Members
Frequently Asked Questions
(click on the question to link to the answer)
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What service activities are appropriate or not appropriate?
- Can I engage in fundraising?
- Can my direct service position be paid?
- At how many sites can I serve my hours?
- What is a Criminal Record Check? What if my service site will conduct one?
- What do I do with my paperwork?
- Does NC-ACTS! only accept handwritten forms? Can I fill out the forms online?
- Can documents be faxed?
- Should I make copies of my paperwork?
- How can I check if my file is up to date or if I’m missing any paperwork?
- What can I do if I lose track of how many hours I have served?
- I don’t have a copy of my birth certificate! How do I get one?
- Why do I have to participate in Reflections and complete an Exit Survey?
- How do I access the Exit Survey?
- If I participate in service projects in addition to activities at my NC-ACTS! service site, can these hours count?
- How long do I have to complete my hours?
- If I get sick and have to drop out of my service position can I still receive part of my Education Award?
- Can I get an extension I can’t complete my hours by the end of my term of service?
- What if I have to drop out of the program before completing my hours?
- What if my Site Supervisor is away and I can’t get my time log signed by the deadline?
- What do I do if my Site Supervisor has changed?
- What do I do when I finish all my hours?
- How do I get my education award?
- What can the education award be used for?
- How many AmeriCorps terms can I serve?
- Why should I put my loans on forbearance?
- Can I transfer my award to a friend or family member?
- How long do I have to use the education award?
What service activities are appropriate or not appropriate?
Service activities should follow NC-ACTS! program and AmeriCorps guidelines including:
Service in one or more of our three focus areas: Education, Human Needs/Service or Volunteer Recruitment/Capacity Building;
Direct Service hours must be voluntary and follow AmeriCorps prohibited activities guidelines. Click here for a list of Prohibited Activities.
Direct Service will constitute at least 80% (240) of the total hours; Member Development/Training hours will constitute no more than 20% (60) of the total hours. Click here for an overview of direct services versus member development/training.
Can I engage in fundraising?
Yes. But fundraising activities cannot constitute more than 10% (30 hours) of the total 300 hours to be served. These fundraising activities must provide immediate and direct support to a specific and direct service activity. They should not be your primary function nor should they fund the agency’s capital or operating costs.
Examples of fundraising activities that members may perform include, but are not limited to the following: i.) Seeking donations of books from companies and individuals for a program in which volunteers tutor children to read; ii.) Writing a grant proposal to a foundation to secure resources to support the training of volunteers; iii.) Securing supplies and equipment from the community to enable volunteers to help build houses for low-income individuals; iv.) Securing financial resources from the community to assist a faith-based organization in launching or expanding a program that provides social services to the members of the community and is delivered, in whole or in part, through the members of the faith-based organization; or v.) Seeking donations from alumni of the program for specific service projects being performed by current members.
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Can my direct service position be paid?
The ONLY paid positions you can count are positions that are service-related Federal/State-funded Work Study positions. All other service must be non-paid (including internships, academic course-related service, and general volunteer service).
At how many sites can I serve my hours?
An NC-ACTS! member can serve at up to three sites. At least 200 service hours must be served at a community based school, organization or agency. A maximum of 100 hours can be served through the office that hosts the NC-ACTS! program on your campus. All your hours can be served at a community site or you can divide your hours between the three sites. For each site you must submit a Site Supervisor Agreement and Site Agreement. Also, you must submit a separate monthly time sheet for each site.
What is a Criminal Record Check? What if my service site will conduct one?
Starting in the 2008-09 program year, every student who enrolls in NC-ACTS! must receive a background check. If your service site will conduct one, you must sign the Criminal Record Check Verification Form in the enrollment packet. If your site does not conduct one, NC Campus Compact will conduct one.You will need to sign the Criminal Record Check Authorization Form in the
enrollment paperwork to initiate the process.
There is the potential that the resultant data will indicate an individual’s prior felony and/or misdemeanor convictions. All prior convictions will be reviewed on a case-by case basis, with the following being cause for immediate disqualification for service in AmeriCorps: Identification on the National Criminal Research database as a sex offender.
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What do I do with my paperwork?
You are responsible for working with your Campus Coordinator and Site Supervisor to complete all paperwork. After you have completed your paperwork, you are to give it to your Campus Coordinator who will submit it, on your behalf, to the NC Campus Compact state office. Although you may work with the Campus Coordinator, you are ultimately responsible for making sure that you complete all your paperwork.
Does NC-ACTS! only accept handwritten forms? Can I fill out the forms online?
In the Forms section of this website there are two types of file formats. One is .pdf and the other is Microsoft Word. If you download the Word document you can fill out the fields from your computer but you will still need to print out the completed form. All signatures must be original. Once you obtain the necessary signatures, review the printed form just in case you missed a section, make copies for you records, then give the originals to your Campus Coordinator. You will notice that the AmeriCorps enrollment and Exit Form as not fillable and must be printed and completed by hand.
Can documents be faxed?
The state Campus Compact office will only accept faxed documents on a case-by-case basis. If you paperwork is going to be late, please notify your Campus Coordinator. They will check with the state office to determine if a faxed copy will be acceptable in the interim. No matter what, you will need to send the original document with original signatures as soon as possible.
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Should I make copies of my paperwork?
Yes! Yes! Copy ALL the paperwork you complete before submitting it to your Campus Coordinator. Sometimes, things really do get “lost in the mail”, so your ability to supply a copy of your documents may be critical. Not only will you have a record of the paperwork you have completed for recordkeeping, but you can continuously reference that information throughout your term of service. Time logs are especially important to copy as those copies may be the only proof or record of your activities.
How can I check if my file is up to date or if I’m missing any paperwork?
The best way to check is to contact your Campus Coordinator. It is your responsibility to make sure your paperwork is completed in a timely manner. Remember to keep copies of your documents and notify your Campus Coordinator if you have new contact information, etc.
What can I do if I lose track of how many hours I have served?
Just email or call your Campus Coordinator. They will check their records and verify with the database at the NC Campus Compact state office.
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I don’t have a copy of my birth certificate! How do I get one?
You can call your state’s Health Department, the office for birth/death certificates or vital records to obtain another copy.
North Carolina: http://www.dhhs.state.nc.us/
Another option is to call the company VITALCHECK at 1-800-255-2414. This is a faster but more expensive method.
Why do I have to participate in Reflections and complete an Exit Survey?
One goal of the NC-ACTS! program is for each member to gain a deeper understanding of their social responsibility and have a meaningful experience when meeting the needs of our community. We believe that the reflection process will allow this to occur. The exit survey includes questions that will help you think about your term of service and what you gained while providing important program improvement suggestions to the NC-ACTS! program. Please note that reflections are facilitated by your Campus Coordinator. You must attend at least two reflections.
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How do I access the Exit Survey?
The NC-ACTS! Program Director in the NC Campus Compact state office will send the link to you as you near or exceed 200 hours of service. As this link is sent via e-mail it is critical that you provide any e-mail updates to your Campus Coordinator. The e-mail is generated via Survey Monkey and will come from nc-acts@elon.edu subject line will read "NC-ACTS! End of Service Survey." Be sure to check your spam blocker to be sure the e-mail did not end up blocked. As the survey is uniquely tied to your e-mail account, you cannot use the link sent to another member.
If I participate in volunteer projects in addition to activities at my NC-ACTS! Service Site, can these hours count?
Only if one of your sites is the office that hosts the NC-ACTS! program on your campