequent Project Progress Reports, 

which are used by AmeriCorps staff to monitor the achievement of 

project goals. The assignment description portion of the application 

is used to recruit and assign members and to summarize their 

required duties and skills.

Supervising Members

The sponsoring organization designates a 

supervisor to oversee the project and the 

efforts of members at each site. Your 

supervisor provides day-to-day direction and 

guides your service as a member. You do 

not, however, have an employment 

relationship with the sponsoring 

organization. You are a member and are 

accountable to the AmeriCorps VISTA 

program. You are, nonetheless, required to 

act in a professional manner and conduct 

yourself with utmost decorum in accordance with the sponsoring organization's workplace 

policies and procedures.

It is not uncommon for supervisors to have significant job responsibilities other than those 

related to AmeriCorps VISTA. Their supervision is needed to result in a successful project and 

member experience. It is critical that you and your supervisor are clear regarding oversight, 

communication, and operating expectations. The opportune time to address this issue is at 

the beginning of your service year during On-Site Orientation and Training.
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In preparing to support you in your role as a member, your supervisor should consider all 

aspects of your assignment, including:

• Your day-to-day tasks on the project

• The relationship of your tasks to the work of the sponsoring organization's staff 

members

• The sponsoring organization staff 's understanding of your role

• The target community's expectations of you and for the project

• The resources, facilities (e.g., reasonable accommodations for persons with 

disabilities), and supplies needed for your assignment

Your duties cannot supplant or displace those of paid staff or existing volunteers.

Your role as a member in the project should be made clear to community members and 

sponsoring organization staff well before your arrival. Much of your supervisor's role is to 

anticipate your needs and reactions, as well as those with whom you come in contact while 

working on the project.

Your supervisor is responsible for structuring assignments so that your health and safety are 

not jeopardized during your service.

<Back to Table of Contents>

Chapter 4: Training for Members
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Training for Members

AmeriCorps VISTA training encompasses a range of activities and resources offered by 

AmeriCorps and your sponsoring organization throughout your term of service and includes 

professional development opportunities you seek out for 

yourself. During training, starting with VISTA Member Orientation 

(VMO), you will be challenged to take an active role in the 

process. The training experience is an opportunity for you to 

explore issues surrounding poverty, your community, and 

AmeriCorps VISTA programming; build community among your 

fellow members as well as with your sponsor; and to develop 

your professional and life skills.

Once at your site and in the community, you will need to continue 

to improve your skills, including your knowledge of national and 

local resources and your understanding of the attitudes that 

contribute to or inhibit effective working relationships. The 

training required may be as formal as workshop sessions 

organized by sponsoring organizations or webinars offered by 

the AmeriCorps VISTA training team or as informal as self-initiated study at the local library. 

Training is a continuous process, and it requires your active participation to get the most out 

of your service experience.

VISTA Member Orientation

VISTA Member Orientation (VMO) is the first formal stage in your learning process about the 

AmeriCorps VISTA program. VMO incorporates self-directed online tutorials, facilitated 

webinars, onsite training (designed and implemented by the sponsor), and online tutorials to 

support your learning on site and in the community.

To fully participate in and complete the VMO, it is recommended that you have a high-school 

equivalence of English language proficiency, the ability to communicate verbally (speaking 

and hearing), access to a computer (laptop or desktop computer) with reliable Internet 

connection, telephone service (VOIP, landline or cell phone service), and basic proficiency 

and comfort with computer-based, distance learning. AmeriCorps is committed to the full 
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inclusion of all qualified applicants. If you require reasonable accommodation or assistance 

to participate in VMO, please contact your Regional Office. 

VMO begins with a series of self-directed online tutorials that introduce you to the 

AmeriCorps VISTA program, the benefits of serving, and the terms and conditions of service. 

The orientation provides a basic introduction to the following:

• Mission and structure of AmeriCorps

• Philosophy and goals of the AmeriCorps VISTA program

• AmeriCorps VISTA legal and administrative requirements

• Terms, conditions, and benefits of your service

You are expected to attend all VMO sessions and to act in a professional manner at all times. 

Failure to attend sessions, to successfully complete assignments, and/or to behave 

appropriately, as determined by AmeriCorps staff, may result in deselection or termination 

from the AmeriCorps VISTA program. 

In VMO, you take the Oath of Service during the second live webinar with VISTA staff. This 

occurs on the first day of your service term. Issues of suitability for service are addressed over 

the initial weeks of service and throughout the service year.

On-Site Orientation and Training

On-Site Orientation and Training (OSOT) is the second part of your VISTA orientation. It takes 

place immediately after you report to your project site. Your sponsoring organization 

conducts the orientation, and tailors it for you and your service project. OSOT may continue 

for an extended period because it involves introducing you to the sponsoring organization, 

the local community, and your role within the community. OSOT plans are developed by the 

sponsoring organization and reviewed and approved by the AmeriCorps Regional Office.

The goals of OSOT are to provide a basic knowledge and understanding of the following:

• Background, purpose, and structure of the sponsoring organization

• Roles and responsibilities for you and other members within the organization

• Roles and responsibilities of your supervisor that are related to AmeriCorps VISTA

• Job responsibilities of your supervisor other than those associated with AmeriCorps 

VISTA

• Schedules in order to establish regular meeting times between you and your 

supervisor as well as other staff members
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• Personnel and attendance policies of the sponsoring organization, including use of 

equipment such as computers and the Internet

• Specific member assignments and skills needed to accomplish tasks

• Professional development resources available to you

• Evaluation of the project’s progress by the sponsoring organization

• Background of the local community and identification of community leaders

• Nature of the low-income population served by the project

• Potential resources that can be applied to achieve project goals

After you complete VMO, any topics that need to be discussed in greater depth are 

addressed in the OSOT.

Ongoing Member Training and Development

Ongoing member training and development refers to learning opportunities that occur after 

VMO and OSOT that develop knowledge and skills needed to perform your assignment. 

These opportunities take place throughout your service: Early on, such experience develops 

the knowledge and skills identified by you and your supervisor; later in service, the training 

may relate to your VAD, or life as a member, or poverty and national socio-economic issues.

The principles of member training and development are that the learning:

1. Be timely and appropriate to your needs 

2. Develop skills required of you in your VAD or in your service as an AmeriCorps 

member in the VISTA program

3. Be an appropriate use of resources, including money and time

Learning opportunities may be a course, conference, webinar, or professional development 

activity (such as shadowing a colleague) that meets your professional development needs. 

Topics may include but are not limited to fundraising, volunteer mobilization, grassroots 

leadership, group dynamics, media relations, project sustainability, and specific training in 

program issue areas. Training topics also include managing the VISTA living allowance and 

writing a resume based on your service. 

Mentoring or coaching provided by your supervisor, through weekly meetings during the 

service year, are also important components of your professional development.

Ongoing member trainings and development are designed to improve program quality and 

support networking among the members, sponsoring organization staff, and individuals that 

are engaged in similar activities. You and your supervisor should identify your professional 
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development needs. The training may be conducted by the sponsoring organization, 

AmeriCorps VISTA headquarters, the AmeriCorps Regional Office, an intermediary 

organization, or a partnership among some or all of these entities. 

Online Resources

Several websites provide information related to AmeriCorps VISTA and AmeriCorps 

including:

The VISTA Campus

The VISTA Campus is a comprehensive online learning center for the AmeriCorps VISTA 

community. For members, the Campus is the starting point for orientation and information 

about the service year, as well as a place for ongoing learning to inform your AmeriCorps 

service experience.

 

The Campus contains material to help 

members understand the AmeriCorps VISTA 

program and the unique role members play in 

the organizations and communities where 

they serve; learn how to adapt successfully to 

life as a member; understand how to carry out 

their service assignments; and successfully 

transition to “life after AmeriCorps.” 

The Campus also includes online forums that 

allow members to exchange ideas and 

resources related to all aspects of AmeriCorps VISTA life and service. Members use the 

forums to raise issues, get answers, and offer support to each other.

The VISTA Campus also serves as an online resource for leaders, alumni, and supervisors in 

key aspects of member service and project management.

AmeriCorps Website

This official website of AmeriCorps provides information to help the public understand 

AmeriCorps' mission. It includes information on all AmeriCorps programs, legislative 

updates, program directories, forms, and press releases.

This website also includes information regarding “Employers of National Service” and 

educational institutions that actively recruit AmeriCorps alumni and offer incentives for 

attendance at their institutions. 
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Employers of National Service connects AmeriCorps and Peace Corps alumni with employers 

from the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. Through this initiative, employers have 

increased access to a dedicated, highly qualified, and mission-oriented pool of potential 

employees, and national service alumni have additional opportunities to apply their skills in 

the workplace.

<Back to Table of Contents>

Chapter 5: Financial Support 
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Financial Support

AmeriCorps provides a living allowance to you to cover the cost of food, housing, and other 

basic necessities during service. Amounts are low because you are expected to live at 

approximately the same economic level as the people you are serving. 

AmeriCorps assumes no financial responsibility for a member other than the allowances and 

benefits provided to a member as discussed in this handbook or as determined by 

AmeriCorps. Similarly, AmeriCorps assumes no financial responsibility for a member's 

spouse or dependent children. 

Living Allowance 

Upon starting service as an AmeriCorps member, you will begin receiving a living allowance. 

AmeriCorps determines the living allowance rate, which varies according to the local cost of 

living in the area where you serve (see VISTA Living Allowance Rates by County for more 

information about the living allowance rate in the area where you serve). Each year, 

AmeriCorps VISTA conducts an analysis of the living allowance rates to ensure compliance 

with our governing legislation, the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973, as amended 

(DVSA). The review consists of comparing poverty rates with the cost of housing in each 

county where our members and leaders serve.

Member living allowances are computed on a daily rate and paid every 14 days. Payments to 

members are made via direct deposit. See the Living Allowance Calendar and Statement 

Information for direct deposit dates. It is essential that you enter your direct deposit 

information correctly before starting service. Failure to do so will result in at least a two-week

delay in receiving your living allowance. 

Federal income tax deductions are withheld from the living allowance. No state, county, or 

city tax deductions are withheld. However, you are responsible for paying those taxes, as 

appropriate.

Members are not eligible to receive unemployment compensation for their service. 

(See Chapter 15 for information on income exclusion of benefits under federal, state, and 

local assistance programs.)

End-of-Service Benefit

Prior to VISTA Member Orientation, you will elect to receive either the end-of-service stipend 

or the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award. Members may only receive one of these 

benefits. 
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End-of-Service Stipend

The end-of-service cash stipend is awarded to members who successfully complete 12 

months of service. Members generally do not receive a stipend if they do not complete 12 

months of service. However, if a member's service ends early for a compelling personal 

circumstance, the member may receive a prorated stipend (see the Prorated Stipend section 

below).

The end-of-service stipend accrues at the daily rate. See chart below for rates. 

Members $4.94/day 

Leaders $8.22/day

Members who extend their service term receive a stipend at the appropriate daily rate for the 

extension period. The end-of-service stipend is the only end-of-service benefit available 

during an extension period. Federal 

income tax and FICA (Social Security 

and Medicare) deductions are 

withheld from the stipend at the time 

of payment.

Members electing to receive the 

end-of-service stipend at the end of 

their service year receive $400 of 

their accrued stipend (minus federal 

income tax and FICA deductions) in the living allowance payment for the next-to-the-last pay 

period of their service year. The remaining stipend balance is disbursed in the last pay period 

of their term of service.

Members extending service receive the end-of-service stipend for their extension period in 

the final pay period of the extension period. If a member reenrolls and elects the stipend as 

their post-service benefit, a stipend (if elected for the first year) is disbursed as outlined 

above, and another stipend accrues during the second term.

Prorated End-of-Service Stipend

In rare circumstances, members who leave service early for a compelling personal 

circumstance and who elected to receive an end-of-service stipend, may qualify for a 

prorated stipend. You may be eligible for a prorated end-of-service stipend if you have 

completed at least 15 percent (55 days) of your required service term and leave service early 

because of a compelling personal circumstance. A detailed discussion of situations that 

constitute a compelling personal circumstance and other extenuating circumstances that 

qualify for such a prorated end-of-service stipend, is presented in Chapter 13: Administrative 
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Policies, under the section called Early Termination of a VISTA Member for a Compelling 

Personal Circumstance. Because the end-of-service stipend accrues at a daily rate, a prorated 

end-of-service stipend is based on the number of days served.

Segal AmeriCorps Education Award

The Segal AmeriCorps Education Award (education award) is a post service benefit that is 

used to pay for education costs at eligible institutions of higher education, for educational 

training, or to repay eligible student loans. The education award for a year of full-time service 

equals the maximum Pell Grant level during the fiscal year in which a member begins service. 

Members can use the education award in full or in part and can take up to seven years after a 

term of service has ended to use the award.

If a member selects the education award and passes away during service, AmeriCorps will 

consider the election of the education award rescinded, and the member’s designated 

beneficiary or estate will receive a prorated end-of-service stipend. (See Chapter 6 for a 

complete discussion of the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award. Refer to the VISTA Campus

for tips on using the award effectively.) Additional information about the Segal AmeriCorps 

Education Award is available on the AmeriCorps website. 

Prorated Segal AmeriCorps Education Award

In rare circumstances, members who leave service early for a compelling personal 

circumstance and who elected to receive a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award may qualify 

for a prorated education award. A detailed discussion of the reasons members may qualify 

for a prorated education award is in Chapter 13, under the section called If You Elect the 

Segal AmeriCorps Education Award.

Changing Your End-of-Service Benefit Selection

At any time prior to the end of the 10th month 

of service, members who initially elect the Segal 

AmeriCorps Education Award can change their 

decision and elect the end-of-service stipend. 

To do so, you must click on the ‘Edit End-ofservice Option’ link on your My 

AmeriCorps member home page and select 

the stipend as the end-of-service benefit. You 

must make this change before the end of your 

10th month of service. AmeriCorps does not 

send a reminder to do this. After making this 

change, you cannot make any further changes. (See Chapter 6 for a complete discussion of 

the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award.)
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However, members who elect the end-of service stipend cannot, at any time, switch to the 

Segal AmeriCorps Education Award. (See Chapter 6 for information on education benefits.) 

Members who reenroll have the option to select either the end-of-service stipend or 

education award for their additional year of service. Members may earn up to the aggregate 

value of two full education awards. 

Settling-In Allowance

Members serving a 12-month term and moving 50 miles or more from their home of record 

to their project site are eligible to receive a settling-in allowance of $750. This allowance is 

intended to help cover initial moving expenses (security deposit, utility deposit, etc.). The 

settling-in allowance is subject to federal income tax deduction, and it is disbursed in the first 

living allowance payment.

Relocation Travel Allowance 

Candidates who are relocating more than 50 miles from their home of record to their service 

site to serve may be entitled to a Relocation Travel Allowance. (See Chapter 7 for more 

information on the relocation allowance). 

Close of Service Allowance

Candidates who relocated to serve are eligible to receive a Close of Service Travel Allowance 

at the end of service. The allowance is intended to offset the cost of returning home from the 

service site. (See Chapter 7 for more information on the close of service allowance)

Emergency Expense Allowance

The Director of the VISTA Member Support Unit may authorize a one-time expense 

allowance, not to exceed $500, to cover extraordinary costs, such as reimbursement for theft, 

fire loss, or special clothing necessitated by severe climate. This allowance is not intended to 

supplement the living expenses of members. The sponsoring organization can assist 

members in requesting an Emergency Expense Allowance through the VISTA Member 

Support Unit. 

Members, leaders, and candidates are responsible for safeguarding their personal property. 

Neither AmeriCorps nor the AmeriCorps VISTA program is an insurer of personal property or 

cash and does not replace or reimburse for the loss of personal property or cash. Emergency 

funds are also not appropriate to use for costs associated with car accidents, routine car 

maintenance or repair. Expense allowances are paid directly to the member by AmeriCorps. 

To request the emergency expense allowance, send a written statement to VMSU@cns.gov. 

The statement must include:

• Description of the circumstances surrounding the loss
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• Itemization of the property lost 

• Explanation of why the property the property is essential to your ability to serve 

effectively

• Police report (where appropriate)

• Indication of whether the property was covered by insurance, provide name of 

insurance company and policy number) and if a claim has been presented. Items 

covered by insurance are not eligible for emergency expenses

• Description of the need for the expense

• Cost of the item(s)

How Do Members Get Paid?

Direct Deposit

Members are required to have the biweekly living allowance sent via electronic funds transfer 

or direct deposit. The U.S. Treasury requires federal payments to be made by direct deposit, 

except when this form of payment would cause unusual hardship on the payee. 

To set up direct deposit, members must complete the direct deposit form under ‘My Living 

Allowance’ in the My AmeriCorps Portal. Members need their bank account number and their 

bank’s routing number. Members should contact their banking institution with questions. 

Members must be certain to enter direct deposit information correctly before beginning 

service. Failure to do so will result in at least a two-week delay in receiving the living 

allowance payment. 

Please note that direct deposit information is not located on ATM or credit cards. Members 

that do not currently have a bank account may open an Electronic Transfer Account for a 

nominal monthly fee. To learn more, visit www.eta-find.gov. 

Members are responsible for updating direct deposit information under ‘My Living 

Allowance’ in My AmeriCorps Portal any time a bank or account number is changed or 

closed. Review this short video about member direct deposit. 

All regular biweekly living allowances, as well as any other taxable allowances, are recorded 

on the member’s earnings statement. Earnings statements can be viewed on My AmeriCorps

Portal under ‘My Living Allowance.’ A member Living Allowance Calendar and Statement 

Information are available on the AmeriCorps website. Members assigned to sponsors 

supported by program grants receive the living allowance payment directly from the 

sponsoring organization (not AmeriCorps) and may obtain earnings statements directly from 

the sponsoring organization. 
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Paper Check Payment (Exception Only)

If a member believes that receiving living allowance payments electronically will cause undue 

hardship, the member may waive direct deposit through the My AmeriCorps 

Portal homepage under 'my Living Allowance'. The member must click 'Waive direct deposit' 

and provide a justification.

If a member chooses to receive a paper check for hardship reasons, AmeriCorps mails the 

checks directly to the current mailing address for members in service, or to the permanent 

address for members who have ended service. 

Members can view earnings statements on 

the My AmeriCorps Portal homepage under 

'My Living Allowance'.

Allowances not subject to federal income or 

Social Security taxes are paid directly by 

AmeriCorps and are not reflected in the 

earnings statement. The member receives an 

explanation of any payment along with the 

check. Such checks usually cover travel and 

per diem expenses.

Lost Check

If a member does not receive a check, the member should wait at least five days to make sure 

the check has had enough time to arrive by mail. If the member determines the check is lost 

or stolen after a five-day wait, the member should notify the VISTA Member Support Unit by 

calling the AmeriCorps Hotline at 1-800-942-2677. The use of electronic funds transfer 

(direct deposit) eliminates this problem.

The VISTA Member Support Unit will notify AmeriCorps Headquarters Payroll Office of the 

loss and arrange for another check to be sent. This process can take up to six weeks. If the 

member eventually receives the lost check, the member should not cash it. The member 

should instead immediately return the check to the U.S. Treasury. Failure to return a lost 

check results in an overpayment. See "Recovery of Overpayment" in Chapter 5 for the 

procedure used to collect these funds.

Taxes: Obligations, Withholdings, and Credits

Members pay taxes. All AmeriCorps VISTA allowances, except service related travel 

payments (discussed in Chapter 7: Travel and Transportation Support) and emergency 

expense allowances, are subject to federal and state income taxes.
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Federal Taxes

AmeriCorps withholds federal income tax from the regular biweekly allowance 

payment. While the biweekly allowance payment does not constitute wages for work, it does 

constitute federally taxable income. Members must complete a W-4 form in the My 

AmeriCorps Portal on the member homepage under ‘My Living Allowance’ to determine the 

amount of income tax that should be withheld. A member may claim exempt status on the W4 form if the member believes they are exempt from having federal income tax withheld. The 

W-4 form explains the eligibility requirements for tax-exempt status. Exemption from income 

tax withholding expires February 15 of the following year. Members wishing to renew this 

status for the new year must complete a new W-4. If a member does not re-file for this 

exemption, Federal taxes will be withheld beginning in the next pay period. See IRS 

Publication 505 for more information about W-4s and withholdings. 

State, County, and Municipal Taxes

AmeriCorps does not withhold any state, county, or city income tax from the living allowance; 

however, members are still responsible for all taxes. Saving a portion of the living allowance 

each month is a wise way to accrue funds needed for state and local income taxes. Members 

should contact the state and local government tax offices in the state in which they serve 

and/or where they maintain a permanent residence to help determine the amount of funds 

needed to pay taxes.

Social Security and Medicare

FICA (Social Security and Medicare) is withheld from the end-of-service stipend and 

submitted to the Internal Revenue Service at the time the stipend is paid to the member. The 

total stipend the member receives may be counted under Social Security regulations toward 

credits of coverage. The term “coverage” refers to the accumulation of 40 credits (ten years) 

necessary for an individual to receive Social Security benefits at retirement. The amounts 

required for credits of coverage are adjusted annually by the Social Security Administration. 

Members seeking to obtain “coverage” should contact a local Social Security office to 

determine if the stipend amount is sufficient to be applied.

FICA is not withheld from the living allowance. 

W-2 Form Statement of Earnings and Taxes Withheld

AmeriCorps will mail a W-2 form to each member by January 31 of each year showing the 

amount of earnings and the amount of federal taxes withheld for the preceding calendar 

year. AmeriCorps will also post an electronic copy of the W-2 form under ‘My Tax Statements’ 

on my.americorps.gov. If the W-2 form has not arrived by February 15, members should 

notify the VISTA Member Support Unit via the AmeriCorps Hotline at 800-942-2677. 

Members should also update any changes to permanent and mailing addresses in the My 

AmeriCorps Portal as soon as possible to ensure the W-2 is sent to the correct address.
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Members receiving the living allowance directly from the sponsoring organization will also 

receive the W-2 form directly from the sponsoring organization. An electronic version of the 

W-2 form will not be available in the My AmeriCorps Portal for these members. These 

members should follow up directly with the sponsoring organization if they have any 

questions about the W-2 form. 

Earned Income Tax Credit

Under the Tax Reform Act of 1986, certain families with limited income may be eligible for 

earned income tax credit (EITC). Earned income tax credit is an amount that is subtracted 

from taxes owed. If a member’s credit is larger than the tax owed or if there is no tax, the 

member may be eligible for a refund from the Internal Revenue Service even if income tax is 

not withheld from pay. EITC is based on earned income, including AmeriCorps VISTA 

allowances.

The Internal Revenue Service determines an individual’s eligibility for EITC. It is not the 

responsibility of AmeriCorps to verify eligibility. Members that expect to qualify for EITC or 

are unsure should contact the Internal Revenue Service to verify eligibility.

Members who are eligible for EITC can claim the credit on their tax returns. A form 1040, 

1040A, or 1040EZ must be filed to claim EITC even if no taxes are withheld from allowances 

during the year.

Receipt of EITC may affect benefit levels under certain public assistance programs. Therefore, 

it is advisable to check with these programs before filing for EITC.

Deductions From Allowances 

With a member’s written permission, AmeriCorps will make deductions from the biweekly 

living allowance payment to cover court-ordered or voluntary child support or alimony 

payments and court-ordered bankruptcy. IRS tax levy deductions will be made without a 

member’s permission. Such deductions will be shown under “Tax and Court Levies” on the 

earnings statement.

Recovery of Overpayment

Overpayments to members, when they occur, are debts to the federal government and may 

include travel allowance payments greater than the amount to which a member is entitled or 

living allowance payments that exceed the amount to which a member is entitled. To avoid 

such overpayments, members should give the sponsoring organization and AmeriCorps a 

two-week notice in writing if leaving early from service.

A member that is overpaid during the service term will be notified in writing and given the 

opportunity to repay the overpaid amount. 
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If a member does not pay the outstanding balance in full before or shortly after leaving 

service, the member must set up a payment plan with AmeriCorps. Members may also make 

payments online at www.pay.gov. To make an online payment, members should direct 

payments to the Corporation for National and Community Service, or CNCS, the official name 

for AmeriCorps. To recover any overpayment remaining after completion of service 

AmeriCorps initiates the debt collection process if a payment plan is not in place.

Failure to repay debt owed to AmeriCorps may delay or totally preclude the receipt of the

Segal AmeriCorps Education Award.

Child Care

AmeriCorps VISTA offers childcare benefits to members who qualify. To qualify for the VISTA 

childcare benefit, you must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Your family income does not exceed the limit determined by the state in which the 

childcare is provided (75% of the state's median income for a family of the same size). 

This limit is different for each state and may change annually. The total family income 

is used to determine your income eligibility. Your living allowance is disregarded in 

determining family income.

• You do not already receive a childcare subsidy from another source for the same child 

which would continue to be provided while you serve in the program.

• You must be the parent or legal guardian of a child under age 13.

• Your child must reside with you.

GAP Solutions, Inc. (GAPSI) currently administers the childcare benefit program for 

AmeriCorps VISTA, and you must apply directly to GAPSI for the childcare benefit. You can 

apply online on the AmeriCorps Childcare website (recommended). All downloadable forms 

are found under “Forms/Resources.” GAPSI can be reached at 855-886-0687 (toll-free) or via 

email at AmericorpsChildCare@gapsi.com if you need assistance.

As administrator, GAPSI pays the childcare subsidy directly to your provider. GAPSI also 

verifies the following:

• Your current enrollment in AmeriCorps VISTA

• Your family income, which must comply with state regulations

• Eligibility of your childcare provider to provide childcare in your state

• Your child’s attendance in childcare during the time for which the provider submitted 

an invoice 
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• Age of the child (the member must produce evidence of the child’s birth date)

State Benefit Limits

Each state has different benefit limits for childcare to eligible households. The VISTA program 

looks to these state limits for guidance in determining eligibility and the level of benefit. The 

VISTA subsidy cannot exceed the prevailing rate in the state in which the care is provided. 

The prevailing rate is determined by each state and may change each year. If the state’s 

prevailing rate is less than the amount charged by your provider, the lower rate will be 

paid. In some states, the VISTA childcare benefit may be less than a benefit that you may 

qualify to receive from another source. 

Housing Assistance

Sponsoring organizations are prohibited from providing direct monetary assistance to 

members for housing, but they may help members with housing in several ways. Some 

sponsors elect, but are not required, to provide housing subsidies directly to landlords for 

rent support (see “Member Housing” in Chapter 14).

For more information and links related to your benefits, please visit the benefits of 

service section of the AmeriCorps website. 

Member Allowances at a Glance 

Type of Allowance Amount Received and 

When

Purpose Federal Taxes

Settling-In 

Allowance

• $750

• For members 

serving a 12-

month term and 

relocating 50 

miles or more

• First living 

allowance 

payment 

One-time 

payment for 

settling-in 

expenses

Federal taxes 

withheld at time of 

payment

Living Allowance Amount varies by 

county

• Rate based on 

poverty income 

for a single 

Housing, food, 

and utilities

Federal taxes 

withheld biweekly

• State and local 

taxes not 

withheld—

member is 
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individual in the 

area

• Paid biweekly

responsible for 

paying them

• FICA (Social 

Security) not 

withheld—

member is not 

responsible for 

paying FICA

Emergency Expense 

Allowance

Discretionary 

allowance varies, not 

to exceed $500

One-time 

reimbursement 

for theft, fire 

loss, special 

clothing

Federal taxes 

are not withheld at 

time of payment

End-of-Service 

Stipend (Only for 

those not choosing 

the AmeriCorps 

Education Award)

• Accrues at the 

rate of $4.94 per 

day

• Disbursed with 

the last two living 

allowance 

payments upon 

successful 

completion of 

service

• Only end-ofservice option 

available for 

VISTA members 

who are not US 

citizens, US 

nationals, or 

lawful permanent 

resident aliens

Cash 

allowance at 

end of service

Federal taxes and 

FICA withheld at 

time of payment

AmeriCorps 

Education 

Award (Only for 

those not choosing 

the end-of-service 

stipend)

• Award for a year 

of full-time 

service equal to 

the maximum 

Federal Pell 

Grant level 

during the fiscal 

year a member 

begins service

• Disbursed 

electronically for 

Payment of 

student loans 

and expenses 

to educational 

institutions

Subject to federal 

taxes in the year the 

award is used
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educational 

expenses

• Must be a US 

citizen, US 

national, or lawful 

permanent 

resident alien to 

be eligible

Relocation 

Allowance (only for 

members relocating 

more than 50 miles 

from their home)

• $0.40 per mile

• Based on the 

mileage between 

the ZIP code of 

the home of 

record and the 

ZIP code of the 

service site 

To offset the 

cost of 

relocating 

from the home 

of record to 

the service 

site.

Federal taxes 

are not withheld at 

time of payment

Close of Service 

Travel Allowance

• $0.40 per mile

• Based on the 

mileage between 

the ZIP code of 

the home of 

record and the 

ZIP code of the 

service site 

To offset the 

costs of 

returning 

home from the 

service site

Federal taxes 

are not withheld at 

time of payment

<Back to Table of Contents>

Chapter 6: Benefits Towards Education
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Education Benefits

At the beginning of your service as a member, 

you elect to receive the end-of-service stipend 

or the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award 

(education award) as your post-service benefit. 

The education award may be used to repay 

eligible student loans or pay for educational 

costs at eligible institutions of higher 

education. 

By law, only members who are either: US 

citizens, US nationals, or lawful permanent 

resident aliens (sometimes referred to as “lawful permanent residents”) are eligible to receive 

an education award. Persons legally residing in a state, but who are not US citizens, US 

nationals, or lawful permanent residents, are only eligible to receive an end-of-service 

stipend.

Members and leaders select a post-service benefit prior to their start of service. If you initially 

choose the education award, you may change your election to the stipend any time before 

the end of your tenth month of service on the My AmeriCorps Portal home page under the 

“Edit End-of-Service Option.” You may not change from an end-of-service stipend to the 

education award. Summer associates do not have the ability to change their end-of-service 

benefit selection once selected.

If You Elect the End-Of-Service Stipend

If you elect the end-of-service cash stipend, you may be eligible for the following education 

benefits:

• Deferment of eligible student loans 

• Cancellation of Federal Perkins Loans

Student Loan Deferment During Service

As a general rule, members may obtain a deferment (discussed later in this chapter) of 

payments on the principal of any federally guaranteed student loan for the length of their 

service. For federal student loans, interest deferments and/or subsidies may also be 

available. The terms and conditions of available deferments differ depending on the type of 

loan, the date the loan was disbursed, and the policies of the individual loan holder. Some 

older federal student loan programs allow members a categorical deferment. Newer federal 

loan programs may require that you apply for an “economic hardship” deferment.
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AmeriCorps does not grant student loan deferments; loan holders grant student loan 

deferments. To apply for deferment, please follow the guidance on the deferment request 

form specific to your loan. You can find supporting documents often needed to apply for 

deferment, such as your VISTA Currently Serving Certification letter and recent earnings 

statements on your My AmeriCorps Portal member homepage.

If your deferment request form requires signed verification of your status as a member, email 

the form to VMSU@cns.gov. 

Depending on your loan type, you may not be responsible for paying the interest that 

accrues on your loan during the deferment period. Please contact the Federal Student Aid 

Information Center at 800-433-3243 or visit Student Aid website for more information.

Post-Service Cancellation of Federal Perkins Loans

If you choose to earn an end-of service stipend, you may be eligible for cancellation of a 

portion of your Federal Perkins Loan for completion of a full year of AmeriCorps VISTA 

service. However, you may not receive an education award and related interest benefits from 

the National Service Trust (described below) for a term of service and have that same service 

credited toward repayment, discharge, or cancellation of other student loans.

When you elect the stipend, 15% of your total Perkins Loan obligation plus the accrued 

annual interest will be canceled for the first and second years of completed AmeriCorps 

VISTA service. For the third completed year of service, 20% of your total Perkins Loan 

obligation plus the accrued annual interest will be cancelled.

To determine which student loans may be eligible for cancellation and to receive forms, 

contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 800-433-3243 or visit the Student Aid

website. 

If you Elect the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award

The Segal AmeriCorps Education Award is equal to the maximum amount of the Pell Grant 

during the fiscal year in which the member begins service. The federal government’s fiscal 

year is October 1 – September 30. The amount of the Pell Grant can change each year. 

Hence, the full education award can change to match future changes to the Pell Grant 

amount. 

The education award’s association with the Pell Grant means members will receive awards of 

different monetary values depending on when they begin service. For award amount, 

limitations, and eligibility rules, please visit the Segal Education Award page on the 

AmeriCorps website. 

Three types of education benefits are available to members who choose the Segal 

AmeriCorps Education Award:
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• A post-service education award in the form of a voucher (not cash) that can be used to 

pay for higher education (degree or non-degree) or to repay eligible student loans

• A postponement of payments on qualified student loans during the time served in 

AmeriCorps VISTA (called a forbearance)

• A payment of up to 100% of the accrued interest

Overview of Segal AmeriCorps Education Award 

You may earn up to the aggregate value of two full-time education awards in your lifetime.

An education award can be used in the following ways:

• To repay qualified student loans (loans in the student’s name that are backed by the 

federal government or made by a state agency)

• To pay for all or part of the cost of attending an eligible institution of higher education

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022 expanded the ability for certain AmeriCorps 

members to transfer their education award. 

To be eligible to transfer an education award, an AmeriCorps member must have successfully 

completed a term of service, be at least 55 years of age at the start of the service term, and 

identify one recipient of the education award, which must be the individual's child, 

stepchild, grandchild, step-grandchild, or foster child. Additional information on transferring 

Segal education awards is available at Title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 2530. While 

eligible members can currently transfer their education award, this ability to transfer the 

education award may be removed in the future.

National Service Trust

The National Service Trust is an account in the U.S. Treasury from which AmeriCorps makes 

payments to education and financial institutions on behalf of AmeriCorps participants who 

have successfully completed a term of service in an approved national service position. The 

Office of the National Service Trust, frequently referred to as the Trust, is the department 

within AmeriCorps that manages all functions related to the education award. (See the end of 

this chapter for resource information provided by the Trust.)

Education Award Amount

The Segal AmeriCorps Education Award amount is tied to the maximum amount of the 

Federal Pell Grant. The maximum amount of the Pell Grant can change each year. Hence, the 

full education award can change to match future changes to the Pell Grant amount.
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Occasionally, part-time, reduced part-time, and other special programs are offered (for 

example, a summer associate program) that include a “less than full year” award. This award 

is reduced proportionally to reflect the length of the program. Such education awards count 

towards the aggregate value of two awards an individual may be eligible to receive.

How to Qualify

As a member, you are eligible to receive a full education award from the National Service 

Trust if:

1. You successfully complete a term of service in an approved national service position; 

and

2. You are a citizen, national, or lawful permanent resident alien of the United States.

Your election is made when you complete the End-of-Service Benefit selection on your My 

AmeriCorps Portal member homepage at the beginning of each term of AmeriCorps VISTA 

service and indicate whether you want to receive an education award or an end-of-service 

stipend. If you elect the stipend benefit at the beginning of your service, you may not change 

your mind and elect the education award. However, you can change your initial election of 

the education award to the stipend at any time before the end of the tenth month of service.

Restrictions and Limitations

Number of Awards

While you, as a member, may be eligible to serve up to five years as a VISTA member, you 

can only receive the value of two education awards. For any additional terms served after you 

have earned two full education awards, you may select the end-of-service cash stipend as the 

end-of-service benefit. If you serve less than full-year terms in the VISTA program, you may be 

able to earn additional pro-rated awards (not to exceed the aggregate value of two full 

awards). Alternatively, you may also elect to receive a $0 (zero) value education award; doing 

such could result in the accrual of interest benefits and qualify you for loan deferment. 

Time Limit on Use of Education Award

You must use each education award within seven (7) years after the date you complete your 

term of service. You can apply for an extension if:

• You were unavoidably prevented from using the education award during the sevenyear use period for reasons such as:

o Serious illness or disability experienced by you

o Death or serious illness or disability of someone in your immediate family 

(mother, father, sibling, spouse, domestic partner, child, grandparent, 

grandchild)
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o Important service records maintained by the program were destroyed or are 

inaccessible 

• You successfully completed a subsequent term of service in another approved 

AmeriCorps position that fell within the seven-year use period of your first education 

award

• You served in Peace Corps or in the military for a period of time that fell within the 

education award’s seven-year use period

Requests for extensions are submitted via the My AmeriCorps Portal and must be submitted 

before the Education Award expires. 

Ineligibility for Controlled Substance Conviction

A member who is convicted under federal or state law of the possession or sale of a 

controlled substance is not eligible to use the education award from the date of the 

conviction until the end of a specified time period based on the type of conviction. To learn 

more about how convictions for the possession or sale of controlled substances affect an

education award recipient's ability to use that award, review 45 CFR §2526.30. You may also 

contact the AmeriCorps Hotline, toll free at 800-942-2677, and ask to speak with someone at 

the Trust. 

Prorated Segal AmeriCorps Education Award

In rare circumstances, members who leave service early for a compelling personal 

circumstance and who have elected to receive an end-of-service Segal AmeriCorps 

Education Award may qualify for a prorated education award.

A detailed discussion of situations that constitute a compelling personal circumstance and 

other extenuating circumstances that qualify for such a prorated award is presented in 

Chapter 13: Administrative Policies, under the section called Early Termination of a VISTA 

Member for a Compelling Personal Circumstance.

If you leave AmeriCorps VISTA service for a compelling personal circumstance (or for a public 

policy reason) discussed in Chapter 13, and you have completed at least fifteen percent of 

the required term of service, you may be eligible for a prorated portion of the education 

award that corresponds to the portion of your term served. For example, if you began a term 

of service on or after October 1, 2021 and served 219 calendar days (which is 3/5 of a service 

year), you would earn an education award of $3,807 ($3,807 = 3/5 of $6,345).

Members must complete at least fifteen percent of the required term of service in order to be 

eligible for a prorated end-of-service benefit (55 days for full year members; nine, ten, or 

eleven days for summer associates). Such education awards count toward the aggregate 

value of two awards that an individual may be eligible to receive during his or her lifetime.
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Early Departure for Another AmeriCorps Program

If you are accepted into another AmeriCorps program and are required to begin training or 

service in the other program prior to the conclusion of your AmeriCorps VISTA service, you 

are also eligible for a prorated education award, provided you served at least 335 calendar 

days in AmeriCorps VISTA.

Qualified Loans

You can use your education award to repay qualified student loans you have or may acquire. 

Generally speaking, a "qualified student loan" is any federally backed student loan that is in 

the VISTA member or alumni's name. The Trust's legislation includes loans made directly to 

members by state agencies, such as the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education or a 

state university or college. This adjustment is subject to change each year with AmeriCorps’ 

appropriation statute (State issued loans are not subject to change each year). Please contact 

the VMSU with questions about state agency loans. AmeriCorps cannot authorize payment of 

nonqualified loans.

If you do not know if your loans are qualified, 

ask your lenders. Otherwise, you may earn an 

education award and be unable to use it for 

the purposes you require. There should also 

be a citation on the loan papers, referring to 

Title IV of the Higher Education Act, Title VII or 

VIII of the Public Health Services Act, or the 

Alaska Commission on Postsecondary 

Education.

There may be student loan programs offered by schools that are not qualified. Members 

must be sure to ask their loan holders to see if the loans are qualified using the definition in 

the Trust's legislation. They should get written confirmation if there is any question. A loan 

program that pays off previous qualified education loans and creates a new loan for the 

purpose of offering a single payment option, such as credit card consolidation, is not a 

qualified loan. Your education award cannot be used to repay this type of loan. There is a 

federal consolidation loan, however, specifically for this purpose that is a qualified Title IV 

loan. Members who want to consolidate qualified student loans need to make sure that they 

do it through a Title IV Federal Consolidation Loan if they want to use their Education Award 

to repay it or have the interest paid on it. If consolidation occurs after service, you will not be 

eligible for an interest accrual payment.
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Institutions Matching the Education Award

Many institutions offer to match the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award or make other 

financial aid benefits, such as scholarships, tuition waivers, and in-state tuition, available to 

AmeriCorps alumni. Attending one of these institutions can increase the value of your 

education award. To view the list of institutions that offer these benefits, go to the Matching 

Institutions page on the AmeriCorps website. 

If your schools of interest are not listed, ask these schools to consider matching the Segal 

AmeriCorps Education Award or offering special opportunities to AmeriCorps alumni.

Eligible Institutions

U.S. Schools

For purposes of the education award, an "eligible institution of higher education" is one that 

has a Title IV Program Participation Agreement with the U.S. Department of Education. (Title 

IV refers to a section of the Higher Education Act that authorizes student aid.) This means that 

the school participates in federal student aid programs (i.e., the institution has an agreement 

with the U.S. Department of Education whereby students are eligible to receive federal 

financial assistance to attend the school). This assistance includes Pell Grants or one of the 

federal loans listed under "Common Qualified Student Loans."

Veterans who have earned an AmeriCorps Education Award may use the award for 

education, apprenticeship, and on-the-job training at institutions that have been approved 

for educational benefits by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (referred to as G.I.-approved 

schools).

A school may be fully accredited and offer quality graduate degrees, but unless the school is 

G.I.- approved or participates with the U.S. Department of Education in Title IV financial 

assistance, the education award, by law, cannot be used there. You should make sure the 

school you wish to attend, or the student loan you expect to repay to an existing school, is 

qualified before you select the education award.

It is not possible to determine whether a school is Title IV merely by the name of the school. 

Most two- and four-year institutions in the United States are Title IV schools. Thousands of 

technical and trade schools are Title IV as well. Art schools, beauty schools, and truck driving 

schools may be Title IV. To become a Title IV school, an institution has to meet certain 

requirements and obtain a Title IV Program Participation Agreement with the U.S. 

Department of Education. Many of the Title IV schools are also G.I.-approved.

To Find Out if a School is Eligible 

• Ask the financial aid office if the school is a Title IV institution.
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• Learn if students who attend the school are eligible to use Pell Grants, Perkins Loans, 

or Stafford Loans to attend the school. If students are eligible for these loans, it is a 

Title IV school. These loans are examples of some of the most common types of Title 

IV assistance.

• Call the toll-free number at the U.S. Department of Education's Federal Student Aid 

Information Center between 9:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time), 

Monday through Friday. That number is 800-433-3243. You also can conduct an 

online search at the FAFSA page of the Department of Education's Website. This 

search includes foreign schools as well. 

• If you are a veteran and can't find what you are looking for in a Title IV school, check 

the Web Enabled Approval Management System (WEAMS). 

Foreign Schools

The education award may be used to attend many schools outside the United States. You 

should always check to see if the school qualifies before enrolling if you intend to use the 

education award to pay for school.

If the school outside the United States participates in the U.S. Department of Education's 

Direct Lending Program, the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award can be used there. You can 

find out if a particular school participates by calling the Department of Education at 800-433-

3243. Individuals who use this number should ask if the school participates in the Direct 

Lending Program. The caller should have the name and location of the school before making 

the call. This number is not for questions concerning using the education award; it is to see if 

a foreign school participates in the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program.

Another way to approach attending schools overseas is to obtain a qualified student loan to 

attend the foreign school and use the education award to repay the loan. The loan would be 

paid like any other qualified student loan.

Also, many Title IV post-secondary institutions in the United States offer educational 

opportunities abroad. As long as the member is considered by the qualified U.S. school to be 

a student at the school and the payment goes to the U.S. school, this is an allowable use of 

the education award.

Qualified Expenses to Attend School

The Segal AmeriCorps Education Award can be used to pay the portion of a member's cost 

of attendance that is not covered by other sources of financial aid, such as scholarships, 

loans, grants, and tuition or fee waivers. The U.S. Department of Education developed the 

term "cost of attendance" for use by Title IV schools. Schools use it whenever a student 

applies for federal financial assistance. It is the school's estimate of what it will cost for a 

student to attend for a specific period of time.
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For a full-time student, qualified expenses must be attributable to a course at the certifying 

institution and can include tuition and fees, an allowance for books, room and board, 

transportation, and other expenses. It is important to note that every Title IV school 

determines the cost of attendance for its students. This is not an amount determined by the 

member or by the Trust in AmeriCorps. The cost of attendance should be used by the school 

to calculate the amount for which the student is eligible to use the education award.

The Segal AmeriCorps Education Award can be used for that portion of the cost of 

attendance that has not already been covered by other sources of financial assistance.

The cost of a computer may be included in the cost of attendance. The school's financial aid 

office will know if that particular school includes computers in the cost of attendance. 

Students should be able to learn the cost of attendance from the financial aid office before 

submitting their payment request.

If you are a veteran, courses and training programs eligible for payment through the 

Montgomery GI-Bill are eligible for AmeriCorps Education Award payments. The institution 

or training establishment will have a VA-approved Certifying Official who will determine the 

eligible expenses.

Bookstores and the Education Award

The law requires that the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award be designated to an eligible 

school (and holders of qualified loans). The Trust requires you to communicate with the 

financial aid office of the eligible school you wish to attend regarding disbursement of the 

education award for bookstore purposes. The financial aid office monitors financial assistance 

received by students and is able to determine how much of a student's award the member is 

eligible to use and whether a student's cost of attendance has been met by other sources. 

The financial aid office can legally represent the school in verifying that certain requirements 

are met. A bookstore cannot do this.

To avoid a series of small payments to a bookstore throughout the semester, the member 

should consult the financial aid office for the calculated budget figure for books and supplies 

for the term and request that amount as a lump sum.

Loan Postponement and Interest Payment

Forbearance or Deferment

National service is only one of several circumstances that allow borrowers to postpone the 

repayment of their qualified student loans. Other situations include being a student, serving 

in the military, being unemployed, teaching in specific high-need areas, or working as a 
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volunteer with a nonprofit organization. Some of these postponements are called 

deferments, and some are called forbearances.

Deferment is a postponement of repayment of your student loan for the length of your 

AmeriCorps VISTA service.

• For Federal Perkins Loans, subsidized Stafford Loans under the Federal Family 

Education Loan (FFEL) program, and subsidized Direct Stafford Loans, you do not 

have to pay principal or interest during deferment.

• For unsubsidized FFEL Stafford Loans, unsubsidized Direct Stafford Loans, FFEL PLUS 

Loans, and Direct PLUS Loans, you can postpone paying principal, but you are 

responsible for the interest.

If you are not eligible for a deferment, a forbearance permits you to postpone or reduce 

payments for the length of your service. Unlike deferment, for which the federal government 

pays the interest for you, interest continues to accumulate for loan forbearance. If you do not 

pay the interest as it accrues, it will be capitalized.

Special requirements and conditions are associated with each deferment and forbearance, 

depending on the type of loan and when it was made. These special conditions may include 

time limitations and quarterly interest payments.

If members wish to learn more about other types of postponements for which they might be 

eligible, they should review their promissory note or contact their loan holder or the U.S. 

Department of Education.

Loan Forbearance

Members who earn an education award are eligible for a type of student loan postponement 

called forbearance. You may be eligible to postpone the repayment of your qualified student 

loans while serving in AmeriCorps VISTA. 

During forbearance based on national service, interest continues to accrue. If you successfully 

complete your term of service and earn an education award, the Trust may pay all or a 

portion of the interest that accrued on your qualified student loan during this period. This 

accrued interest paid by the Trust, like the education award, is subject to income taxes.

To place a loan in forbearance, you need to request it from the loan holder. Only the loan 

holder has the authority to grant forbearance. In the forbearance process, the National 

Service Trust merely verifies that you serve in an approved national service position. If the 

loans are in default, the loan holder is not required to place the loans in forbearance. There 

may be ways, however, to bring a loan out of default to make it eligible for forbearance. 

Contact your lender for further information.
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Members who are earning an education award may be eligible for loan forbearance or 

deferment based on the fact they are earning an education award or based on one of the 

other circumstances described above. There are several advantages for obtaining 

forbearance based on national service versus another type of forbearance. Forbearance 

based on national service does not count against the time limit associated with other types of 

postponements. Interest payments are not required during the term of national service, even 

on a quarterly basis. The National Service Trust, however, only pays the accrued interest for 

the terms of service for which you elected the education award. Remember that any accrued 

interest paid on behalf of a member is subject to income taxes.

Process for Requesting Forbearance 

You, as the borrower, must request any of the various types of postponements for qualified 

student loans. This process is automated through my.americorps.gov. You can create a 

forbearance request under "My Education Award" on your My AmeriCorps 

Portal homepage. Only the loan forbearance form accessible electronically through your My 

Americorps Portal account may be used for a forbearance based on your service.

Occasionally, a loan company may ask for additional information or require you to complete 

one of its forms. After filling out the borrower's portion of a forbearance request form, you 

should submit it to the Trust Office (the address is listed at the end of this chapter) for 

verification that you serve in an approved national service position. Be sure to make a copy 

for your records.

Be sure to include the loan holder's name and address and your service dates. Once the 

Trust receives the request (through the My AmeriCorps Portal or the lender's form), it 

certifies that you participated in AmeriCorps VISTA and then forwards the documents to the 

loan holder. You can track the status of your request for forbearance and see when it has 

been processed. Normally, the loan holder notifies you when forbearance has been granted. 

If you have not heard from the loan company within three weeks from the time you submitted 

or mailed the form to the Trust, you should call the loan holder (most have toll-free lines) to 

make sure the paperwork was received and forbearance was granted.

Perkins Loans, State Agency Loans, and Forbearances

The Segal AmeriCorps Education Award can be used for two types of qualified student loans 

not currently covered by the federal laws requiring loan holders to approve forbearance 

based on national service. There is currently no federal requirement for a loan company to 

grant forbearance for federal Perkins Loans or loans issued to a member by a state agency.

If a member finds that a holder of either of these two types of loans will not grant forbearance 

based on national service, there may be other postponement options available. For example, 

the member may be eligible for a deferment or forbearance based on economic hardship 

during the service period. Members should contact their loan holders if they wish to learn 

about other types of postponements for which they may be eligible.
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Because both the Perkins Loans and loans issued by a state agency are included in the 

National Service Trust's legal definition of qualified student loan, alumni can use their 

education awards to make payments against them.

Payment of Accrued Interest

You are eligible to have the National Service Trust pay all or a portion of the interest that 

accumulates on your qualified student loans 

while you are earning your education 

award. These payments are made in addition 

to the education award and they are not 

deducted from your education award balance. 

These interest payments, however, are shown 

on your account statement. To be eligible to 

have accrued interest paid, the loan must have 

been in forbearance or deferment during the 

service period and the member must have 

successfully completed a term of service.

The Trust cannot pay for interest that accrued outside a member's service period. It also 

cannot pay interest if the member did not earn an education award. Members who elect the 

stipend are not eligible for this interest payment.

Generally, the Trust pays all interest for full-time members who complete their term of service 

and a portion of the interest for members who had to end their service early for compelling 

reasons and have received a prorated award. The portion that the Trust pays is based on a 

formula contained in the regulations that govern the National Service Trust.

Process for Getting Interest Paid

The Trust pays the interest when it has both of the following:

• Verification from AmeriCorps staff via the Future Plans Form that the member has 

completed service and is eligible for an education award

• An AmeriCorps Interest Accrual Request Form, accurately completed by the loan 

holder, that shows the total amount of interest accrued during the member's term of 

service

You must initiate the process to have your interest paid in your My AmeriCorps 

Portal account. The Trust cannot make any payments on your behalf until AmeriCorps staff 

verifies on your Future Plans Form that you have completed service. Once verification occurs, 

a Trust account is automatically established for you. These actions may occur only after your 

completion of service. You need to make sure that your loan holder informs the Trust of the 

total amount of interest that accrued during your service period. To have this interest 

information sent to the Trust, you should create an Interest Accrual Request in your My 
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AmeriCorps Portal account, under "My Education Award." After you certify and submit the 

form, it will be forwarded to your loan holder(s). Each loan holder completes the lender 

portion of the form and forwards it to the National Service Trust. You can track the status of 

your request and see when a payment has been made.

Tax Implications

Federal Tax

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has determined that payments from an education award 

and interest payments made on behalf of a member during a particular calendar year are 

considered taxable income in that year. These payments are reported to the Internal Revenue 

Service if they total at least $600 in the year. By January 31, the Trust will send you an IRS 

Form 1099-MISC that states the amount reported to the Internal Revenue Service. This 

amount must be included as income on your tax return. The Trust does not withhold any 

amount from the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award. Payments not processed by the Trust 

within a given calendar year are not included on your Form 1099-MISC even though your 

payment request was submitted before the end of the year.

Tax Credits

As a result of the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, many members who use their Segal 

AmeriCorps Education Awards may obtain substantial relief from federal taxes. This relief 

comes in the form of the Hope Scholarship Credit and the Lifetime Learning Credit, as well as 

in the form of a deduction for certain interest payments on qualified student loans. These 

benefits are generally available to people who are paying qualified tuition and related 

expenses to an eligible institution of higher education either for themselves or for members 

of their families.

Contacting the National Service Trust 

The AmeriCorps Hotline can answer many questions about AmeriCorps education benefits. 

The AmeriCorps Hotline has a toll-free number through which customer service 

representatives answer general award questions or provide detailed information about 

specific awards or payments. Representatives also provide assistance for using the My 

AmeriCorps Online Payment System. Customer service representatives are available Monday 

through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) during January and May 

through September. The hours of operation from February through April and October 

through December are Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; the Hotline is 

closed on Friday during these months. The toll-free telephone number is 800-942-2677. 

Questions may also be submitted at the AmeriCorps Hotline's Ask a Question page, or to:

National Service Trust
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AmeriCorps

250 E St., SW

Washington, DC 20525

Graduate Record Examination Fee Reduction Program

The Educational Testing Service, which administers the GRE (Graduate Record Examination), 

makes available to colleges and universities a limited supply of GRE Fee Reduction 

Certificates. The decision to issue the Fee Reduction Certification is up to the college or 

university to which you apply. To apply for a GRE Fee Reduction Certificate, contact the 

financial aid office of the educational institution that interests you to see if you qualify. Be sure 

to tell them about your experience serving as an AmeriCorps member. 

Educational Benefits at a Glance

If you earn... Educational Benefit When 

Benefit is 

Available

How to Apply

End-ofService 

Stipend (Only 

for those not 

choosing the 

AmeriCorps 

Education 

Award)

 

Percentage of Federal 

Perkins Loans 

cancelled

After you 

complete 

service

Contact the Student Aid 

Information Center at 800-

433-3243 or 

visit: www.studentaid.ed.gov

1. Complete a deferment 

form obtained from your 

loan holder and follow 

the guidance specific to 

your loan type.

2. If your deferment form 

requires signed 

verification, send form to:

Corporation for National 

and Community Service

250 E Street SW

Suite 4300, Mailroom

Washington, DC 20525

Attn: VMSU

3. VISTA Member Support 

Unit will certify the form 

and send to lender.

Repayment of federal 

student loans is 

deferred

During 

service

Accrued interest on 

deferred loans paid by 

U.S. Department of 

Education

During 

service
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AmeriCorps 

Education 

Award (Only 

for those not 

choosing the 

end-ofservice 

stipend)

Members receive an 

award equal to the 

amount of the Pell 

Grant to repay eligible 

student loans and pay 

future educational 

expenses

After you 

complete 

service

Complete the Future Plans Form 

in your My AmeriCorps 

Portal account 45 days before 

ending service

All or a portion of 

accrued interest on 

postponed student 

loans paid by National 

Service Trust

After you 

complete 

service

Access your online education 

award account via My 

AmeriCorps Portal and submit 

request electronically to your 

lender

Postponement of 

federal student loans 

on the basis of

"national service"

During 

service

Complete online form at My 

AmeriCorps Portal

or

1. Complete paper copy of 

"Federal Education Loan 

Forbearance Request" 

from the lender

2. Return it to:

National Service Trust 

Office

Corporation for National 

Service

250 E St., SW

Washington, DC 20525

3. Trust verifies your 

enrollment in the Trust, 

certifies the form, and 

sends it to the lender
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<Back to Table of Contents>

Chapter 7: Travel & Transportation Support

Travel & Transportation Support

The AmeriCorps VISTA program provides support for travel directly related to the service of 

candidates and members (excluding daily commuting). This travel, referred to as “official 

travel,” must be approved in advance by the AmeriCorps VISTA program and includes:

• Travel to and from AmeriCorps-sponsored training events and conferences

• Travel to and from the service site, prior to and after service, for members and leaders 

relocating more than 50 miles from their homes

• Emergency travel (see Chapter 9: Leave Benefits – Emergency Leave)

The AmeriCorps VISTA program covers expenses for official travel within the continental 

United States, as well as for official travel by those who serve in or whose home of record is in 

Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern 

Mariana Islands. All members authorized by AmeriCorps to travel will be reimbursed for 

travel expenses as described in this chapter. All travel payments are subject to collection to 

offset debts owed to the federal government (see Chapter 5).

Relocation Travel

Candidates who are relocating more than 50 miles from their home of record to their service 

site to serve may be entitled to a Relocation Travel Allowance.
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Relocation Travel Allowance

Candidates approved to relocate to serve are eligible for a Relocation Travel Allowance, 

which is intended to help offset the cost of relocating from the home of record to the service 

site. The rate, established by the VISTA program, is based on the mileage between the ZIP 

code of the home of record and the ZIP code of the service site. Effective January 1, 2023, 

the rate is $0.40 per mile.

Requesting Approval for Relocation Travel

Candidates who are relocating more than 50 miles from their home of record to their service 

site are deemed eligible for relocation benefits by the Regional Office prior to the start of 

service. If you are unsure if you have been approved for relocation benefits, please contact 

the VISTA Member Support Unit (VMSU). The VMSU reviews all relocation travel requests for 

final approval. Candidates will be contacted by the VMSU with a Relocation Assistance Form

to complete that the candidate will confirm in writing that they have relocated for service or 

will be doing so within 45 days.

The VMSU will create and approve a travel request profile on behalf of the candidate in the 

My AmeriCorps portal. The candidate will be approved to receive a relocation travel 

allowance calculated from their home of record to their service site.

Candidates will receive an email notification from the VMSU prior to the service start date 

with the approved amount you will receive for the relocation travel allowance. Candidates 

who do not receive an approval email have not been approved for relocation benefits or 

were not indicated as being eligible for relocation benefits.

Modes of Travel for Relocation

If you are relocating to serve, you arrange your own relocation travel. How you get there is up 

to you – air, rail, bus, or personal vehicle – but you must make sure that you are present at 

your site on your service start date. The VISTA Member Support Unit informs you of the 

reimbursement amount via email. 

Requesting Reimbursement for Travel

To receive reimbursement for relocation, you must return the required relocation form within 

the first week of service.

Your travel must be approved in advance by the AmeriCorps VISTA program in order to 

receive reimbursement.

Payment is made through electronic deposit to your bank account identified in the My 

AmeriCorps Portal. Reimbursement may take up to 4-6 weeks due to administrative 

processing.
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Travel Reimbursement at End of Service

Candidates who relocated to serve are eligible to receive a Close of Service Travel Allowance 

at the end of service. The allowance is intended to offset the cost of returning home from the 

service site. The rate, established by the AmeriCorps VISTA program, is based on the mileage 

between the site and the approved home of record. Effective January 1, 2023, the rate is 

$0.40 per mile.

The approved home of record is the location approved 

at the start of service and may not be redefined without 

written authorization of the director of the VISTA 

Member Support Unit. Home of record may not be 

altered after the tenth (10th) month of service.

You must submit the required Close of Service Travel 

Assistance Form to collect the close of service 

Relocation Travel Allowance. Payment will be deposited 

into your bank account through direct deposit. This may 

take up to 4-6 weeks due to administrative processing. 

(Refer to Chapter 12, Close of Service Travel Assistance, for more information about end-ofservice travel payment.)

Additional Year of Service

If you serve an additional year at the same project site location, or a new site less than 50 

miles from your previous site, and have a break in service of less than 14 days, you will not be 

reimbursed for travel to your home of record until the end of your final year of service., If you 

serve an additional year at a new project site location, with no break in service, and must 

relocate more than 50 miles to the new site location, you will only be reimbursed for travel 

between your previous service site and your new service site. 

Furthermore, if you have a break in service, you may be eligible to be reimbursed to travel to 

your home or record between service terms depending on the length of time between your 

previous and new service term. 

Please see the sections "Breaks in Service" and "Additional AmeriCorps VISTA Service" in 

Chapter 12 for more details.

Service-Related Transportation

For a member to perform his or her project assignment effectively, transportation may be 

essential. The sponsoring organization is responsible for determining the service-related 
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transportation needs of members. These needs are based on activities identified in your 

VISTA Assignment Description and do not include daily commute or other non-service trips. 

Members are responsible for the cost of their daily commute to and from the project site.

Public Transportation for Service-Related Travel

The sponsor reimburses the member for authorized, service-related public transportation 

expenses.

Vehicles Owned or Leased by Sponsoring Organizations For ServiceRelated Travel

When public transportation is not available or adequate, the sponsoring organization is 

responsible for providing or supporting vehicles used by members in the performance of 

their assignments. Vehicles owned by or leased to a sponsoring organization may be 

authorized for service-related transportation, if necessary, to carry out your project 

assignment. You are responsible for complying with the sponsoring organization's rules, in 

addition to complying with all applicable VISTA requirements, when you operate a sponsor's 

vehicle. 

While performing your assigned duties you may not transport passengers other than those 

determined by the supervisory authority to be directly related to and within the scope of your 

official responsibilities. There will be a presumption that you are not in the performance of 

official responsibilities when transporting unauthorized persons.

In the event it is determined that you were performing official activities while transporting 

unauthorized passengers, the passengers will not be covered by the government for 

personal injury, and you may be personally liable for injury to the passengers and subject to 

appropriate administrative action.

Privately Owned Vehicles for Service-Related Travel

If a privately owned vehicle is necessary to carry out your assigned duties, the sponsoring 

organization should reimburse members for authorized, service-related mileage at the rate 

established by the sponsoring organization's reimbursement policy.

Licensing and Insurance

Sponsoring organizations and members are responsible for complying with all laws 

concerning vehicle registration, operator licensing, and insurance on any vehicles used 

officially or unofficially by members in the state and locality where they serve and reside. You 

are covered by the Federal Tort Claims Act (see Chapter 15) for third-party liability (e.g., 

damage or injury to others only while in the performance of official duties) and by the Federal 

Employees' Compensation Act (see Chapter 15) for personal injury. AmeriCorps is not 
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responsible, however, for any damage to your own vehicle; thus, it is essential that you 

maintain adequate insurance on your own vehicle.

Accidents While Driving A Vehicle

If an accident occurs while you are driving a vehicle within the scope of your duties and other 

people sustain injuries or property damages because of the accident in which you were the 

driver, the exclusive remedy for those persons is under the Federal Tort Claims Act. If you are 

injured, you may be eligible to receive benefits to cover medical expenses under the Federal 

Employees' Compensation Act, also known as the Federal Worker's Compensation Act 

(see Chapter 8 for claims procedures). AmeriCorps is not responsible, however, for any 

damage to your own vehicle. (See Chapter 15 for more information about the Federal Tort 

Claims Act and the Federal Employees' Compensation Act.)

If an accident occurs, you must immediately summon the local police, comply with local 

requirements, and within two days of the accident make sure the following actions are taken:

• You must complete Sections I-IX of Form SF-91, Operator's Report of Motor Vehicle 

Accident. Your supervisor must complete Section X, Blocks 71-82c. Sections XI-XIII 

are completed only if bodily injury and/or fatality occur, and/or damages exceed 

$500.

• Where appropriate, you must obtain the names and addresses of witnesses and, if 

possible, obtain a completed Form SF-94, Statement of Witness. When there are no 

witnesses and, therefore, an SF-94 cannot be prepared, a statement to this effect must 

be included in the operator's report (SF-91) and certified by the supervisor.

• Make sure your supervisor prepares notes for the files in case you file a claim under 

the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (see Chapter 8) after you complete 

service.

• You must log into the My AmeriCorps Portal and complete the Use of Vehicle or 

Public Transportation V-81 Form. The sponsoring organization or supervisor and 

AmeriCorps Regional Office approve the V-81 form (AmeriCorps VISTA Use of 

Vehicles and Public Transportation).

In all instances where state laws require an official police report based on the extent of 

damages, a copy of such report must be included along with the other forms mentioned 

previously. In all cases involving damage to property (regardless of how minor), an official 

police report, if available, must be included and attached to the Form SF-91. In any accident 

in which personal injury has occurred, you must notify your AmeriCorps Regional Office

within 24 hours. AmeriCorps Regional Office contact information is available 

here: https://americorps.gov/contact/region-offices

An original and one copy of all reports noted above, as well as the police report if 

appropriate, must be submitted to the AmeriCorps Regional Office who will forward the 

original report(s) to AmeriCorps’ Office of General Counsel. The member, sponsoring 
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organization, and AmeriCorps Regional Office should retain copies of all submitted forms for 

their records.

All members and sponsoring organizations are prohibited from making any representations 

concerning the ultimate liability of the federal government on a particular claim to other 

parties. AmeriCorps’ Office of General Counsel and, where applicable, the Department of 

Justice, will make the final determination on whether an accident occurred within the scope 

of your project-related activities and the extent of the government's liability. (Travel to and 

from your home of record to the project site is not covered under the Federal Employees' 

Compensation Act.)

Members and sponsoring organizations are expected to cooperate fully with AmeriCorps’ 

Office of General Counsel in obtaining necessary evidence and materials, and with the 

Department of Justice or U.S. Attorney in the event legal action is taken in connection with 

the accident. If requested, sponsoring organizations, supervisors, and members are 

authorized to provide third parties with copies of Form SF-95, Claim for Damage, Injury, or 

Death and to advise that the claim must be submitted to the AmeriCorps Regional Office that 

has authority over the member.

If a civil action is brought in a local court against you or the sponsoring organization as a 

result of an accident or if you are asked or ordered to testify or be deposed, you must 

immediately notify the AmeriCorps Regional Office, which will notify the Office of General 

Counsel. 

AmeriCorps is not responsible for any indemnification or contribution to the sponsoring 

organization for any damages sustained by the sponsoring organization.

Travel Forms at a Glance* 

Form Use Required 

Approvals

Notes

"Training and 

Relocation Travel" 

Travel Request 

Profile – Available in

the My AmeriCorps 

Portal 

Created by the VMSU on behalf of 

members who relocate more than 

50 miles from their home of record 

to serve. Calculated based on 

mileage from home of record to 

service site. Documents the 

preferred dates and mode(s) of 

travel.

VISTA 

Member 

Support Unit – 

you must 

receive 

written 

approval 

arranging 

relocation 

travel

If the Home of Record 

or Project Site Address 

are listed incorrectly 

on your Travel 

Request Profile, please 

contact the VMSU.
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“Relocation Travel 

Only” Travel Request 

Profile 

Created by the VMSU on behalf of 

members who are reinstating or 

reenrolling into a new service term 

and will be relocating more than 

50 miles from their current project 

site or home of record to serve at a 

new project site 

location. Calculated based on 

mileage from previous project site 

to new project site OR from home 

of record to new project site. 

Required for candidates who 

relocate more than 50 miles from 

their home of record to serve. 

VISTA 

Member 

Support Unit – 

you must 

receive 

written 

approval in 

order to 

receive the 

relocation 

travel 

allowance.

If the Home of Record 

or Project Site Address 

are listed incorrectly 

on your Travel 

Request Profile, please 

contact the VMSU.

“Ending Service” 

Travel Request 

Profile – Available on 

My AmeriCorps 

Portal 

Created by the VMSU on behalf of 

members who relocated to serve 

at the beginning of service. 

Calculated based on mileage from 

service site to home of record (as 

established at the beginning of 

service)

VISTA 

Member 

Support Unit

Request to change 

home of record must 

be submitted to the 

VMSU Director for 

approval prior to the 

end of the member’s 

tenth month of service.

Use of Vehicles or 

Public 

Transportation Form 

(V-81) – Available 

on MyAmeriCorps

Required for members involved in 

an accident while operating a 

vehicle for service-related 

purposes.

Sponsor and 

Regional 

Office – 

approval 

process is 

automated

Form V-81 is not used 

for:

• Commuting 

purposes

• Personal travel

• Relocation 

travel

• General 

operation of a 

vehicle for 

service-related 

purposes (i.e., 

when no 

accident 

occurs) 

* Check with your sponsoring organization for deadlines

<Back to Table of Contents>
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Chapter 8: Healthcare Benefit Support

Healthcare Benefit Overview

As an AmeriCorps VISTA member, you are eligible for certain health benefits through 

AmeriCorps VISTA for the duration of your service term.

All members are eligible to participate in one of these Healthcare Benefit options:

1. AmeriCorps VISTA Healthcare Allowance – members who have health care coverage 

can get reimbursed for certain out-of-pocket expenses

2. AmeriCorps VISTA Health Benefit Plan – members who do not have health care 

coverage can enroll in this basic plan at no cost

Eligibility and benefit information about each option is available online on the AmeriCorps 

VISTA IMGlobal webpage. A general description of each option is below.

Enrollment

At the start of your VISTA term of service, you will need to complete a Member Enrollment 

Form to indicate which benefit option you would like to receive. The form may be completed 

by creating a MyIMGVISTA Account or by downloading the Member Enrollment Form and 

sending to IMG, the plan administrator.

For details about the AmeriCorps VISTA Health Benefit Plan and the AmeriCorps VISTA 

Healthcare Allowance, please visit the AmeriCorps VISTA IMGlobal webpage . 

Members starting or ending service are eligible for a 60 day special enrollment period 

through the Health Insurance Marketplace at healthcare.gov because it is a specific 

“qualifying change.” It is recommended that members wishing to change healthcare 

coverage should take action within 30 days of ending service to avoid a lapse in 

coverage. Information about “qualifying changes” can be found Special enrollment page of 

Healthcare.gov, under “More qualifying changes.”
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Healthcare Benefit Administration

International Medical Group (IMG) is the administrator of the AmeriCorps VISTA Healthcare 

Benefit Program and is available as a resource to you. For specific details about the benefit 

program, please visit AmeriCorps VISTA IMGlobal webpage contact IMG at:

International Medical Group 

P.O. Box 550

Farmington Hills, MI 48332-0550

Telephone: 855-851-2974 (toll-free) or 317-833-1711

Fax: 855-851-2971 

Email: vistacare@imglobal.com

Healthcare Benefit Courage

All members are eligible to participate in one of the following benefits:

1. AmeriCorps VISTA Healthcare Allowance – members who have health care 

coverage can get reimbursed for certain out-of-pocket expenses

2. AmeriCorps VISTA Healthcare Benefit Plan – members who do not have health care 

coverage can enroll in this basic plan at no cost

The AmeriCorps VISTA Healthcare Allowance is a supplemental health care 

reimbursement program that covers out-of-pocket costs associated with your healthcare 

coverage. Out-of-pocket expenses may include: your annual deductible, coinsurance, 

copayments, and other charges for qualified medical, dental, and vision care expenses. The 

Healthcare Allowance will help offset these expenses up to the out-of-pocket maximum 

under the ACA. The Healthcare Allowance does not cover costs associated with premium 

payments (that is, the cost of buying insurance) or charges associated with any other 

individual covered under your primary health care plan or policy.

Examples of health care options you may have that would make the Healthcare Allowance 

beneficial for you include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Family healthcare benefit – If you are 26 or younger and on a parent’s plan, or married 

and covered by a spouse’s plan

• Healthcare benefit purchased through the Health Insurance Marketplace – You can 

shop for coverage and find out if you qualify for lower costs by visiting the Health 

Insurance Marketplace at www.healthcare.gov
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• Medicaid, Medicare, or military health care benefits 

• Coverage under a separate government-sponsored program or act, such as benefits 

available to individuals in the U.S. territories or who belong to a federally recognized 

tribe

If you choose to enroll in the Healthcare Allowance, please be prepared to provide your 

primary healthcare coverage information including effective date of your primary healthcare 

coverage. If you do not yet have other health coverage but plan to, you may wait to enroll in 

the Healthcare Allowance until you have secured health care coverage and are able to 

provide the healthcare coverage’s information. 

The AmeriCorps VISTA Health Benefit Plan is a basic health benefit plan for members who 

do not have health coverage during their term of service. It is also available for those who 

have applied for other coverage and are waiting for that coverage to take effect. A Member 

Enrollment Form will be required to enroll in the plan.

The plan is available to members at no cost and covers most routine services, limited 

preventive care visits (e.g., an annual ob-gyn visit for women), medical emergencies, surgical 

and hospitalization expenses, certain prescription drug costs, routine dental care, and limited 

vision services. Although an excellent support for many VISTAs, the plan does not cover preexisting conditions nor does it cover dependents, including your spouse. 

For details on eligibility and coverage for each plan, please visit the AmeriCorps VISTA 

IMGlobal webpage .

Subrogation of Medical Expenses

If you are in a car or other accident while serving as a member, AmeriCorps may initially pay 

for your medical care. If that happens, and you then collect from the insurance company of 

the person who was at fault (or from your insurance company if the person at fault has no 

coverage), AmeriCorps has the right to recover from you the cost of whatever medical care it 

paid for. This situation is known as subrogation. In other words, if you are injured or become 

ill through the fault of another person, and either person's insurance company, or your 

insurance company, settles with you, AmeriCorps has the right to recover from you the cost 

of any health care it has paid, regardless of the reason for the settlement.

Access to Telehealth

In addition to their elected health benefit, many members can access telehealth, sometimes 

called virtual care, at no cost. 

Telehealth allows members to consult with board certified physicians, psychologists, social 

workers, and professional counselors via phone or video chat, at no cost to the member. 

Telehealth coverage and availability may vary by state. 
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Federal Employees’ Compensation Act

Under section 415(b) of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973, as amended (42 U.S.C., 

§ 5055), AmeriCorps VISTA members are considered employees of the federal government 

for purposes of coverage under the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA), which is 

administered by the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP) of the U.S. 

Department of Labor. The Department of Labor's OWCP office is solely responsible for the 

adjudication of FECA claims. This means that members are eligible for certain benefits in 

certain situations, and eligibility is determined by OWCP, not AmeriCorps.

Benefits

FECA provides compensation benefits for an illness or injury if it is judged by OWCP to be 

service-related (i.e., caused or aggravated by the performance of a member's assignment). 

Coverage by FECA begins for members after they are sworn in to the AmeriCorps VISTA 

program. You are not covered by FECA, however, if the injury or disability results from your 

own misconduct, intoxication, or willful intent to bring about injury or death to yourself or 

others.

Benefits approved under FECA begin after termination from service and include payment for 

continuing medical care and compensation for wage loss and permanent impairment of 

certain members or functions of the body in the event of a service-related disability. FECA 

also contains provisions for payment of certain death benefits, such as shipment of the body, 

funeral and burial costs, and survivor's benefits if the member's death results from an injury 

or illness sustained in the performance of official project duties.

Claims Procedures

If you are injured or experience an emergency illness related to your assignment, the project 

supervisor and the AmeriCorps Regional Office must be notified immediately. To protect 

your right to apply to OWCP for compensation, you need to complete the form (CA-1 or CA2). 

For faster and more accurate processing, please complete and submit the electronic version 

of the forms: 

• The CA-1 form, Notice of Traumatic Injury, should be filed when an accident or 

physical injury occurs during performance of duties. 

• The CA-2 form, Notice of Occupational Disease or Illness, should be filed when a 

disease or illness is suspected of being caused by job performance.

Although an illness or injury may not appear to be serious enough to result in compensation 

eligibility, you should complete the claim forms to protect your rights in case future 

complications develop. You have up to three years from the date of injury or up to three 
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years from the date you realize your assignment caused an injury to request your completed 

form be filed with OWCP.

Submit all FECA claims and relevant material to your AmeriCorps Regional Office. The 

AmeriCorps Regional Office will:

• Advise and assist individual claimants regarding the preparation, submission, and 

follow-up of their respective FECA claims

• Provide appropriate assistance in compiling and submitting all pertinent information 

relating to FECA claims

Parts of these forms require completion by the sponsoring organization. Notify your 

AmeriCorps Regional Office if you need assistance in receiving these forms back from your 

former sponsoring organization.

Appeal Procedure

You may petition any claim rejected by OWCP by following the appeal rights process 

outlined in the rejection notice you received by mail from OWCP, or in the OWCP 

information guide, When Injured at Work. This guide and other resources about claims under 

FECA are available on the Division of Federal Employees' Compensation Home Page. 

Death Benefits

In the event of a member's death during service, the next of kin or designated beneficiary is 

entitled to the following:

• Coverage of expenses incurred at the place of death (ambulance service, 

transportation of the body, etc.)

• Funeral and burial benefits from either AmeriCorps (to a maximum of $1,000) or from 

OWCP if the death is found to be service related

• Unpaid compensation or reimbursement owed to the member

• Any benefits available to spouse or dependents from OWCP if the death is 

determined to be assignment-related

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Chapter 9: Leave Benefits

Leave Benefits at a Glance

Below is a summary of leave benefits available during VISTA service. Review the chart and 

information below for additional requirements related to each leave type.

Leave type Total 

Workdays

Conditions

National holiday Only those 

observed by 

sponsor 

and/or subsite 

staff

Personal 10 service 

days in a full 

year of service

Generally, leave in first 3 months or last month is 

limited to emergencies and family matters.

If you reenroll or extend your service with the 

same project without a break in service, you are 

entitled to any unused personal leave earned in 

the prior term of service.

Must be taken in accordance with sponsor 

and/or subsite policies.

Personal in an 

extension of 

service

1 service day 

per 30 

additional 

days of service

If you extend service with the same project 

without a break in service, you are also entitled 

to any unused personal leave earned in the 

prior term or service.

Medical 10 service 

days in a full 

year of service

If you reenroll or extend service with the same 

project without a break in service, you are 

entitled to any unused medical leave earned in 

the prior term of service.

Must be taken in accordance with sponsor 

and/or subsite policies.
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Medical in an 

extension of 

service

1 service day 

per 30 

additional 

days of service

If you extend service with the same project 

without a break in service, you are also entitled 

to any unused medical leave earned in the prior 

term or service.

Extended Medical 

Leave Benefits

Must exhaust 

personal and 

medical first

5 service 

days in a full 

year of service

The AmeriCorps Senior Portfolio Manager may 

approve an additional 5 service days for a total 

of 15 medical service days in a full year of 

service, in cases that require extended 

recuperation. These extended medical leave 

benefits are not to be used as parental leave 

(covered below).

Parental Leave 

(birth/adoption)

Must exhaust 

personal and 

medical leave 

first

The AmeriCorps Senior Portfolio Manager may

approve an additional 10 service days of leave, 

for a total of 30 service days, if required.

Emergency 5 service days 

in a full year of 

service

Sponsor may allow if a natural disaster requires 

leaving the site or an immediate family member 

becomes critically ill or dies. Sponsor must 

notify the AmeriCorps Senior Portfolio Manager.

Jury duty As necessary 

Military reserve As required by 

the military

 

National Holidays

Members enjoy the national holidays that are recognized by their sponsoring organization or 

sub-site and are given as time off to the rest of the organization's personnel. Members do not 

get excused leave for federal holidays that are not recognized by their sponsoring 

organization and/or sub-site. For example, if your organization does not give its staff a 

holiday for Veterans Day, you are expected to serve unless you request and receive approval 

for one day of personal leave. Additionally, if you want a day off for a religious observance, 

you should request a day of personal leave. Please contact your sponsoring organization to 

determine recognized holidays.

If your sponsoring organization provides its staff additional "floating holidays," "spring 

breaks," "summer recesses," etc., you are expected to continue to serve on your assignment 

unless authorized to take the time off as part of your personal leave. In such cases, an 

alternative service site for a limited duration may be considered if approved in advance by 

the supervisor and AmeriCorps Senior Portfolio Manager. Review the Alternative Service 

Site section later in this chapter for approval requirements.
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Personal Leave

You are entitled to 10 service days of personal leave during each full year of service. A service 

day is equivalent to the number of hours your sponsoring organization considers a typical full 

day of service. If you reenroll or extend service with the same project without a break in 

service, you are entitled to any unused personal leave earned in your prior term of service. 

Members who extend their period of service earn one day of personal leave for every 30 days 

of the extension.

You must request and receive approval in advance from the sponsoring 

organization/supervisor for all personal leave, specifying the dates of leave requested.

During personal leave, all regular member allowances are continued. AmeriCorps does not 

pay travel expenses for personal leave.

Summer associates are entitled to 3 service days of leave during each summer associate term 

of service. This leave is provided in recognition that even during a short commitment, like the 

summer associate 8-, 9-, or 10-week program, members often have health or other personal 

reasons to need to be excused from a day of service.

Medical Leave

Members are entitled to 10 service days of medical leave during each full year of service. If 

you reenroll or extend service with the same project without a break in service, you are 

entitled to any unused medical leave earned in your prior term of service. Members who 

extend their period of service earn one day of medical leave for every 30 days of the 

extension. A service day is equivalent to the number of hours your sponsoring organization 

considers a typical full day of work. Partial days of medical leave also may be granted to the 

member. All living allowances continue during medical leave periods.

You are required to request prior approval for medical leave, except for extenuating 

circumstances when you are physically unable to request prior approval, from the sponsoring 

organization or supervisor. You should also specify the hours or dates of leave requested.

The sponsoring organization or supervisor must notify the AmeriCorps Senior Portfolio 

Manager immediately if it appears that you will not be able to resume project duties within 

the maximum medical leave period of 10 service days. The AmeriCorps Senior Portfolio 

Manager may approve an extension of your medical leave for up to another five (5) service 

days in cases of extended recuperation and in which you are likely to return to the project 

within the approved leave period, or in the event of some delay in obtaining a prognosis of 

your medical condition within the approved leave period.
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Parental Leave

Members are entitled to use a combination of medical and personal leave (20 service days) 

for parental leave. The AmeriCorps Senior Portfolio Manager may approve up to an 

additional 10 service days for parental leave, for a total of up to 30 service days, if required. 

No additional leave beyond 30 service days may be granted.

Emergency Leave

The sponsoring organization may grant you up to five service days of emergency leave. 

During emergency leave, all allowances continue. Emergency leave is granted in two types of 

exigent situations. First, it may be granted if you serve in an area where a natural disaster 

occurs and requires you to leave the area temporarily, or are unable to serve as a result of the 

natural disaster. Second, emergency leave may be granted if an immediate family member 

(spouse, domestic partner, parent, sibling, child, grandparent, or guardian) becomes critically 

ill or dies. Emergency leave does not count against your personal leave time.

If circumstances require you to take emergency leave, you should notify the sponsoring 

organization or supervisor at once and, if requested, provide the sponsoring organization or 

supervisor with some evidence of the emergency. If the sponsoring organization determines 

that an emergency exists, the sponsoring organization will inform the AmeriCorps Regional

Office.

If travel is required, AmeriCorps VISTA will pay for the fastest regularly scheduled means of 

transportation to and from the site of the emergency or to your home of record, provided the 

destination is in the United States or a U.S. territory. The VMSU may arrange travel for 

members when able to do so within the time requirements.

If the member arranges or purchases their own transportation, the member must submit 

receipts for all reimbursable costs. All requests for reimbursements will be reviewed by the 

VMSU for accurate and reasonable costs.

In the event that AmeriCorps cannot pay for or provide a prepaid ticket in advance of the 

approved emergency leave, the sponsoring organization may furnish the needed travel 

assistance. Such advances, however, should be authorized by the AmeriCorps Regional 

Office.

Jury Duty

Members may be summoned for jury duty. Sponsoring organizations shall give members the 

necessary time away from project duties to comply with a jury duty summons or serve on a 

jury. You should provide a copy of the summons to your supervisor, and keep your supervisor 

apprised of your status while you need to be offsite to attend to your jury duty obligation. 
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Allowances will be paid during the period of jury duty. Your time on jury duty is not counted 

against your personal leave, term of service, or education award.

If you are subpoenaed (for non-project-related purposes), however, you are required to use 

personal leave.

Military Reserve Leave

If you enter AmeriCorps VISTA service before completing a military reserve obligation, you 

must change the location of your reserve unit if necessary. Members should try to minimize 

the disruption in service as a result of discharging responsibilities related to their reservist 

duties. If you are allowed to choose when to fulfill your annual two weeks of active-duty 

requirement, you should choose a period that does not disrupt your service.

A member is granted military reserve leave to attend the monthly reserve training sessions 

and the two weeks of active-duty training. Such leave does not count against a member's 

personal leave, term of service, end-of-service stipend, or education award. You should notify 

the sponsoring organization/supervisor before taking military reserve leave and upon 

returning from such leave. You may not receive time off for active duty or other reserverelated service beyond the two weeks and the monthly training activities usually required for 

reserve status. Any other reserve-related service does not apply to your AmeriCorps VISTA 

service time for purposes of the education award. The sponsoring organization/supervisor 

notifies the AmeriCorps Regional Office of the exact dates of your military reserve leave.

For military service-responsibilities that are expected to last more than 30 continuous days, 

the member is considered for placement in Deferred Term status. 

Family Medical Leave Act

The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a federal law that provides certain employees in the 

United States with up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave per year to care for a covered family 

member and up to 26 six weeks of unpaid leave per year to care for a covered armed service 

member. The Serve America Act Amendments to the National Community Service Act of 

1990 extended FMLA protections to certain members.

Members, including leaders, are eligible for FMLA leave, if they satisfy all four of these 

conditions:

1. Have successfully completed a full year (12 months) of service

2. Serve with the same sponsor for a subsequent term of service

3. Were assigned to the same sponsor for at least 1,250 hours (eight months) for the 

previous term of service
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4. Serve with a sponsor that has 50 or more employees 

Given these four parameters for FMLA eligibility, only a minority of members may be eligible 

for FMLA leave. To begin the FMLA request process, a member should contact their 

sponsor, who can then liaise with the AmeriCorps Regional Office for next steps. 

In the context of the AmeriCorps VISTA program, FMLA is a leave without pay status. A 

member who is eligible for and takes “FMLA leave” stays enrolled in the AmeriCorps VISTA 

program, continues to receive healthcare benefits, and stays assigned to a project while 

taking the leave, but does not receive a living allowance. Further, member benefits and 

allowances (childcare, accrual of the end-of-service award [i.e., Education Award or end-ofservice stipend]) are suspended while on FMLA leave. The member’s position at the project 

where the member had been assigned remains available for when the member returns and 

cannot be abolished or given to someone else during the member's FMLA-approved 

absence. Upon return to the project, the member’s program benefits that were suspended 

during FMLA leave, including the living allowance, resume.

Alternative Service Sites 

Members might be approved to serve at an alternative service site.

For instance, if your service site is closed due to a weather event, natural disaster, or if your 

sponsoring organization provides its staff with additional “floating holidays,” “spring breaks,” 

“summer recesses,” etc., you are expected to continue to serve unless authorized to take the 

time off as part of your personal or sick leave. However, in lieu of taking personal or sick 

leave, you may serve at an alternative service site, for a limited duration, if approved in 

advance by the supervisor and AmeriCorps Senior Portfolio Manager.

In addition, in certain circumstances VISTA members, leaders, and summer associates may 

serve from an alternative location if they are approved for a Teleservice opportunity or Virtual 

Service Site. More information is outlined in Chapter 14. 

<Back to Table of Contents>

Chapter 10: AmeriCorps VISTA Leaders
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AmeriCorps VISTA Leaders

Just as members work to expand and build the capacity of community projects, leaders work 

to expand and build the capacity of individual members and their respective service sites. 

Leaders have demonstrated leadership skills and qualities during their initial term(s) of 

service and have accepted a new level of responsibility.

Role of AmeriCorps VISTA Leaders

The aim of a leader is to expand and build the capacity of the members (and summer 

associates) they lead, in coordination with the projects in which they serve. The aim of a 

leader is to expand and build the capacity of the members (and summer associates) they 

lead, in coordination with the projects in which they serve. Leaders provide support and 

coordination for members to increase the project's impact. Leaders are not, and do not 

function as, AmeriCorps employees or employees of the sponsoring organization. Leaders 

are not permitted to perform staffing, administrative or supervisory functions for their 

sponsoring organizations. Hence, they do not supervise other members, the sponsoring 

organization staff, or community volunteers. Leaders do not replace the supervisor or any 

other sponsoring organization staff. 

Leaders are assigned by AmeriCorps to projects or regions to assist sponsoring organizations 

in achieving program objectives and developing new project activities and sources of 

community support. Leaders set an example of leadership for members, ensure positive 

relations, facilitate idea-sharing, and mediate issues with the community, project, supervisors, 

and members. Leaders also play a support role in recruiting, mentoring, and coordinating 

members.

Leaders have successfully completed at least one year of AmeriCorps VISTA service, or one 

full term of full-time service (serving 1,700 hours or more) with either AmeriCorps State and 

National or AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), or at least one 

traditional term of Peace Corps service. Leaders must also demonstrate exemplary skills and 

leadership in community service. Leaders have demonstrated leadership ability to work 

constructively with community volunteers, supervisors, sponsoring organizations, and the 

low-income community.

A member is not entitled to leader assignment for simply having satisfactorily completed a 

previous service assignment. It is up to the AmeriCorps Regional Office to select which 

projects may have leaders, to determine the number of leaders that may serve at designated 

projects, and to select those who will serve as leaders.

If circumstances warrant, a leader may be removed from the position and duties of a leader 

by AmeriCorps. The leader regulations, Code of Federal Regulations, Title 45, Part 2556, 

detail the qualifications necessary to become a leader, the selection procedure, and roles of 

leaders. Moreover, leaders are subject to the same requirements for proper conduct and 
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satisfactory performance as members. Accordingly, like members, leaders are subject to the 

Early Termination for cause proceedings, set forth in AmeriCorps VISTA Early Termination 

regulations, Code of Federal Regulations, Title 45, Part 2556, Subpart E.

Leader Orientation 

Leaders participate in a three-and-a-half-day Leader Orientation designed to provide the 

knowledge and skills to help recruit, coach, and coordinate teams of members. Through 

training and hands-on experiences, leaders gain transferable skills in communication, 

decision-making, conflict resolution and coaching, facilitation, and recruiting.

As a leader, you should complete the VISTA Leader Orientation on the Campus at the 

beginning of your term of service. 

VISTA Leader Orientation introduces you to your new role and equips you with a set of skills 

to help support members and ensure that their projects are sustainable. The goals of 

orientation are to:

• Communicate the roles and responsibilities of leaders

• Equip leaders with a set of leadership skills they can apply in their daily work

• Establish a learning community among leaders that will continue throughout their 

term of service

• Train leaders to be effective recruiters for AmeriCorps VISTA

• Educate leaders about the tools and resources available to them to support their roles 

and projects

• Help leaders to develop strategies and plan for effectively supporting their members 

and sustaining their projects

• Facilitate information sharing and collaboration among leaders working in similar 

issue areas

• Inspire leaders to complete a successful year of service

Administrative Policies for Leaders

AmeriCorps limits the number of years served in the AmeriCorps VISTA program to a 

maximum of five years. An individual who has served only one year of service as a member 

may serve as a leader for up to four years. A leader is not, however, guaranteed a second 

term as a leader. To receive approval for reenrollment as a leader, the leader's service 

performance must be outstanding, and the sponsoring organization and AmeriCorps Senior 

Portfolio Manager must agree that it would benefit the project to reenroll the leader for

another year of service.
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Becoming a VISTA Leader

The process for applying to serve as a leader is similar to the process for applying for a 

regular VISTA position or requesting re-enrollment or reinstatement. Eligible individuals 

complete an application using My AmeriCorps and submit it for an available leader position. 

Returned Peace Corps Volunteers will be asked to submit a Description of Service as part of 

their application package. Currently serving members who wish to re-enroll as a leader with 

the same sponsor complete the Future Plans Form and indicate re-enrollment. 

Transition from VISTA Member to Leader

In rare instances, there may be a member who is serving a second or subsequent term when 

a leader position at the sponsoring organization becomes vacant. In such cases, the 

sponsoring organization may recommend the promotion of the member to leader if the 

member has successfully completed a full term of service and demonstrates exemplary skills 

and leadership in community service. A sponsoring organization may not recommend the 

promotion of a member to leader midway through a member's first term of service. A 

member may become a leader at some point in their second term of service providing the 

member plans to serve 12 months as a leader.

Leader’s Relationship with Sponsoring Organizations, Supervisors, and 

Members

The leader has a distinct role within a sponsoring organization. Leaders coordinate and 

provide support to members, but they are not responsible for members. The project 

supervisor is directly responsible for the management of members.

The leader, however, is in a leadership role. At times, the leader may serve as a mediator, a 

facilitator, an adviser, or a trainer. The supervisor and leader should make sure members 

understand the leader's role and responsibilities.

The supervisor/sponsoring organization should not expect leaders to take on roles similar to 

those of members in addition to their leader roles and responsibilities. For example, if a 

leader coordinates a project that involves eight members who implement literacy programs 

at six different sites, the leader should not be expected to implement a literacy program.

Regional and Project-Based Leaders

Several states, because of their size and geography, have assigned leaders regionally. These 

leaders serve on a project and support not only their own project's members, but also 

members serving with other projects in a specified area. This type of assignment is 

acceptable for leaders as long as:

• Leaders are supervised by a single supervisor/sponsoring organization

• Project sponsors involved agree with the proposal
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• Leaders do not operate in an AmeriCorps Regional Office or sponsoring organization 

staff role

Leader Benefits

Living Allowance

Leaders are eligible for an additional $200 per month in their living allowance, effective on 

the date of their leader assignment. If, however, the $200-per-month increase raises the living 

allowance above the federal or state minimum wage (whichever is higher), the leader must 

be given the option to:

• Keep the lower living allowance to retain public assistance payments

• Accept the allowance increase, with the understanding that it may jeopardize the 

eligibility for, or level of, public assistance or other governmental payments

See VISTA Living Allowance Rates by County for more information about the living allowance 

rate in the area where you serve. The living allowance is subject to federal tax. As a result, the 

amounts that appear in the chart are reflective of the rate before federal taxes are deducted.

Health Care

All leaders receive the same health care benefits as members, in accordance with the 

provisions of the administrative contract between AmeriCorps and the benefits provider.

Education Award

Leaders who have not already received two Segal AmeriCorps Education Award enrollments 

may opt for the education award. Leaders who opt for an education award cannot also 

receive an end-of-service stipend.

End-of-Service Stipend

Leaders who do not choose the education award receive an end-of-service cash stipend 

upon completion of their full term of service as a leader. Leaders who elect to receive an endof-service stipend cannot also receive an education award.

<Back to Table of Contents>

Chapter 11: Summer Associates
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Summer Associates

Summer associate members serve for intensive, 

short terms of service lasting eight, nine, or ten 

weeks. Unlike year-round members, summer 

associates can perform direct service activities 

without limitation. As a summer associate, you are 

required to abide by the same laws and regulations 

as other members (discussed in Chapter 14) and 

are afforded certain legal protections. Summer 

associates are eligible for limited benefits 

(discussed below in Benefits and Support).

 

Summer associate activities, combined with ongoing VISTA programming, should result in:

• A credible effort to alleviate poverty, not simply make poverty more tolerable

• Outcomes that increase the project’s direct impact on those being served

Specific member assignments may vary. For example, summer associates could:

• Recruit, train, and coordinate (but not select or directly supervise) community-based 

volunteers, including high school and college students and older adults

• Structure long-term ways for involving community members in project activities

• Generate materials, supplies, and space for the project

• Involve the private sector in the project

• Develop materials for year-round project activities

• Conduct community education, outreach, and awareness related to the project

Administrative Policies for Summer Associates

Service in the AmeriCorps VISTA program is limited to a maximum of five years. Members 

and summer associates may earn up to the aggregate value of two full education awards in a 

lifetime. Education awards earned as a summer associate count towards the aggregate value 

of two full education awards.

Benefits and Support

Summer associate benefits differ from those benefits offered to members and leaders.

Summer associates receive:
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• A living allowance for the time served, which is equivalent to the amount received by 

full-time members serving in the same area

• Choice between a Summer Segal AmeriCorps Education Award or an end-of-service 

summer stipend. Only those summer associates who successfully complete their full 

term of service are eligible to receive the education award or end-of-service summer 

stipend.

Each summer associate completes the summer associates Benefit Election Form on their first 

day of service to elect the education award or the end-of-service summer stipend. Unlike 

other members, summer associates cannot change their end-of-service award option at any 

point during their service term.

The summer stipend is calculated based on the number of days a summer associate is 

scheduled to serve, multiplied by the daily accrual rate. For details regarding the accrual rate 

for the end-of-service stipend, visit Chapter 5. Federal income tax and Social 

Security/Medicare (FICA) deductions are withheld from the end-of-service stipend at the time 

of payment.

Summer associates do not receive:

• Health care benefits

• Childcare allowances

• Relocation allowances

• Non-Competitive Eligibility

Leave

Summer associates are entitled to 3 service days of leave during each summer associate term 

of service. This leave is provided in recognition that even during a short commitment, like the 

summer associate 8-, 9-, or 10-week program, members often have health or other personal 

reasons to need to be excused from a day of service. Please see the “Emergency Leave” 

section below for additional guidelines for absences.

Holidays

Summer associates receive leave on federal holidays observed by their sponsor and/or subsite. Summer associates should consult their sponsor to determine recognized holidays and 

service schedules.

Emergency Leave 

When an emergency or illness prevents a summer associate from serving, sponsors and 

AmeriCorps staff may assist the summer associate in meeting the required number of service 
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days. AmeriCorps staff must balance summer associate support with project support, 

avoiding excessive leave while supporting the summer associate through the emergency or 

illness.

The guidelines within which sponsors, and AmeriCorps staff may support summer associates 

in fulfilling their summer obligations are: 

• Summer associates must report all absences to their site supervisor. The site 

supervisor will report the absence to the overall project supervisor. Unreported 

absence may be cause for early termination

• Supervisors may arrange for limited (1-2 days) absences that will be made up by 

serving extra hours or extra days

o Supervisors should prioritize the completion of make-up hours

o Make-up days cannot extend past the last day of the summer associate’s 

service term

• Supervisors must report to the AmeriCorps Regional Office a summer associate’s 

absence beyond two days and/or requests for absences that will not be made up

o AmeriCorps Regional Office staff may allow up to five additional days of 

emergency leave for a death or critical illness in the immediate family, but this 

must be approved by the Senior Portfolio Manager in advance

Jury Duty

Summer associates may be summoned for jury duty; if summoned or selected to serve on a 

jury, summer associates will continue to be enrolled in the AmeriCorps VISTA program and 

retain their summer associate status. If summoned for jury duty, you should provide a copy 

of the summons to your supervisor, and keep your supervisor apprised of your status while 

you need to be offsite to attend to your jury duty obligation. Allowances will be paid during 

the period of jury duty. 

Worker’s Compensation

Summer associates are eligible to be considered for Worker’s Compensation under the 

Federal Employee Compensation Act (FECA).

Income Disregard

The Income Disregard provisions apply to any summer associate receiving government 

benefits.
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Completion of Future Plans Form

Due to the shortened nature of the summer associate service term, the Future Plans Form is 

available the first day of service. Summer associates and sponsors may complete the Future 

Plans Form, but this is not a requirement for summer associates. 

<Back to Table of Contents>

Chapter 12: End of Service
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End-of-Service

Just as you spent time preparing to begin your term of service, it is equally important for you 

to prepare for your conclusion of service. Whatever you choose to do after your service, you

should start planning at least three months before your end-of-service date. Make sure you 

complete all your paperwork well before your end-of-service date and inform your supervisor 

and sponsoring organization of your departure date, contact details, and any other 

information needed for you, the sponsoring organization, and the AmeriCorps Regional 

Office to make your end of service as smooth as possible.

End-of-Service Checklist

Due Date To Whom Item or Activity

90 days 

before 

your endof-service 

date

VMSU via the AmeriCorps Hotline

1-800-942-2677, VMSU@cns.gov, 

or https://americorps.gov/contact

• Submit any request to change 

your home of record 

(changes submitted after your 

10th month of service, or less 

than 60 days prior to your 

end-of-service date will not 

be considered). All requests 

must be approved by the 

Director of VISTA Member 

Support Unit (VMSU)

By the last 

day of your 

10th 

month

My AmeriCorps Portal

• Submit any requests to 

change your end-of-service 

benefit selection from 

Education Award to end-ofservice cash stipend

At least 60 

days 

before 

your endof-service 

date

My AmeriCorps Portal

• Complete Part A of the 

AmeriCorps VISTA Member 

Future Plans or Early 

Termination Request Form 

(Future Plans Form)

At least 45 

days 

before 

your endof-service 

date

My AmeriCorps Portal • Your supervisor will complete 

Part B—Performance 

Evaluation of the AmeriCorps 

VISTA Member Future Plans 

or Early Termination Request 

Form (Future Plans Form)
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 • Participate in exit interview 

and evaluation of your 

performance with your 

supervisor

Member

• If you elected to receive the 

end-of-service stipend, you 

will receive approximately 

$400 of your accrued stipend 

(minus federal income tax 

and FICA deductions) in your 

second to last living 

allowance payment. The 

remaining balance is 

disbursed with your last living 

allowance payment.

Within two 

weeks 

after 

completion 

of service 

(if not 

sooner)

VISTA Member Support Unit

• If you relocated to serve, 

submit your Close of Service 

Travel Reimbursement 

voucher. Payment of all travel 

reimbursements takes an 

average of 8-10 weeks from 

the time the request form is 

received at the VISTA 

Member Support Unit.

After 

completion 

of service

Web Resources for AmeriCorps 

VISTA Alums

AmeriCorps Webpage

VISTA Campus

LinkedIn

• Generate your Verification of 

Service letter with information 

on your Non-Competitive 

Eligibility. 

• Learn more about Alumni 

benefits and the Employers of 

National Service initiative 

on the AmeriCorps Website. 

• Be sure to create a LinkedIn 

profile if you don’t already 

have one and indicate your 

VISTA service. Also be sure to 

follow the official AmeriCorps 

VISTA LinkedIn page for 

important career updates.

AmeriCorps Alums

• Join an AmeriCorps Alums 

chapter
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• Learn about discounts and 

matching education award 

scholarships

Healthcare Marketplace: 888-

318-2956

• If you have insurance through 

the Marketplace and your 

income changes, you’ll want 

to have your subsidy adjusted 

so you don’t end up receiving 

too much subsidy (and then 

have to pay it back at tax 

time).

• If you are currently in the 

VISTA Health Benefits Plan 

and want to purchase health 

insurance through the 

Marketplace, you have 60 

days after close of service to 

do so. Refer to the VISTA 

Healthcare FAQs for more 

information on this special 

enrollment period.

Preparing for End-of-Service

In order to have a successful end of service, please pay careful attention to the following 

items which are also outlined in the checklist above. 

Future Plans Form 

At least 60 days before your end-of-service date, you will need to complete the Future Plans 

Form (Future Plans Form). This form is located on your member homepage 

in MyAmeriCorps under "Close-of-Service." It asks whether you wish to:

• Complete service as scheduled

• Extend my service for less than one year

o Extensions are for no less than two weeks and no more than six months. Please 

note, the only end-of-service benefit available during an extension is the cash 

stipend.

• Reenroll for an additional year, which means you would continue service for one year

at the same project or at a different project (re-enrollment)

• Terminate my service early
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Your Future Plans Form becomes available on your MyAmeriCorps homepage 90 days 

before your end-of-service date. You must complete this form at least 60 days before your 

end-of-service date. The sponsoring 

organization or supervisor will then complete 

the evaluation section and submit the form to 

the AmeriCorps Regional Office. You are 

entitled to review the evaluation section 

before it is sent to the AmeriCorps Regional 

Office. 

After you complete the Future Plans Form, 

your project supervisor will fill out the 

Performance Evaluation section. Follow up to 

make sure your supervisor has completed the form at least 45 days before your end-ofservice date. Even members who choose to end service early must complete the Future Plans 

Form.

The AmeriCorps Regional Office is responsible for determining whether you have 

successfully completed a term of service and are eligible for an education award. Once the 

Regional Office indicates your eligibility by certifying the Future Plans Form and the VISTA 

Member Support Unit processes the form, you will have access to an end-of-service award.

Evaluation of Your Service

The Future Plans Form requires the sponsoring organization to evaluate the performance of 

members approaching the end of their term of service or requesting a reenrollment or 

extension of service. You are entitled to review the evaluation section before it is sent to the 

AmeriCorps Regional Office. During this time, you should also arrange an exit interview with 

your supervisor to summarize the work you have done and to talk through and agree with 

your evaluation. The exit interview is also an opportunity for you to give feedback, to discuss 

your future plans, and to finalize your arrangements for leaving. If you request to reenroll or 

extend, refer to the section on Additional AmeriCorps VISTA Service.

Close of Service Travel Assistance

Candidates approved to relocate at the beginning of service are eligible to receive a Close of 

Service Travel Allowance when they finish service. The allowance is intended to help offset 

the cost of returning home from the service site. The Close of Service mileage is calculated 

using the same points of travel from the start of service. The rate, established by the 

AmeriCorps VISTA program, is based on the mileage between the ZIP code of the service site 

and the ZIP code of the approved home of record. 

To receive a Close of Service Travel Allowance, members must submit the AmeriCorps VISTA 

Close of Service Travel Assistance Form to the VISTA Member Support Unit. You will need to 
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return the signed form to the VISTA Member Support Unit to receive your travel payment 

reimbursement. The signed forms should be sent to: VMSUForms@cns.gov. 

The travel payment, made by direct deposit, will arrive eight weeks after the VISTA Member 

Support Unit receives your signed form. If you waived payment by direct deposit, a paper 

check will be mailed to the permanent address listed in your MyAmeriCorps account. Forms 

must be returned to the VMSU within two weeks after completion of service. If you fail to sign 

and return the Close of Service form within this time, payment may be delayed.

Home of Record 

The approved home of record is the location approved at the start of service. The home of 

record is either:

• The legal residence of your parent(s) or legal guardian if you had been residing with 

your parent(s) or legal guardian immediately prior to entering service, or if you were a 

full-time student whose permanent residence was with your parent(s) or legal 

guardian, or

• The residence established by you:

o While attending college immediately prior to entering service

o While employed immediately prior to entering service

o For purposes of voting or payment of state taxes

Modification of the home of record can be authorized prior to the tenth month of service, at 

the discretion of the Director of the VISTA Member Support Unit, if one of the following 

conditions exists:

• You designated the official home of record as the legal residence of a parent or legal 

guardian, and the parent or legal guardian has established a new residence (if the 

new residence is outside the United States, AmeriCorps will provide close of service 

assistance to the nearest port of exit).

• You designated the official home of record as the legal residence of a parent or legal 

guardian, and the parent or legal guardian has died. AmeriCorps will provide close of 

service assistance to the legal residence of the surviving parent or legal guardian, or 

next of kin (if the new residence is outside the United States, AmeriCorps will provide 

close of service assistance to the nearest port of exit). 

• You have married and request close of service assistance to the home of record of 

your spouse.

• Close of service assistance to the new home of record is more economical to the 

United States government than the original home of record.
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Requests to modify the home of record must be submitted in writing to the Director of the 

VISTA Member Support Unit via the AmeriCorps Hotline. Requests received after the end of 

the tenth month of service will not be considered.

Breaks in Service

If you serve an additional year at the 

same site, you will not be reimbursed 

for travel to your home of record until 

the end of your final year of service, 

regardless of whether or not there is a 

break in service. Please see Additional 

AmeriCorps VISTA Service for more 

details.

If you serve an additional year with a 

break in service of more than 14 days 

from the completion of your previous 

term of service and must relocate 50 miles or more to a different project or site location, you 

may be eligible to be reimbursed to travel to your home of record between service terms. 

If you serve an additional year within 14 days of completing your original term of service and 

relocate 50 miles or more to a different service site, you will receive a Relocation Travel 

Allowance for the mileage from your current site to your new site, along with the $750 

Settling-In allowance. See Chapter 7 for an explanation of the Relocation Travel Allowance. 

You will receive Close of Service Travel assistance at the end of the final year of service to 

your approved Home of Record.

End-Of-Service Stipend

If you elected to receive the end-of-service stipend, you automatically receive the payment 

with your last two living allowance payments, provided you complete your term of service as 

scheduled and your end-of-service documents are submitted. You will receive approximately 

$400 of the end-of-service stipend with your second to last living allowance payment; the 

remaining balance is disbursed with your last living allowance payment. Federal income tax 

and Social Security (FICA) deductions are withheld from the stipend at the time of payment.

Segal AmeriCorps Education Award

If you elected to receive the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award, the award becomes 

available for your use after you successfully complete service. The value of the award is tied 

to the maximum Pell Grant level during the fiscal year in which you served. (See Chapter 6 for 

detailed information on the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award.)
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Process for Accessing Education Award

Your My AmeriCorps account allows you the ability to make payments to lenders and higher 

education institutions. To access your award, click on the “My Education Award” link in 

your My AmeriCorps account. 

The Segal AmeriCorps Education Award must be used within seven years of the date you 

finish your service, unless you apply for and receive an extension prior to the end of your 

seventh year in accordance with 45 CFR §2526.40(b). If you have questions about your 

education award, you should contact the AmeriCorps Hotline at 800-942-2677, or visit the 

AmeriCorps Hotline website, click on the "Ask a Question" tab, complete the help request 

form, and submit.

Additional AmeriCorps VISTA Service 

At the discretion of AmeriCorps, you may be afforded the opportunity to serve in the 

AmeriCorps VISTA program beyond the initial year of enrollment.

Additional service is predicated on a clear indication that you will continue to provide a 

substantial contribution to the program. Approval is required for all continuations of service 

following endorsement by the sponsoring organization. Members are limited to five years of 

service. 

In the tenth month of service, you receive the Future Plans Form, which asks whether you wish 

to complete service as scheduled or to reenroll or extend. In approving a request for 

continuation of service, your performance, as evaluated by the project supervisor and the 

AmeriCorps Portfolio Manager, along with your skills and experience, are considered. 

Continuation of service is also subject to the availability of an appropriate assignment and to 

the availability of funds for member support.

To request continuation of service, you must complete the Future Plans Form at least 60 days 

before your scheduled end-of-service date. (This form is on your member homepage in My 

AmeriCorps under “Close-of-Service”.) 

AmeriCorps VISTA will notify you and the sponsoring organization whether the request for 

continuation of service was approved at least four weeks before the end of service. The early 

termination provisions and volunteer grievance procedures do not apply to continuation of 

service denials.

Restrictions and Requirements 

If there is a break of more than 120 days between service years, you are again subject to 

members background check. The background check entails a search of the National Sex 

Offenders Public Registry or a search of all state and territory databases that inform 
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NSOPW.gov, full disclosure of convictions, and criminal history check. For questions, please 

contact your AmeriCorps Regional Office. 

Life After AmeriCorps VISTA

Certification of Service 

When you have completed service, log onto My AmeriCorps to print a letter of AmeriCorps 

VISTA Verification of Service. This letter serves as proof of your service and includes your 

dates of service. Click the “My Service Letters” link to create and print your letter. If your letter 

is incorrect or if the system is unable to locate your record, please contact the AmeriCorps 

Hotline. 

Staying involved

AmeriCorps VISTA encourages you to stay in touch with our program and become involved 

with the national AmeriCorps Alumni Network after you complete your year of service. As an 

alum, you can help recruit new members, share your story of service, and continue to serve. 

For information and services that help you stay involved with the AmeriCorps community, 

visit the Alumni Page of the AmeriCorps website.

Service and Your Career

For many, service in AmeriCorps VISTA is the first step in a rewarding career in public service. 

Helping to address critical community needs can be inspiring. Putting your idealism, energy, 

and experience to work in a career that helps others can be the perfect way to incorporate 

your service into the rest of your life.

In a 2016 study conducted by AmeriCorps on AmeriCorps Alumni outcomes, it was noted 

that a high percentage of alumni of VISTA program benefitted both personally and 

professionally during their service. Of the over 3,000 respondents surveyed in 2016:

• 46% of alumni who were employed within six months of ending service attributed 

their employment to a connection made while serving as a member. 

• About 50% of alumni indicated that their service opened up a career path they 

wouldn’t have otherwise considered.

• 74% of alumni agreed that their service was a professionally defining experience.

• 77% of alumni agreed that their service was a personally defining experience.

In addition to the personal fulfillment gained during service, AmeriCorps VISTA offers some 

exceptional career benefits, such as Non-Competitive Eligibility for Federal Jobs, and 

graduate schools that match the Education Award.
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Non-Competitive Eligibility for Federal Government Jobs

One of the benefits of successfully completing your year of service as a member is the option 

to use the Non-Competitive Eligibility (NCE) hiring status to help obtain federal employment. 

NCE does not guarantee you a federal position; you must locate an agency with a vacancy 

and interest in hiring you. The links below provide further guidance on how to access and use 

your NCE benefit. Note that VISTA alums are the only AmeriCorps Alums to receive this 

benefit, which is good for one year starting from your end of service date. NCE can be 

extended for up to two more years past the expiration date by the hiring agency, under 

certain conditions as listed below. 

• NCE is a special hiring appointment granted to AmeriCorps VISTA alumni in Executive 

Order No. 11103 (April 10, 1963). – Section 415(d), Title IV, of the Domestic Volunteer 

Service Act of 1973, as amended. 

• NCE permits (but does not require) a federal agency to noncompetitively hire an 

AmeriCorps VISTA alum who meets the minimum qualifications for the position. 

• A hiring agency may extend the NCE period for two additional years if the 

AmeriCorps VISTA alum, after the qualifying service, is: 

o In the military; 

o Studying at a recognized institution of higher learning; or 

o Engaged in another activity which, in the hiring agency’s view, warrants 

extension. 

• The use of NCE status is up to the federal hiring manager. 

• AmeriCorps VISTA alumni must use their Verification of VISTA Service letter available 

via the My AmeriCorps Portal as documentation for their NCE status. 

o Resources for further understanding NCE: 

 NCE Fact Sheet

 AmeriCorps Website on benefits 

 USAJobs Help Center

Employers of National Service Initiative 

Launched in 2014, the purpose of the Employers of National Service (EONS) initiative is to 

create a talent pipeline connecting AmeriCorps and Peace Corps alumni with leading 

employers from the private, public and nonprofit sectors. To learn more about Employers of 

National Service and see a full list of participating employers, 

visit https://americorps.gov/partner/partnerships/employers-national-service. Additional 

job-seeking resources can be found in the Alumni section of the AmeriCorps website, 

including: Understanding Benefits of Service, National Service Resume Basics, Creative 
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Networking, Answering FAQs from Employers, and Employment and Alumni with 

Disabilities. 

Applying AmeriCorps VISTA Service Towards Federal Benefits/ Retirement

Alumni can count their service year(s) towards vacation accrual and retirement once 

employed with the federal government. Alumni may make a FERS (Federal Employee 

Retirement System) service credit deposit payment for any period of service (excluding 

training time), regardless of when the service was performed. Paying the service credit 

deposit will make this volunteer time creditable toward federal retirement. Alumni who 

become federal employees must contact the Human Resources/Benefits personnel at their 

federal agency to initiate the deposit process and to make sure they are accruing vacation at 

the appropriate rate. Learn more about applying service towards federal benefits/retirement 

at the OPM website. 

<Back to Table of Contents>

Chapter 13: Administrative Policies
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Administrative Policies

From time to time, unforeseen events occur that affect a member’s status of service. For 

example, the project loses a key financial supporter; the sponsor staff leave the organization; 

the member becomes seriously ill; the member does not perform adequately; undisclosed 

criminal history is discovered, etc. In instances such as these, AmeriCorps must act to resolve 

the untenable situation. A candidate who 

has not yet sworn in as a member may face 

deselection. A member may elect to 

resign from the AmeriCorps VISTA 

program. Also, a member may be given 

the opportunity to transfer to another 

program, or face 1) early termination for 

cause; 2) early termination for lack of 

suitable assignment; or 3) early termination 

for medical reasons.

This chapter discusses the steps taken 

when circumstances necessitate a change in service or a separation from service for a 

member.

Break in Service

Administrative Hold Status

Under certain circumstances, AmeriCorps staff may place you in “administrative hold” status 

in the VISTA program. During the time you are on administrative hold, you are not assigned 

to project; however, you are still a member and are subject to all program laws, regulations, 

and policies. 

Examples of when AmeriCorps staff may place you on administrative hold status include, but 

are not limited to, when the project in which you have been serving ceases operations or 

when the sponsoring organization where you have been serving requests your removal from 

its project.

At the discretion of AmeriCorps, while you are on administrative hold, your living allowance 

may continue. However, the living allowance may cease if you are engaged in activities that 

violate AmeriCorps or AmeriCorps VISTA program laws, regulations, or policies.

Your end-of-service stipend or education award accrues during the administrative hold 

period. The accrual of certain other payments – as listed in the table below – may also 

continue.
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Status of Service and Eligibility for Benefits

Status of Service Education 

Award

End-ofService 

Stipend

Living 

Allowance

Successful completion of year of 

service

 

Full Full

Payments end

Deferral of service Accrual 

discontinues

Accrual 

discontinues

Payments 

discontinue

Transfer to another AmeriCorps 

VISTA project

Accrual 

continues

Accrual 

continues

Payments 

continue

Early departure for another 

AmeriCorps program

Prorated,

if served at 

least 335 days

Prorated,

if served at 

least 335 days

Payments end

Deselection No No No

Early termination for cause 

(misconduct)

No No Payments end

Medical termination Prorated Prorated Payments end

Early termination for noncompelling reason(s)No No Payments end

Early termination for compelling 

reasons(s)

Prorated Prorated Payments End
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Change in Service 

Transfer to Another AmeriCorps VISTA Project

Transfer between projects is an uncommon occurrence, but it is sometimes warranted. 

Examples when this may be warranted include project closure, natural disaster, or other 

extenuating circumstance. AmeriCorps may approve the transfer of a member to a different 

project during a term of service. The AmeriCorps staff member may approve transfers when 

he or she determines the following conditions are met:

• The member has the necessary qualifications and desire to continue service but is 

unable to do so at the current project assignment;

• The project-sponsoring organization that would be receiving the member concurs in 

the transfer after contacting the former sponsoring organization or AmeriCorps staff 

for an evaluation or assessment of the member.

Members are typically given a fifteen (15) day opportunity period to seek and secure transfer 

to another project. During this opportunity period, members are placed in administrative 

hold status in the AmeriCorps VISTA program.

Early Departure for Another AmeriCorps Program 

In addition to VISTA, AmeriCorps has two other major community service programs. They are 

the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (AmeriCorps NCCC), AmeriCorps 

Seniors, and the AmeriCorps State and National program. AmeriCorps supports members 

who are serving in one AmeriCorps program to continue their commitment to service by 

serving in another AmeriCorps program. To that end, AmeriCorps members in the VISTA 

program are encouraged to serve in another AmeriCorps program following their VISTA 

service.

There may be instances when a member who has nearly completed AmeriCorps VISTA 

service is accepted into a Peace Corps position or one of the other two AmeriCorps 

programs and is required to depart service early to start training or service. To accommodate 

such an instance, a member who has completed at least 335 days of service may terminate 

service with AmeriCorps VISTA with a prorated award in order to meet a window of 

opportunity to enter either AmeriCorps NCCC, AmeriCorps State and National, or Peace 

Corps service.

A prorated portion of the education award or end-of-service stipend corresponds to that 

portion of the term served. For example, a member who has served 350 days would be 

eligible to receive 96 percent of the education award or 96 percent of the end-of-service 

stipend (350/365 = .959). The member is required to prove acceptance by the other service 

program to receive a prorated education award or end-of-service stipend. The member may 

do so by submitting written proof of such acceptance to the AmeriCorps Regional Office.
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Deferral of Service

During the course of service, if you have to leave your service for a period of more than 30 

days but not more than six (6) months, and your departure is due to very narrow, extenuating 

circumstances, you may be placed in “deferral of service” status by AmeriCorps staff.

However, approval for deferral of service status is quite rare.

Extenuating circumstances that justify attaining a deferral of service status are either a 

member’s need to take military reserve leave or to fulfill a jury duty obligation of more than 

30 days.

You are not accorded deferral of service status if you are removed from service for 

circumstances related to your proposed termination, your termination for cause, your 

eligibility for a medical termination, or your removal from a project.

If you are placed in deferral of service status, 

you may be reinstated into service within six 

(6) months without resubmitting an entire 

member application form and without 

attending another Pre-Service Orientation. If 

your leave based on deferral of service status 

extends beyond six (6) months, your deferral 

of service status ceases and you will be exited 

from the VISTA program. To be reinstated 

once the leave is over, AmeriCorps may 

require you to resubmit a new member 

application form.

During the time you are in deferral of service status, any or all allowances and end-of-term 

benefits are discontinued, including your living allowance, your accrual of the end-of-service 

stipend, your accrual of the education award, and your service-related travel reimbursement. 

If you return to successfully complete your service following a period of deferral, you are 

eligible to receive the end-of-service stipend or the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award, 

whichever is applicable.

Separation from Service

Deselection

To ensure that sponsoring organizations receive members who meet or exceed the 

expectations and requirements of service, AmeriCorps may deselect a candidate before 

enrollment in the VISTA program. Reasons for deselection include, but are not limited to, the 

following:
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• Failure to meet VISTA Member Orientation (VMO) training selection standards which 

include, but are not limited to, the following types of conduct:

o Inability or refusal to perform or complete training assignments,

o Disruptive or inappropriate conduct during VMO sessions, or

o Failure to attend training VMO webinars.

• Refusal or inability to accept the VISTA Assignment Description.

• Refusal or inability to accept any term or condition of service.

• Failure to take the Oath of Service and/or to properly submit the electronic Oath of 

Service form.

• Failure to commence service.

• An individual’s criminal history

Early Termination for Cause

AmeriCorps may terminate you as a member based on your conduct or performance 

(termination for cause), such as the following non-exhaustive reasons:

• Conviction of a criminal offense under federal, state, or local statute or ordinance;

• Violation of any provision of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973, as amended, 

or an AmeriCorps regulation, policy, or guideline;

• Failure, refusal, or inability to perform prescribed project duties as outlined in the 

project application or assignment description and as directed by the sponsoring 

organization to which you are assigned;

• Involvement in activities that substantially interfere with your performance of project 

duties;

• Intentional false statement, omission, fraud, or deception in obtaining selection as a 

member;

• Any conduct on your part that substantially diminishes your effectiveness as an 

AmeriCorps VISTA member; or

• Unsatisfactory performance of assignment.

Grounds for termination for cause also include: a member’s failure to perform assignments in 

the VMO; a member’s failure to punctually submit information to AmeriCorps for completion 

of a criminal history check; being Absent Without Leave from a project site (even for a day); 

and exhausting and exceeding allowable leave prior to the end of your service term.
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Medical Termination

If you are unable to perform or resume project duties because of a medical condition, or if it 

reasonably appears that you are unable to perform or resume your project duties within the 

approved medical leave period, you are subject to medical termination. AmeriCorps 

determines whether to terminate you for a medical reason(s) on the basis of information from 

your attending medical professional, or other relevant information obtained by AmeriCorps.

When it is determined that you are unable to perform or resume project duties, AmeriCorps 

issues you a written notice of medical termination, which includes the effective date. 

Following your submission of required documentation, you may be eligible to receive a 

prorated end-of-service award (i.e., a prorated education award or prorated stipend). If you 

medically terminate and wish to serve again with AmeriCorps VISTA, you must reapply to the 

program to start a new, full term of service. 

You may appeal the AmeriCorps decision of medical termination. If you choose to appeal, 

you must submit a written appeal and supporting documentation within fifteen (15) days of 

receiving the written notice of medical termination. The written appeal and supporting 

documentation are submitted to the VMSU Director.

The VMSU Director reviews all appeal information submitted and may request additional 

information. After review of all pertinent information, the VMSU Director renders a final 

decision on your appeal. If the final decision on appeal sustains the medical termination, the 

medical termination remains in effect. If the final decision on appeal overturns the medical 

termination, you are reinstated into AmeriCorps VISTA service retroactive to the effective 

date of termination. The final decision on appeal is a final agency decision.

Removal from Project

Removal of a member from serving in a particular project assignment sometimes occurs. 

There are two common ways such a removal may occur: (1) a project requests a member's 

removal, or (2) a project cannot continue to operate all or part of its AmeriCorps VISTA 

program.

With regard to the first scenario, the project requests the removal in writing to the 

AmeriCorps Regional Office, and the request should be supported by a statement of reason.

The sole authority for terminating a member, or giving a member the opportunity to transfer, 

rests with AmeriCorps. The sponsoring organization's request for removal of a member, 

including a written statement addressing the circumstances, is submitted to the AmeriCorps 

Portfolio Manager. A VISTA Case Manager notifies the member of the request. During the 

period when AmeriCorps is assessing whether proposing termination for cause is warranted, 

or instead, providing the member an opportunity to transfer to another project, the member 

is placed in administrative hold status where he or she may not return to the project site or 

sponsoring organization. The member is notified in writing of his or her administrative hold 
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status, whether he or she will receive allowances, and the prohibition on engagement in any 

project-related activities during that period.

AmeriCorps will take one of the following actions concerning a member who has been 

removed from a project assignment:

• Accept the member's resignation from the AmeriCorps VISTA program, which is an 

option at any time in the process;

• Provide the member with an opportunity to seek reassignment. If the member does 

not secure reassignment within the prescribed opportunity period, the member is 

terminated from service for lack of suitable assignment. In some instances, such an 

early termination from the program would be for a non-cause reason. There are no 45 

CFR Part 2556 appeal rights for early termination for lack of suitable assignment. 

Members may grieve terminations for lack of suitable assignment under 45 CFR Part 

2556.350(a); 

• Terminate the member’s service for cause. If removal from the project is for a reason 

listed above in "Early Termination for Cause," the member may appeal the early 

termination to establish whether such termination from service is supported by 

sufficient evidence. Termination appeal procedures are outlined in 45 CFR Part 2556

Subpart E; or

With regard to the second reason a member may be removed from a project assignment, the 

removal may occur because a project cannot continue to operate all or part of its AmeriCorps 

VISTA program. Examples of this type of removal from a project happen when the 

Memorandum of Agreement between AmeriCorps and the sponsoring organization is 

terminated or not renewed. In such cases, the member’s removal from the project is due to 

no fault of his/her own, and the member is placed in administrative hold status and given an 

opportunity to secure reassignment. If, despite the member’s good faith efforts to secure 

reassignment, no appropriate reassignment is secured by the member within the prescribed 

opportunity period, the member may be terminated for lack of suitable assignment. 

Depending upon the situation, his/her termination may be based on a “compelling personal 

circumstance” and s/he may be eligible for a prorated end-of-service award. The VISTA Case 

Manager assesses the relevant facts and determines whether the member has established a 

compelling, personal circumstance, and is therefore eligible for a prorated award. 

Termination for Lack of Suitable Assignment

If AmeriCorps removes a member from a project, for reasons other than those listed above in 

"Early Termination for Cause," the AmeriCorps Regional Office may be available to support 

the member in locating another assignment. If the member does not secure reassignment 

within the prescribed time period, the member is terminated from service for lack of a 

suitable assignment.
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Termination for lack of suitable assignment is never, by itself, sufficient to make a member 

eligible for a prorated education award or end-of-service stipend. Specifically, a member 

who is terminated for lack of a suitable assignment is not eligible for a prorated education 

award or end-of-service stipend unless the member can also demonstrate the early 

termination was due to a "compelling personal circumstance." For example, a member's lack 

of interest in a possible new assignment does not establish a compelling personal 

circumstance. Similarly, the fact that a possible new assignment is not similar to the 

member’s prior project assignment does not establish a compelling personal 

circumstance. Moreover, a member’s multiple, yet unsuccessful, efforts to secure 

reassignment are not sufficient, by themselves, to establish a compelling personal 

circumstance. Rather, examples of situations that constitute a compelling personal 

circumstance are listed below in "Early Termination of a VISTA Member for a Compelling 

Personal Circumstance."

If a member is offered an appropriate reassignment and declines the new assignment, 

AmeriCorps has no obligation to offer additional or alternative assignments. In this instance, 

the member is not eligible to receive a prorated education award or end-of-service stipend.

A member terminated early for lack of suitable assignment does not have appeal rights 

under 45 CFR Part 2556; however, the member may grieve termination for lack of suitable 

assignment under 45 CFR Part 2556.350 and 2556.360. 

Resignation

If the VISTA Case Manager believes that you may be subject to "for-cause termination" for 

any reasons cited above in "Early Termination for Cause," the VISTA Case Manager will 

communicate with you about the matter. If the staff member states that grounds for 

termination exist, you will be given an opportunity to resign in lieu of being terminated for 

cause. You, or a designee, may inform the VISTA Case Manager in writing that you are 

resigning from the AmeriCorps VISTA program. If you do not resign, the administrative 

procedures outlined in 45 CFR Part 2556.420 will be followed.

You may also choose to resign from service for personal reasons. Resignations must always 

be in writing with a resignation date. When practicable, written notice of resignation should 

be given at least two weeks in advance to ensure that your departure will be minimally 

disruptive to the project and the AmeriCorps VISTA program.

Members who intend to resign early from service should notify their supervisor, who will 

contact the AmeriCorps Regional Office. AmeriCorps will unlock the Future Plans Form in the 

Close of Service area of the member's MyAmeriCorps account. Once the Future Plans Form is 

unlocked, the member completes Part A of the form and notifies the supervisor to complete 

Part B and submit to AmeriCorps. It is important to notify AmeriCorps in time to avoid 

overpayment of the biweekly living allowance and other member allowances and benefits.
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Early Termination of a VISTA member for a Compelling Personal 

Circumstance

In rare circumstances, members may qualify for a prorated end-of-service stipend or prorated 

education award because they demonstrate that they need to leave service early for a 

“compelling personal circumstance.”

The VISTA Case Manager retains the authority to approve a member's eligibility for a 

prorated end-of-service stipend or prorated education award if the member leaves service 

early because of a compelling personal circumstance, such as:

• Serious medical condition or disability of the member, which prohibits the member 

from effectively completing his/her term of service;

• Death, critical illness, or disability of an immediate family member (spouse, domestic 

partner, parent, grandparent, sibling, child, or legal guardian), if this event makes 

completing a term unreasonably difficult or impossible; or

• Conditions attributable to either nature or the program and not to the member, such 

as natural disaster, strike, or premature closing of a project or program, that makes 

completing a term unreasonably difficult or impossible.

A prorated end-of-service stipend or prorated education award may also be given for public 

policy reasons or other extenuating circumstances, as determined by the VISTA Case

Manager, such as:

• Fulfilling military service obligations;

• Fulfilling jury duty obligations;

• Accepting permanent employment by a member who is a recipient of Temporary 

Assistance to Needy Families (TANF);

• Accepting another AmeriCorps or NCCC position (if VISTA member has served at 

least 335 days); or

• Accepting a Peace Corps Volunteer position (if VISTA member has served at least 335 

days).

Under no circumstances does a member’s termination for cause make the member eligible 

for a prorated end-of-service award. In addition, neither resigning from service, outside of 

the reasons listed for a CPC, nor leaving service to enroll in school, nor leaving service to 

obtain or to engage in employment, makes a member eligible for a prorated end-of-service 

award. Similarly, a member’s dissatisfaction with the project or program does not make the 

member eligible for a prorated end-of-service award. Additionally, absent a showing of a 

compelling personal circumstance, termination for lack of suitable assignment does not make 

a member eligible for a prorated end-of-service award.
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Generally, members have the responsibility for demonstrating a compelling personal 

circumstance that prevents them from completing their term of service. Members must 

communicate and provide documentation of these circumstances to the VISTA Case 

Manager for a determination. 

Types of Acceptable Documentation to Show a Compelling Personal Circumstance

• Serious medical condition or disability of the member – Documentation from the 

treating physician or other medical provider that indicates the member is unable to 

continue to serve because of a serious medical condition or a disabling condition. 

Documentation must be on official letterhead and include the medical provider's 

contact information. 

• Critical illness or disability of an immediate family member – Documentation from 

the treating physician or other medical provider that indicates an immediate family 

member has a critical illness or disabling condition. Documentation must be on official 

letterhead and include the medical provider's contact information.

• Death of an immediate family member – A copy of the death certificate, reference 

to a published obituary, or other official written documentation of death (e.g., copy of 

newspaper article).

• Fulfilling military service obligations – A copy of the member's orders to report for 

military service.

• Fulfilling jury duty obligations – A copy of the court notice requiring the member to 

report, as well as selection, for jury duty.

• Accepting employment by a member who is a recipient of Temporary Assistance 

to Needy Families – Documentation from the appropriate government office 

indicating the member is a recipient of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families 

(TANF), as well as documentation of employment acceptance from the employer.

• Accepting another AmeriCorps or NCCC position (if the member has served at 

least 335 days) – Documentation of the member's acceptance into the AmeriCorps 

or NCCC program and the training or start date.

Accepting a Peace Corps Volunteer position (if VISTA has served at least 335 days) – 

Documentation of the member’s acceptance into Peace Corps and the training or start date.

<Back to Table of Contents>

Chapter 14: Terms & Conditions of Service
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Terms & Conditions of Service

The chapter introduces you to other important terms and conditions of service, such as 

limitation on activities, expressing views and concerns regarding service, property loss, 

responsibility for financial debt, intellectual property created during service, the evacuation 

policy for members, and more.

Teleservice and Virtual Service Sites 

A fundamental assumption of service is that memb ers serve in low-income community at the 

sp onsor’s location or p roject site. VISTA memb ers, lead ers, and summer associates 

req uesting a teleservice arrang ement und er the ausp ices of a reasonab le accommodation are 

exclud ed from this p olicy, as those req uests are covered und er other laws and p olicies.

Memb ers may teleserve or serve from a virtual site, at the d iscretion of their sup ervisor, from a 

location within the commuting area of the g eograp hic community of the assig ned sp onsor or 

site . If a sp onsor or site d o not allow work from home op p ortunities, the members are not

elig ib le for these opp ortunities and will need to rep ort to the sp onsor or site as d irected . 

Memb ers, lead ers, and summer associate can app ly for a teleservice or virtual service site 

arrang ement b y completing the Teleservice and Virtual Service Site Ag reement and Req uest 

Form available on the AmeriCorp s web site. The VISTA p roject sp onsor and service site are 

resp onsib le for ap p roving , acknowled g ing , and maintaining record s related to the teleservice 

and virtual service site req uest and ag reement form. 

AmeriCorp s VISTA maintains, that in ord er for VISTA service to b e successful:

• A member need s to und erstand the organization and the p eople within the org anization 

well, so they can have an imp actful term of service; 

• A member need s to und erstand the community and the p eople in the community, so they 

can serve them well; 

• A memb er und erstand s that AmeriCorp s VISTA service is not a 9-5 assig nment and it 

d emand s flexib ility and availab ility in one’s sched ule; 

• The sup ervisor has a role as coach and mentor that g oes b eyond the resp onsib ilities of a 

sup ervisor to an emp loyee, and must b e intentional ab out connecting and collab orating in 

a teleservice or virtual service site environment

• A memb er is exp ected to b e a reliable team memb er (p unctual, motivated , p rofessional 

and thoroug h, etc. At the d iscretion of the sup ervisor, a teleservice arrang ement for a 

memb er can b e revoked or amend ed as need ed . 
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Key Terms

Teleservice: a service flexib ility arrang ement in which a member may p erform d uties and 

resp onsib ilities of their assig ned VAD from an 

ap p roved alternate location other than the 

location of the assig ned sp onsor or site. Memb ers

may teleserve up to and includ ing fulltime, in 

alig nment with the p olicies of the sponsor or site. 

Memb ers are allowed to teleserve from a location 

within the commuting area of the g eograp hic 

community of the assig ned sp onsor or site and are 

to b e p hysically p resent at the sp onsor or site 

and/or community events when req uired .

Virtual Service Site: organizations that d o not have 

a p hysical location (aka b rick and mortar b uild ing ) 

b ut still maintain a d efined g eog rap hic area where the organization p rovid es service .

Memb ers are allowed to serve from a virtual site b ut must b e located within the commuting 

area of the g eograp hic community where the sponsor or site/assig nment p rovid es service and 

are p hysically present to meet with their sup ervisor and /or attend community events when 

req uired . Memb ers may teleserve up to and includ ing fulltime at a virtual service site, in 

alig nment with the p olicies of the sponsor or site.

Remote Service: an arrang ement in which a member is not located within the commuting area 

of the g eog rap hic community of the sp onsor or site and is not exp ected to b e p hysically 

p resent at the sponsor or site and /or community events. Please note, remote service is NO T 

p ermitted und er the AmeriCorp s VISTA p rog ram.

Rules and Restrictions 

Outside Employment

As a member, you are expected to honor your commitment to serve on a full-time basis for 

one year. While members are allowed to seek and secure outside part-time employment, it 

must not conflict with the member’s service or service hours as assigned by the sponsor. 

Members must remain available for service at all times during the member's term of service, 

except for periods of approved leave. As a result, you may not be absent from the project 

without approval from the sponsoring organization or supervisor.

If you take outside employment while serving as a member, you are not permitted to be an 

employee of or contractor for the sponsor or sub-site to which you are assigned to 

serve. While in service, you may only accept outside employment for positions that are:

• Legal;

• Part-time;
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• Do not conflict with your service or service hours; 

• Do not violate any applicable Federal, state, or local laws and regulations;

• Do not conflict with any AmeriCorps VISTA program requirements or policies; and

• Approved by supervisor.

Before accepting such outside employment, you must obtain the approval of your supervisor. 

If you are already working in a part-time position, you must immediately obtain the approval 

of your supervisor to continue to do so. To approve your outside employment, your 

supervisor must ensure there is no conflict between the employment and your service or 

service hours. Accepting outside employment without prior authorization from your 

supervisor is cause for termination.

To obtain supervisor approval before accepting outside employment, please complete and 

submit the Outside Employment Request Form to your supervisor. 

Additionally, individuals may not enroll in another AmeriCorps program while serving with 

AmeriCorps VISTA. Concurrent enrollment in another program (AmeriCorps NCCC, 

AmeriCorps State/National, etc.) is not permitted.

Additional Terms of Service 

Under certain circumstances, a member may extend or reenroll in service beyond one year, 

for up to five years. You may pursue additional terms of service with your initial project or in 

another area of interest as a member or leader. Extensions and reenrollments are subject to 

AmeriCorps approval. 

Educational Courses 

Members and leaders may participate in online or in-person classes, regardless of subject 

matter, during their service year. However, the AmeriCorps VISTA program is a full immersion 

experience that requires its members to be able to attend community meetings and dedicate 

themselves to understanding and serving the community to which they are assigned. 

Course work and class scheduling must not interfere with the operations of the project or

your responsibilities. You and your supervisor will need to determine whether course 

requirements detract from your commitment to the project. If you enrolled in a class(es) 

before you became a member, discuss your study plan right away with your supervisor and 

make sure that the class(es) will not interfere with your project. Enrollment in courses without 

prior authorization from your supervisor is cause for termination.

Service to the sponsoring organization and community takes precedence over course work. If 

a member or leader is unable to complete assigned tasks or responsibilities due to course 

work, the supervisor will contact the AmeriCorps Regional Office. If schedules and demands 
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of the sponsoring organization and the course cannot be balanced, the AmeriCorps Regional 

Office will direct the member or leader to withdraw from the course. Failure to withdraw will 

be cause for termination from the program and forfeiture of all benefits.

Financial Obligations 

A member may participate in scholarship and financial aid programs, provided the program 

requirements do not interfere with the operations of the project to which they are assigned or 

the responsibilities of the member. The project’s needs supersede any such program 

requirements.

Work Study, Fellowship, and Internship programs

A member may participate in paid work study, fellowships, and/or internship programs 

provided the fellowship or program is not in conflict with the duties and other relevant 

policies of service.

Member Housing 

One of the three fundamental assumptions of AmeriCorps VISTA is that the skills and 

energies of members are used most effectively when they live and work with the low-income 

people they are serving. In keeping with this philosophy, you are expected to secure housing 

using your living allowance, which is provided to cover the basic costs of food, housing, and 

utilities. You should look for housing within the community to which you are assigned. 

Because members' living allowances are limited, you are allowed to accept offers of free or 

low-cost housing made by community members, local organizations, educational institutions, 

or sponsoring organizations.

Some examples of housing that you may accept include:

• A community resident offers unused free housing space to you because he or she is 

proud to have a member in the community.

• A local business wants to offer a vacant apartment over the shop area.

• A national housing company offers reduced-rate housing for volunteers who are 

serving in a given community and you meet the eligibility requirements.

• A local, state, or federal government agency provides free or low-cost housing in 

areas with limited housing opportunities.

• A sponsoring organization rents housing space on your behalf.

• A sponsoring organization allows you to occupy a portion of existing space the 

sponsor already owns or rents.

Under no circumstances may you accept money directly from a sponsoring organization to 

supplement your living allowance or pay for rent or mortgage. All housing support must be 

paid directly to the landlord, leasing agent, or mortgage holder.
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Accepting free or reduced-cost housing may increase the amount of your reportable income 

for tax purposes. If you receive housing assistance you may receive a 1099 form to aid you in 

reporting this on your tax return.

You are also fully responsible for any legal or financial issues with your landlord (e.g., the 

project closes and you owe money on your lease).

Expressing Your Views and Concerns Regarding Service 

There are procedures that allow for systematic and open communication of your views, and 

for effective resolution of your concerns regarding the terms and conditions of your service.

Informal Procedure 

AmeriCorps provides for:

• A free and open opportunity for you to communicate your views to appropriate 

AmeriCorps officials

• An opportunity for you to be heard in connection with the terms and conditions of 

your service

• Response to and possible resolution of your problems or concerns by appropriate 

AmeriCorps officials

If you believe your concerns regarding the terms and conditions of service have not been 

properly addressed, you may communicate those concerns directly to your AmeriCorps 

Regional Office. 

AmeriCorps VISTA Grievance Procedure

During your service, a circumstance may arise that directly affects your service situation or 

that you believe violates regulations governing the terms and conditions of service, resulting 

in a denial or infringement of a right or benefit to you. In such a circumstance, you may file a 

grievance.

The member grievance procedure is contained in 45 CFR Part 2556.360. You should read the 

procedure in its entirety before initiating any grievance. Under this procedure, you are not 

permitted to grieve matters for which a separate administrative procedure (e.g., 

discrimination complaints as discussed in Chapter 15) is provided. Consequently, you may 

not grieve matters that are processed through the Volunteer Discrimination Complaint 

Procedure, which is contained in 45 CFR Part 1225 Subpart B.
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Property Loss

Members, leaders, and candidates are responsible for safeguarding their personal property. 

Neither AmeriCorps nor the VISTA program is an insurer of personal property or cash and 

does not replace or reimburse for the loss of personal property or cash. 

AmeriCorps does not insure personal property; however, it can reimburse members for lost, 

damaged, or stolen property under certain circumstances and for limited amounts. You are 

strongly urged not to take expensive property to assignments and to maintain your own 

insurance against property loss and damage during your service.

If essential belongings are lost, you will be reimbursed only with sufficient funds (up to 

$500.00 for your service term) to obtain replacement items adequate to function on your 

assignment. For example, if you lose expensive items in your wardrobe, reimbursement is 

based on the cost of replacing the items with clothing suitable for the project assignment. No 

reimbursement is made for luxury items, such as photographic or electronic equipment, 

unless they are deemed essential to your assignment. 

If you suffer a loss, the VISTA Member Support Unit requires a written statement, that:

• Describes in detail the circumstances surrounding the loss.

• Itemizes the property or allowance lost.

• Explains why the property or allowance is essential to your ability to serve effectively.

• Indicates whether the property or allowance was covered by insurance.

o If the property or allowance was covered by insurance, includes the policy 

number (if known), whether and when a claim has been presented to the 

insurer, and the action, if any, the insurer has taken with respect to the claim.

• States that you agree to reimburse AmeriCorps for any such recovery of replaced 

property or payments received in reimbursement.

• Provides evidence, in the case of theft, that such theft has been reported to the 

appropriate law enforcement authorities. Such evidence should include a copy of the 

police report. Lost or stolen allowance checks are not covered by these procedures. 

Please refer to Chapter 5’s guidance related to payment by paper check for the 

specific policy dealing with lost checks.

Other Matters While in Service

Responsibility for Financial Debts 

AmeriCorps is not responsible for debts incurred by you to commercial creditors, regardless 

of when you incur a debt. AmeriCorps has no authority to act as an intermediary to collect 

private debts on behalf of a creditor or claimant, nor does AmeriCorps have the authority to 

direct you to take specific action concerning your financial affairs.
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You are encouraged to pay all legal debts promptly to avoid a situation that would impair 

your ability to effectively complete your term of service. In cases of continued financial 

irresponsibility to the extent of embarrassment or adverse reflection upon the sponsoring 

organization's project or the AmeriCorps VISTA program, AmeriCorps may take 

administrative or disciplinary action up to and including termination.

Neither you nor the sponsoring organization is authorized to obtain extension of credit by 

representing yourself as an employee of the federal government. AmeriCorps also assumes 

no financial responsibility for a nonmember spouse or for dependents.

Keeping in Touch 

Change of Address Notification

If your contact information changes (phone number, email, mailing address), you must 

update your profile on your Member Homepage in your My AmeriCorps account 

immediately to ensure timely delivery of correspondence and tax documents.

Change of Name Notification 

The AmeriCorps Regional Office and the VISTA Member Support Unit should be notified in 

writing via the AmeriCorps Hotline of a change in your name or marital status for record 

keeping. Legal documentation of the name change (marriage certificate, divorce decree, 

name change form) is required. Documentation should be provided to the AmeriCorps 

Hotline via a secure link, which can be requested by calling the AmeriCorps Hotline, and 

must include full name, NSPID and contact information.

Disclosure and Use of Member Addresses 

AmeriCorps will use members' private addresses for internal administrative purposes only. 

Your private address (home of record or residence during service) may be disclosed by 

AmeriCorps with your prior written permission, or to duly authorized representatives of 

federal investigative agencies, including AmeriCorps’ Office of Inspector General, and 

pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act.

The mailing address of projects are public knowledge and may be disclosed when 

requested.

Supplies and Equipment

Because it is the policy of AmeriCorps to encourage self-help and mobilization of resources, 

AmeriCorps does not provide equipment or supplies required by members in their project 

assignment. If special equipment or supplies are necessary to successfully implement a 

project, they must be provided by the sponsoring organization.
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Donated and Other Gifts to Benefit the Project 

AmeriCorps does not pay shipping costs for gifts or materials that have been donated or 

obtained by you to benefit the project to which you are assigned. Such costs should be borne 

by the sponsoring organization.

Intellectual Property Created During Service 

You have the right to copyright work that is subject to copyright, including software designs, 

training manuals, curricula, videotapes, and other products created by you while serving as a 

member. You may not sell any work, however, that includes an AmeriCorps logo without 

prior written approval of AmeriCorps. By enrolling in AmeriCorps VISTA, with regard to 

products created by you while serving as a member, you agree to give AmeriCorps and the 

sponsoring organization an unlimited, royalty-free, nonexclusive, and irrevocable license to 

obtain, use, reproduce, publish, or disseminate products, including data produced for the 

sponsoring organization, and you agree to authorize others to do so. AmeriCorps may 

distribute such products through a designated clearinghouse.

Evacuation Policy for AmeriCorps VISTA Members 

If an emergency situation arises in your area of service that poses a potential or actual threat 

to life or property, such as a natural disaster, you are expected to abide by the evacuation 

policy for members:

• Follow the orders or recommendations of the state and local governments regarding 

the need to evacuate an area and any other necessary safety measures.

• Seek safe haven (evacuation shelters, etc.) and contact the AmeriCorps Regional 

Office and your project supervisor to notify them of your whereabouts within 48 hours. 

If the AmeriCorps Regional Office cannot be reached, contact the AmeriCorps Hotline

at 800-942-2677; identify yourself, your project, your current location, and how best to 

contact you.

• If after five days, you cannot return to your project site:

o Contact the AmeriCorps Regional Office to confirm the state of emergency. If 

the Regional Office cannot be contacted, return to your home of record, and 

call the AmeriCorps Hotline at 800-942-2677, to inform AmeriCorps of your 

return home. If your home of record is in the affected community, remain in the 

safe haven. If the Regional Office foresees the possibility of you returning to 

your site within a work week, it may request you to remain in safe haven, 

provided you are secure.

o Unless otherwise directed by the AmeriCorps Regional Office, you are placed 

in administrative hold and you continue to receive a living allowance for 30 

days. You may seek an assignment at another project in another area through 

a request to the AmeriCorps Regional Office. If after 30 days, your original 
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project site remains closed, and no other assignment has been identified, then 

your service is terminated for compelling reasons.

• An advance for emergency expenses, including return to home of record, up to $500, 

may be available from your sponsoring organization. If funds are not available, contact 

the AmeriCorps Regional Office. If the Regional Office cannot be reached and you 

need to request an advance for travel, call the AmeriCorps Hotline at 800-942-2677, 

for assistance. Remember to keep the receipts to verify your emergency travel 

expenditures.

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Chapter 15: Basic Laws & Federal Regulations

Basic Laws & Federal Regulations

AmeriCorps is a federal agency in the Executive Branch of the U.S. government. The 

following federal laws and regulations must be carried out by AmeriCorps, and followed by 

sponsoring organizations, accordingly. As a member, you are required to follow these laws 

and regulations and are afforded certain legal protections provided by them. 

Eligibility Requirements: Age & Citizenship

You may apply to serve as a member as long as you will be at least 18 years old when you 

take the oath of service. There is no upper age limit and many retired individuals have fond 

memories of serving with AmeriCorps VISTA. 

To serve in AmeriCorps VISTA, individuals must be US citizens, US nationals, lawful 

permanent residents, or persons legally residing in a state. Persons legally residing in a state 

include those having the following legal residency classifications:

• Refugee status

• Asylum or Asylee status

• Temporary protected status

• Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status

Prior to attending training or starting service, you may be requested to submit 

documentation verifying that you are either a United States citizen, a United States national, 

or a person legally residing within a state. Your AmeriCorps Regional Office will provide 

instructions. To be eligible to serve in AmeriCorps VISTA, all non-U.S. citizens must have a 

permanent resident visa (e.g., green card) or other indication of eligible status. 

By law, only members who are either: US citizens; US nationals; or lawful permanent resident 

aliens (sometimes referred to as “lawful permanent residents”), are eligible to receive an 

AmeriCorps Segal Education Award in lieu of an end-of-service cash stipend. Persons legally 

residing in a state – but who are not US citizens, US nationals, or lawful permanent residents –

are only eligible to receive an end-of-service cash stipend.

See 45 C.F.R. Part 2556 Subpart C and Subpart D for more information regarding these basic 

eligibility requirements, terms, protections, and benefits.
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Oath of Service

Upon enrollment in service, you must take an oath as set forth in 5 U.S.C. § 3331. If you 

legally reside in a state but are not a citizen or national of the United States, you may serve in 

AmeriCorps VISTA without taking or subscribing to the oath, if AmeriCorps determines that 

your service will further the interest of the United States. In such a case, you will be required 

to take an alternative oath or affirmation.

Civil Rights and Non-Discrimination 

Governing Federal Laws and Orders 

As a member, a number of federal laws protect your civil rights. These laws prohibit 

discrimination in programs and activities where you serve-that is, programs and activities that 

receive federal financial assistance from AmeriCorps. The laws prohibit:

• Discrimination based on race, color, or national origin (Title VI of The Civil Rights Act 

of 1964 [42 U.S.C. §§ 2000d et seq.])

• Discrimination based on sex (Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 [20 U.S.C. 

§§ 1681 et seq.])

• Discrimination based on disability (Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 [29 

U.S.C. §§ 791 et seq.])

• Age Discrimination (Age Discrimination Act of 1975 [42 U.S.C. §§ 6101 et seq.])

• Discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, religion, or 

political affiliation (Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 [42 U.S.C. § 5057])

Presidential Executive Order 13160 (June 23, 2000) also prohibits discrimination on the basis 

of race, sex, color, national origin, disability, religion, age, sexual orientation, and parental 

status in federally conducted education and training programs, such as training conducted 

by AmeriCorps.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, mentioned above, requires sponsoring 

organizations to make their programs and facilities accessible to persons with disabilities, be 

they members, beneficiaries, employees, or the general public. Accessibility includes the 

physical accessibility of buildings (including buildings where public meetings are held), 

public information dissemination (for the sight, hearing, or mentally impaired), and workplace 

accessibility. This law also requires sponsoring organizations to provide reasonable 

accommodations to qualified members, beneficiaries, employees, or members of the public. 

AmeriCorps regulations that deal with section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 are 

contained in 45 CFR Part 1232.
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Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), mentioned above, also requires sponsoring 

organizations to eliminate, to the maximum extent possible, English proficiency as an artificial 

barrier to full and meaningful participation by beneficiaries, AmeriCorps VISTA members, 

and members of the public in federally assisted programs.

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX), also mentioned above, requires 

sponsoring organizations to eliminate (with certain exceptions) sex discrimination in their 

education programs and activities, regardless of whether a sponsoring organization is itself 

an educational institution.

In addition, as set forth in the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (DVSA), mentioned 

above, for a sponsoring organization to be extended federal financial assistance, it must 

make and comply with all non-discrimination assurances in the grant, contract, or agreement 

authorizing the federal financial assistance. The sponsoring organization must specifically 

assure that no person with responsibilities for the operation of the organization will 

discriminate with respect to the program because of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, 

age, disability, or political affiliation. AmeriCorps monitors continued compliance with these 

assurances.

Title VI Filing

Any applicant, trainee, or member, or other program beneficiary, who believes he/she has 

been discriminated against, based on race, color, or national origin in the services provided 

by an sponsoring organization may file a discrimination complaint with AmeriCorps under 

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI) procedures. Title VI also prohibits AmeriCorps 

VISTA program beneficiaries, based on race, color, or national origin, from being excluded 

by sponsoring organizations from participation in an AmeriCorps VISTA program. Under Title 

VI, program beneficiaries are also prohibited from being denied the benefits, from 

sponsoring organizations, of AmeriCorps VISTA programs because of race, color, or national 

origin. Finally, under Title VI program beneficiaries are prohibited from being subjected to 

discrimination by sponsoring organizations because of race, color, or national origin. (42 

U.S.C. §2000d)
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Therefore, any applicant, trainee, or 

member, or other program beneficiary, 

who believes he/she has been subjected to 

discrimination by a sponsoring 

organization, in violation of Title VI, may file 

a written complaint with AmeriCorps’ Equal 

Opportunity Program (EOP) or 

AmeriCorps’ Chief Executive Officer using 

the procedures set forth in 45 CFR 1225, 

Subpart B, "Nondiscrimination in federally 

assisted programs-effectuation of Title VI 

of the Civil Rights Act of 1964."

Title IX Filing 

Title IX prohibits AmeriCorps VISTA program beneficiaries from being denied the benefits of, 

or being subject to discrimination under, any education program or activity operated by a 

sponsoring organization because of their sex (20 U.S.C. §§ 1681 et seq.) Any applicant, 

trainee, or member, or other program beneficiary, who believes he/she has been 

discriminated against, because of sex, in any education program or activity provided by a 

sponsoring organization may file a discrimination complaint with AmeriCorps by filing a 

written complaint with AmeriCorps’ Equal Opportunity Program (EOP) or the Chief Executive 

Officer of AmeriCorps using the procedures set forth in 45 CFR Part 1225, Subpart B, 

"Nondiscrimination in federally assisted programs effectuation of Title VI of the Civil Rights 

Act of 1964." The same procedures used for filing a complaint under Title VI (see above) are 

used for filing a complaint under Title IX.

DVSA Filing

The Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (DVSA) prohibits discrimination in the 

recruitment, selection, placement, service, or termination of any applicant, trainee, member, 

or other program beneficiary, because of race, color, national origin, religion, age, sex, 

disability, or political affiliation. If you believe you have been subject to any such 

discrimination, you may file a discrimination complaint with AmeriCorps. Any such person 

may use the discrimination complaint procedures set forth in 45 CFR Part 1225, Subpart B.

Prohibition Against Harassment

As discussed above, the federal laws governing members strictly prohibit harassment in 

sponsoring organization programs and activities. Harassment may be a form of legally 

prohibited discrimination; regardless, it is always unacceptable.

AmeriCorps is committed to the notion that all persons serving in the AmeriCorps VISTA 

program be treated with dignity and respect, regardless of non-merit factors such as race, 

color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, political affiliation, 
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marital or parental status, or military service. To that end, AmeriCorps is committed to 

sponsoring organization environments and service sites being free of sexual, racial, ethnic, 

religious, or other harassment.

Slurs and other verbal or physical conduct relating to an individual's sex, race, ethnicity, 

religion, or any other non-merit basis constitute harassment when it has the purpose or effect 

of interfering with service performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive 

service environment. Harassment includes, but is not limited to:

• Explicit or implicit demands for sexual favors

• Pressure for dates; deliberate touching, leaning over, or cornering; offensive teasing, 

jokes, remarks, or questions

• Letters, phone calls, or distribution or display of offensive materials

• Offensive looks or gestures; gender, racial, ethnic, or religious baiting; physical 

assaults or other threatening behavior

• Demeaning, debasing, and abusive comments or actions that intimidate; the 

comments or actions must be unwelcome

Harassment may be by persons of the same or different races, sexes, religions, or ethnic 

origins. It may be carried out by another service member, a sponsoring organization staff 

member, a project or site employee or supervisor, or another program beneficiary such as a 

client. Conduct directed at one member may create an offensive environment for other 

members.

It is also unlawful for a sponsoring organization to retaliate against a member who complains 

of harassment, regardless of whether or not the sponsoring organization believes the 

underlying complaint is valid. It is also unlawful for a sponsoring organization to retaliate 

against a member who testifies or participates in any way in a harassment investigation, 

proceeding, or litigation.

When investigating allegations of sexual and other illegal harassment, the whole record is 

reviewed. The circumstances, such as the nature of the comments or actions, and the context 

in which the alleged incidents occurred are considered and a determination on the 

allegations is made from the facts on a case-by-case basis.

It is helpful for a victim of harassment to inform the harasser directly and immediately that the 

conduct is unwelcome and must stop. If the victim is a member, the member should use any 

appropriate complaint mechanism or grievance system available, as discussed above and 

below.

Discrimination Complaint Procedures 

It is advisable for a member who believes he/she may be a victim of discrimination or 

harassment as described above to first bring it to the attention of his/her sponsoring 
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organization. If, because of the circumstances, it is not possible to do so, the member should 

contact the AmeriCorps Regional Office or the Equal Opportunity Program (EOP) at 

AmeriCorps Headquarters in Washington, DC. Claims not brought to the attention of EOP 

within 45 days of their occurrence may not be accepted in a formal complaint of 

discrimination. No one can be required to use a program, project, or sponsor dispute 

resolution procedure before contacting EOP, and if another procedure is used, it does not 

affect the 45-day time limit. EOP may be reached at 202-606-3461 (voice), 301-577-7134 

(TTY), or eo@cns.gov. 

Limitation on Member Activities and Duties

AmeriCorps Guidelines on Service of Members in Religious Organizations 

or Activities

AmeriCorps acknowledges that religious activities play a positive role in healthy 

communities, that religion is a defining characteristic of many community organizations (faithbased and secular), and that religious-based belief and action are central to many members' 

lives.

It is important, however, that programs and their members do not endorse or promote, or 

appear to endorse or promote, religion or a specific religious belief. Consequently, we 

impose a number of limitations on activities that programs can support and in which 

members can engage while serving, or when otherwise representing, AmeriCorps VISTA. 

Members are free to pursue these activities on their own initiative on non- AmeriCorps VISTA 

time and using non-AmeriCorps VISTA funds or resources. The AmeriCorps logo should not 

be worn while doing so. These limitations are:

• Members may not give religious instruction, conduct worship services, or engage in 

any other religious activity as part of their duties or would be perceived as part of their 

duties by members of the community in which they serve.

• No religious instruction, worship, proselytizing, or other religious activity may be 

conducted as part of a project to which members are assigned or referred. Textbooks 

and other materials used in connection with the project should not have religious or 

sectarian content.

• Members who serve in an institution that gives religious instruction or engages in 

other religious activities may not be used as replacements for regular personnel of the 

institution. For example, members assigned to serve in a program conducted under 

the auspices of a church-related school may not be used as substitutes for regular 

teachers in the school. They may work on new programs, however, that are carried on 

in addition to the school's regular programs and that are conducted in conformance 

with these rules.

• The opportunity to receive the benefits of any project in which members serve will be 

open to persons in need without regard to their religious affiliation. Admission to 

programs supported by AmeriCorps VISTA shall not be based directly or indirectly on 
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religious affiliation or on attendance at a church, church-related school, or other 

church-related institution or organization. The availability of the project's benefits to 

all needy persons in the area served will be publicized.

• Participation in an AmeriCorps VISTA project, by members or recipients, shall not be 

used as a means to induce participation in sectarian or religious activities.

Limitation on Political Activities

Members, as well as projects, are subject to certain restrictions related to their engagement 

in political activities. Such political activities are classified as either: (1) engaging in electoral 

activities; (2) engaging in lobbying; or (3) participating in demonstrations.

Engaging in Electoral Activities

Members may participate in electoral activities to the extent the activities are allowed under a 

federal law called the Hatch Act, 5 U.S.C. Chapter 73. The Hatch Act defines the rules and 

restrictions on political activities in which federal workers may engage. The Domestic 

Volunteer Service Act, at 42 U.S.C. § 5055, applies the Hatch Act to AmeriCorps members in

VISTA during their service.

The Hatch Act applies to all members, whether they serve full-time or part-time, at all times 

during their service, including off duty hours. Permissible activities under the Hatch Act, 

unless prohibited by other statutory authority, apply to members when they are on 

authorized leave or are not perceived to be performing as a member (e.g., while not actually, 

or perceived as, performing service, or off duty service time).

Under the Hatch Act, during off duty service time, members may engage in certain political 

activities, as follows:

• May be candidates for public office in nonpartisan elections

• May register and vote as they choose

• May assist in voter registration drives

• May express opinions about candidates and issues

• May contribute money to political organizations

• May attend political fundraising functions

• May attend and be active at political rallies and meetings

• May join and be an active member of a political party or club

• May sign nominating petitions

• May campaign for or against referendum questions, constitutional amendments, 

municipal ordinances
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• May campaign for or against candidates in partisan elections

• May make campaign speeches for candidates in partisan elections

• May distribute campaign literature in partisan elections

• May hold office in political clubs or parties, including serving as a delegate to a 

convention

Under the Hatch Act, members are prohibited from engaging in the following activities at all 

times during service, including off duty service time:

• May not use their official authority or influence, as a member, to influence an election

• May not knowingly solicit or discourage the political activity of any individual or 

organization that has business before AmeriCorps or the VISTA program (e.ga 

sponsoring organization or project)

• May not engage in political activity while in service time as a member (e.g., while on 

duty as a member at a sponsoring organization or project)

• May not engage in political activity while in any office of the AmeriCorps VISTA 

program (e.g., while at the sponsoring organization or the project)

• May not engage in political activity while using a vehicle owned or leased by the 

sponsoring organization or project

• May not be a candidate for public office in a partisan election

• May not wear political buttons while in service time as a member (e.g., while on duty 

as a member at a sponsoring organization or project)

• May not engage in political activity while wearing an article of clothing, badge, 

insignia, or other item that identifies AmeriCorps or the AmeriCorps VISTA program

Also, members generally may not solicit, accept, or receive political contributions, with one 

rare exception: A member may solicit a political contribution from another individual if the 

request is for a contribution to the multicandidate political committee of a federal labor 

organization or a federal employee organization, to which both the member and the 

individual belong. Such a solicitation is still prohibited, however, if the member who solicits is 

a leader and the individual solicited is a member.

Sponsoring organizations and projects may not use funds or personnel in a manner that 

supports or identifies the AmeriCorps VISTA program with partisan or nonpartisan election 

activities. Sponsoring organizations and projects also may not use funds or personnel in a 

manner that supports or results in voter registration activities, or that provides transportation 

to the polls. Additionally, no member or employee of a sponsoring organization may take any 

action with respect to a partisan or nonpartisan political activity that would result in the 

identification or apparent identification of the AmeriCorps VISTA program with such activity. 

The Hatch Act also prohibits members from engaging in voter registration activities or 

providing transportation to the polls during service hours.
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Engaging in Lobbying 

Under federal law, sponsoring organizations may not assign members to perform service or 

engage in activities related to influencing the passage or defeat of legislation, or of legislative 

proposals or initiatives. Also, members are generally prohibited from engaging in such 

lobbying activities; however, there are two rare exceptions to this prohibition on lobbying:

• A member may draft, review, testify, or make a representation on a legislative 

measure if the member is asked by a legislative body, a committee of a legislative 

body, or member of a legislative body.

• A member may draft, review, testify, or make a written representation to a 

legislative body regarding a legislative measure directly affecting the operation of 

an project or program to which the member is assigned, as long as:

o The sponsoring organization notifies the AmeriCorps Senior Portfolio 

Manager on a quarterly basis of all activity occurring pursuant to this 

exception; and

o The legislative measure related to the funding of the project or program 

affects the existence or basic structure of the project or program.

Participating in Demonstrations

As mentioned above, members may participate in political rallies and meetings (i.e., 

demonstrations) with certain limitations. They may participate in these types of activities only 

while on authorized leave, or while off-duty or not otherwise engaged in performing 

AmeriCorps VISTA service. Such activities cannot be related to projects of the sponsoring 

organizations where the member serves. Moreover, members may only participate in such 

activities to the extent that: (1) the member does not represent or attempt to represent the 

views of members on any public issue; (2) the member's participation could not be 

reasonably understood by the community as being identified with the AmeriCorps VISTA 

program, the project, or other elements of his or her service; and (3) the member's 

participation does not interfere with the performance of his or her duties.

No sponsoring organization may approve a member's involvement in planning, initiating, 

participating in, or otherwise aiding or assisting in any demonstration.

A member must contact the AmeriCorps Regional Office and get its permission, before 

he/she engages in any of the activities—electoral, lobbying, or demonstration—discussed 

above.

Social Media Use and Prohibited Political Activities

Generally, as part of your official duties, members and sponsor/grant-funded staff may 

design, launch, and operate social media sites on behalf of the sponsor organization. 
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Moreover, they may communicate about official program and project-related activities 

associated with the project. However, members and sponsor/grant-funded staff are strictly 

prohibited from engaging in the following types of communications on social media as part 

of their service or grant-funded activity:

• Lobbying Activities – attempting to influence the passage or defeat of legislation or 

proposals by initiative petition;

• Electoral Political Activities – engaging in partisan political activities, or other 

activities designed to influence the outcome of an election to a public office;

• Other Political Activities – participating in, or endorsing, events or activities that are 

likely to include advocacy for or against political parties, political platforms, political 

candidates, proposed legislation, or elected officials;

• Organizing Activities – assisting, promoting, or deterring union organization, or 

organizing or engaging in protests, petitions, boycotts, or strikes; and

• Voter Registration Activities – conducting a voter registration drive or discussing 

options regarding transportation to the polls.

Limitation on Displacement of Employed Workers and Impairment of 

Contracts for Service

Members are prohibited from performing activities or duties that would otherwise be carried 

out by employed workers, or would supplant the hiring of, or result in the displacement of, 

employed workers, or would impair existing contracts for service (45 U.S.C. § 5044).

AmeriCorps regulations on non-displacement of employed workers and non-impairment of 

contracts for service are contained in 45 CFR Part 2556.150.

Limitation on Receiving any compensation or Other Benefits for Service 

Members

Agencies or organizations to which members are assigned, or which operate or supervise a 

project, are prohibited from requesting or receiving any compensation from members, or 

from those who benefit from the services that members provide (42 U.S.C. § 5044). In 

addition, it is the policy of AmeriCorps VISTA that members not accept any benefit from the 

sponsoring organization or the community served through their AmeriCorps VISTA 

assignments, unless otherwise permitted by AmeriCorps policy (such as housing, 

transportation, bus passes, and training materials and tools). Members are expected to serve 

the community, not themselves.

Cash or in-kind contributions to a project, provided under the terms of a Memorandum of 

Understanding between the primary sponsoring organization and another participating 
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agency, is not considered compensation for member services. AmeriCorps must, however, 

review and concur in all such Memoranda of Understanding prior to implementation.

Limitation on Anti-Labor Activity

AmeriCorps funds must not be used, directly or indirectly, to finance labor or anti-labor 

organizations or related activities (42 U.S.C. § 5044). Consequently, a member must not be 

assigned to activities or duties that assist, directly or indirectly, any labor or anti-labor 

organizing activity or related activity.

Prohibition on Nepotism

To avoid actual or apparent favoritism in the operation of a project, the AmeriCorps VISTA 

program prohibits certain placement and assignment arrangements, as follows.

Members

A sponsoring organization may operate a project out of a single project site, or multiple sites. 

When a “project site” is referenced, the prohibited arrangement is limited to that particular 

site, rather than a project as a whole. A member cannot be placed or assigned to a project 

site if the member is:

• in the immediate family (e.g., spouse, domestic partner, parent or guardian whether 

by blood or adoption, child whether by blood or adoption) of a staff member involved 

in the management or operation of the project or project Site, or of a AmeriCorps staff 

member in the applicable Regional Office who makes decisions or takes actions 

regarding the project or the Site; 

• a close relative, whether by blood or adoption, (e.g., grandparent, grandchild, aunt, 

uncle, niece, nephew, first cousin), of a staff member involved in the management or 

operation of the project or project Site, or of a AmeriCorps staff member in the 

applicable Regional Office who makes decisions or takes actions regarding the 

project or the Site; 

• in the immediate family (e.g., spouse, domestic partner, parent or guardian whether 

by blood or adoption, child whether by blood or adoption) of a member of the board 

of directors of the specific project or project site where the member is assigned or 

reports for service; 

• a close relative, whether by blood or adoption, (e.g., grandparent, grandchild, aunt, 

uncle, niece, nephew, first cousin), of a member of the board of directors of the 

specific project or project site where the member is assigned or reports for service.

VISTA Project Supervisory Employees

A project site employee is prohibited from holding a project supervisory position, if she/he is:
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• in the immediate family (e.g., spouse, domestic partner, parent or guardian whether 

by blood or adoption, child whether by blood or adoption) of any AmeriCorps official 

responsible for the management and/or oversight of the project. 

• a close relative, whether by blood or adoption, (e.g., grandparent, grandchild, aunt, 

uncle, niece, nephew, first cousin), of any AmeriCorps official responsible for the 

management and/or oversight of the project.

• in the immediate family (e.g., spouse, domestic partner, parent or guardian whether 

by blood or adoption, child whether by blood or adoption) of any project and/or Site 

employee who holds supervisory authority over him/her; or

• a close relative, whether by blood or adoption, (e.g., grandparent, grandchild, aunt, 

uncle, niece, nephew, first cousin), of any project and/or site employee who holds 

supervisory authority over him/her.

Limitation on AmeriCorps VISTA Fraternization 

Relationships between members and staff members (including volunteer and contracted 

personnel) of AmeriCorps, sponsoring organization, and project site that are exploitive or 

that have the appearance of partiality, preferential treatment, or the improper use of position 

for personal gain, are prejudicial to the morale of members and will not be tolerated.

Inappropriate relationships between members and the aforementioned staff members are 

prohibited. Inappropriate relationships are those that compromise, or appear to 

compromise, supervisory authority or could result in preferential treatment. Relationships are 

prohibited if they appear to involve the improper use of rank or position for personal gain.

You must avoid nonprofessional relationships with other members or staff members that 

create real or perceived conflicts of interest, discord, or distractions that interfere with other 

members' productivity, or potentially could result in charges of sexual harassment. These 

problems are particularly high risk in situations in which one person has authority over 

another.

Nonprofessional relationships between members and the aforementioned staff include, but 

are not limited to:

• Intimate/sexual relationships

• Borrowing or lending money, automobiles, or other personal property

• Engaging in financial or business dealings, or acting as an agent or sponsor with any 

commercial services

• Allowing services to be performed (compensated or uncompensated) that have no 

reasonable connection with AmeriCorps VISTA activities
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• Gambling for goods, services, or money

• Any activity and/or relationship that, in the judgment of the AmeriCorps Senior 

Portfolio Manager, may be reasonably perceived to undermine discipline, good 

order, and/or morale

• Socializing that might lead to the perception of a relationship or overtures to activities 

listed above

Inappropriate relations include, but are not limited to:

• Nonprofessional relationships between a leader and a member the leader guides. 

Such relationships are strictly prohibited. Violators may be subject to disciplinary 

action, up to and including removal

• Nonprofessional relationships between an AmeriCorps Regional Office staff member 

assigned to monitor or oversee a project, and an AmeriCorps VISTA member or 

leader of that project

• Nonprofessional relationships between a supervisor and a member the supervisor 

oversees

Protection of Public Assistance Benefits While Serving in 

AmeriCorps VISTA

Members who are eligible to receive assistance or services (i.e., benefits) under any 

governmental program (e.g., Temporary Aid to Needy Families [TANF], Medicaid, 

Supplemental Security Income) prior to enrollment as a member or who are receiving such 

assistance or services during service shall not be denied such benefits or given a decreased 

benefit because of the member's failure or refusal to register for, seek, or accept employment 

or training during the period of service. This protection of benefits, provided at 42 U.S.C. § 

5044, applies to any governmental program, including federal, state, and local programs.

Income Exclusions of AmeriCorps VISTA Allowances From Benefit 

Calculations Under Governmental Assistance Programs

Payments received by members (including living allowances) shall not in any way reduce or 

eliminate the level of, or eligibility for, assistance or services that any member may be 

receiving or is eligible to receive under any federal, state, or local governmental assistance 

program. This statutory provision is designed to ensure that persons, and families of persons, 

receiving assistance or services under any federal, state, or local governmental program 

before entering service do not lose benefits, or have benefits reduced, as a result of their 

service.
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For example, persons who were receiving public assistance benefits before entering service 

will not have their allowances considered in determining whether they are still eligible for 

benefits for their dependents. In addition, the Domestic Volunteer Service Act clearly states 

that the same treatment be given to any benefits for which members were eligible, although 

not actually receiving, prior to their service (42 U.S.C. § 5044). This provision does not apply 

to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamps. (see 

below).

This provision also applies to persons who become eligible for assistance or services while 

serving as members (e.g., a member reaches the age of 65 while serving and becomes 

eligible for Social Security benefits). AmeriCorps VISTA income shall not be counted in 

determining eligibility for, or the level of, Social Security retirement benefits.

Public Assistance Programs and Benefits

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Formerly Known as 

Food Stamps 

The Department of Agriculture administers the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program 

(SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamps. Department of Agriculture regulations state that 

members who were receiving SNAP benefits before joining AmeriCorps VISTA will not have 

their benefit allotment reduced or eliminated as a result of their allowances. However, 

members not receiving SNAP benefits before joining AmeriCorps VISTA will have their 

allowances counted as income for purposes of determining their level of SNAP benefit 

eligibility. Members may be held responsible for SNAP overpayments. Carefully check your 

allotments to ensure that you are not given SNAP benefits for which you are not eligible. If 

you apply for SNAP after you become a member, you will have a decreased SNAP allotment. 

Department of Agriculture Food Stamp Regulations pertaining to AmeriCorps VISTA income 

exclusion are contained in the 7 CFR § 273.9(c)(10)(iii).

Woman, Infants, and Children Program

The Department of Agriculture also administers the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) 

Program. Department of Agriculture regulations on the WIC program that pertain to 

AmeriCorps VISTA income exclusion are contained in the 7 CFR § 246.7.

Social Security Disability Payments

Under regulations and rulings issued by the U.S. Social Security Administration, neither 

payments made to, nor the activities performed by, members are to be considered in 

determining the member's continued eligibility for Social Security disability benefits. This 

policy means that persons receiving disability payments before joining AmeriCorps VISTA 

may continue to receive benefits during their service regardless of the level of allowances 

received or the nature of the duties performed.
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In regulations dealing with Supplemental Security Income for the aged, blind, and disabled, 

payments to members are specifically excluded in determining the resources of an individual 

(20 CFR § 416.1236(a)(9)).

Social Security Administration instructions pertaining to Supplemental Security Income, as 

well as to the Federal Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program, stipulate that 

none of the "substantial gainful activity" tests (e.g., earnings, comparability of work activity, or 

worth of work activity) is to be applied to AmeriCorps VISTA activity performed under the 

Domestic Volunteer Service Act (POMS DI 10505.025B2). Similar language is also contained 

in Social Security Ruling 84-24, Titles II and XVI: "Determination of Substantial Gainful Activity 

for Persons Working in Special Circumstances-Work Therapy Programs in Military ServiceWork Activity in Certain Government-Sponsored Programs."

Veterans Benefits

Under regulations issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs in the Code of Federal 

Regulations, Title 38, sections 3.261 and 3.262, compensation or reimbursement received by 

members will be excluded from income in claims for compensation, pension, dependency, 

and indemnity compensation.

Housing Assistance Programs 

In accordance with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Notice of 

Federally Mandated Exclusions from income, payments to members cannot be considered as 

income for the purpose of determining income eligibility for Section 8 housing programs and 

other federally subsidized housing.

Welfare Reform Law

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act of 1996, Public Law 104-193 is a 

federal welfare reform law. This law affects, in a number of ways, members who are eligible 

for or receive welfare even though the income disregard provisions of the Domestic 

Volunteer Service Act, discussed above, are in effect. Members receiving cash assistance 

from states should discuss any issues directly with their state (or county) agency worker to 

discuss whether their service will adversely affect their eligibility for cash assistance.

The welfare reform law prohibits states from using federal money to keep a family on welfare 

beyond a five-year cumulative lifetime limit. In each state, however, 20 percent of welfare 

recipients can be exempted.

The Domestic Volunteer Service Act does not affect a state's ability to impose time limits 

members who currently receive cash assistance. In many states, any cash assistance that 

members receive from the state while in AmeriCorps VISTA will be counted against the 

state's time limits.
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Within the framework of the welfare reform law, states can impose unique requirements 

regarding registration for employment or training programs. The federal law allows for a twoyear time limit on cash assistance payments before welfare recipients must be working or 

enrolled in job training or vocational education programs. States, however, can impose even 

shorter time limits than the two years allowed by federal law.

Members should contact their state (or county) agency welfare workers and inform them that 

persons who serve in AmeriCorps VISTA are not available for employment or job training 

programs. In some cases, welfare workers may determine that service satisfies the state's 

requirement for participation in an employment or training program. Welfare workers may 

determine that service is an exemption from any employment or training program.

When you are dealing with state or county officials, you should remember to identify yourself 

as an AmeriCorps member in VISTA serving under the Domestic Volunteer Service Act, 

because the income disregard provisions of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act do not apply 

to other AmeriCorps programs. Inform your AmeriCorps Regional Office immediately if you 

are having difficulties explaining these provisions. Your AmeriCorps Regional Office can 

supply you with a letter that explains the income disregard provisions, which can be given to 

your case worker. Depending on the situation, you may need to seek the assistance of a legal 

aid attorney to represent you if your payments will be decreased or denied. AmeriCorps is 

unable to pay for legal assistance, but staff will assist in providing documentation to assist 

your legal representative.

AmeriCorps VISTA Members Considered Federal Employees Only for 

Limited Purposes

AmeriCorps members in VISTA are regarded as federal employees only for certain purposes 

under 42 U.S.C. § 5055, including the Hatch Act, the Federal Employees' Compensation Act 

(worker's compensation), the Federal Tort Claims Act, the IRS Code, and Title II of the Social 

Security Act. Members are not regarded as federal employees for purposes of 

unemployment compensation, and allowances received from AmeriCorps are not regarded 

as wages, except for income tax and Social Security purposes.

Moreover, AmeriCorps members are not employees of sponsoring organizations. Because 

members serve under the authority of federal statute, their limited employment relationship 

is with the federal government (discussed above), not the sponsoring organization, and is 

governed by federal law, not state law. The sponsoring organization is not authorized to 

make contributions to any state unemployment compensation fund on behalf of AmeriCorps 

VISTA members assigned to the organization.
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Liability Coverage (Federal Tort Claims Act) 

Members are considered federal employees for the purpose of coverage under the Federal 

Tort Claims Act (FTCA). The federal government assumes liability for any damage to property 

or injury to persons caused by a member that arises only out of his/her official duties and for 

which the member would be liable under local law. If any claim is made against a member 

with respect to an automobile accident or other damage allegedly caused during the course 

of the member's service activities, the member should immediately report such claim to the 

project supervisor or sponsoring organization, who in turn will contact the AmeriCorps 

Regional Office. Refer to Chapter 7 for procedures to be followed in the event of an accident 

involving a member. 

In cases of potential liability on the part of the member for damage to property or injury to 

persons, other than motor vehicle accidents, the sponsoring organization or supervisor must 

immediately inform the AmeriCorps Regional Office, which after consultation with 

AmeriCorps’ Office of General Counsel, will advise the sponsoring organization on what 

steps to take.

Members and sponsoring organizations are prohibited from making any statements to other 

parties to accidents concerning the ultimate liability of the government on a particular claim. 

Statements concerning responsibility for an accident should only be made to government 

investigating officers. AmeriCorps’ Office of General Counsel or the Department of Justice, if 

appropriate, will make the final determination as to whether an accident occurred within the 

scope of the member's project-related activities and the extent of the federal government's 

liability.

Members and sponsoring organizations are expected to give full cooperation to AmeriCorps’

Office of General Counsel in obtaining necessary evidence and materials, and to the 

Department of Justice or United States Attorney in the event any legal action is begun in 

connection with an accident. 

During off-duty hours, or in any situation in which members are not engaged in projectrelated activities, members are as personally liable as any other citizen for any damage or 

injury they cause.

Federal Employees’ Compensation Act 

Members are also considered employees for the purpose of coverage under the Federal 

Employees' Compensation Act (FECA), also known as the Federal Worker's Compensation 

Act.

Under section 415(b) of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973, (42 U.S.C. § 5055), 

members who are injured or suffer occupational disease in the course of their service may 

claim and be eligible to receive benefits to cover medical expenses under FECA. FECA is 

administered not by AmeriCorps, but rather by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of 
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Worker's Compensation Programs (OWCP). OWCP, not AmeriCorps, decides whether a 

member should be granted or denied a worker's compensation claim.

Unemployment Compensation 

Despite being employees for the limited purposes as noted above, members assigned to 

local sponsoring organizations are not eligible to receive unemployment compensation for 

their service. Members are not in an employment relationship with either the federal 

government or the project sponsoring organization for employment compensation purposes. 

They are, therefore, not covered by federal or state unemployment compensation during 

their periods of service, or because they served. 

While they serve in the AmeriCorps VISTA program, some members may receive 

unemployment compensation earned during previous employment. That compensation is 

unrelated to their service and is limited to unemployment compensation previously owed to 

the member. Such compensation cannot be based on continued compensation during 

service. The authority to continue such unemployment compensation while in the 

AmeriCorps VISTA program remains with the state unemployment compensation official and 

not with AmeriCorps. Accepting unemployment compensation that has not been authorized 

by the governor, or his designee, may result in overpayments, which can be collected by the 

state.

Civil Service Benefits

Members enrolled for a period of service of at least one year are entitled to the following 

federal civil service benefits, see 42 U.S.C. § 5055 for additional information.

Non-Competitive Eligibility 

Members may be hired as a non-competitive eligible appointee after successfully completing 

at least one full year of service. A non-competitive eligibility appointment means that a 

federal agency may hire a former member by establishing that the individual meets the 

minimum qualifications for a job, including any written test requirement. If the former 

member meets the qualification standards, they do not have to compete with the general 

public to be hired.

AmeriCorps VISTA service, however, is not creditable toward the service requirements for 

career tenure or toward completion of a probationary period. The probationary period 

begins with the appointment to federal civil service.

Non-competitive hiring privileges extend for one year after completion of service, except that 

the employing agency may extend the period for an additional two years for a former 

member who enters military service, studies at a recognized institution of higher learning, or 

engages in activities that, in the view of the appointing authority, warrant an extension of the 

one-year limit.
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As a former member, you are not guaranteed a federal civil service job.

Civil service openings are limited; obtaining employment will depend on such factors as your 

ability to locate an agency with a vacancy, your qualifications and suitability for the position, 

and the agency's interest in hiring you. You must comply with the position announcement 

instructions and provide the requested applicant information. Information on available 

federal positions may be obtained from Federal Job Information Centers across the country. 

These centers are listed in metropolitan area phone directories under "U.S. Government." 

You can also find federal positions listed at USAJobs. 

To establish non-competitive status, you will need proof of eligibility for job consideration 

under the special hiring procedures described. You may print a letter that states your noncompetitive eligibility from the My AmeriCorps Portal after you successfully complete your 

year of service.

Federal Civil Service Credit

One of the benefits you receive as a member hired into the federal civil service is that your 

time as a member will be credited toward a pension in the Federal Employees Retirement 

System, provided you pay a portion of your retirement contribution to the U.S. Office of 

Personnel Management. The payment is based upon a statutorily mandated percentage of 

the stipend payment. The education award, like the stipend, is considered a form of payment. 

Therefore, members who elect the education award also will be required to make the same 

percentage cash payment to their retirement account as if they had actually received the 

stipend.

The service credit deposit payment should be made within two years of the individual 

becoming a federal employee. If the payment is delayed for a period greater than two years, 

interest will be payable. Alumni who become federal employees must contact the Human 

Resources/Benefits personnel at their current federal agency to initiate the deposit process.

AmeriCorps VISTA service may be credited in connection with subsequent federal 

employment in the same manner as a like period of regular civilian employment by the 

federal government. Service will apply toward purposes of determining seniority, reduction 

in force and layoff rights, leave entitlement, and other rights and privileges based on length 

of service under laws administered by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and other 

laws establishing terms and conditions of service of federal civilian employees.

Service, however, is not credited toward completion of any probationary or trial period, or 

completion of any service requirement for a career appointment.
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Legal Support and Request for Information 

Legal Expenses 

AmeriCorps has the discretion to pay expenses incurred in the legal defense of members in 

judicial and administrative proceedings that relate to service. These expenses include 

counsel fees, court costs, bail, and other incidental costs. There is, however, no provision for 

the payment of attorney fees when members are involved in disputes addressing the denial 

or decrease of government benefits (see, for example, income disregard disputes under 42 

U.S.C. § 5044), termination (45 CFR Part 2556 Subpart E), or grievance (45 CFR Part 

2556.360) procedures. AmeriCorps’ regulations on payment of member legal expenses are 

in 45 CFR Part 2556 Subpart D.

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Privacy Act

The Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. § 552) gives citizens the right, with certain basic 

exceptions, to inspect federal records or have access to information maintained by the 

federal government. AmeriCorps regulations on implementation of the Freedom of 

Information Act are contained in 45 CFR Part 2507.

The Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. § 552a) gives citizens a proprietary right to their records and to 

control access to information maintained about them, with a few exceptions, by the federal 

government. This right applies to systems of records that contain personal data and where an 

individual record can be located by name or an assigned personal identifier. AmeriCorps 

regulations on implementation of the Privacy Act are contained in 45 CFR Part 2508.

Members may access information regarding the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy 

Act through the AmeriCorps website. 

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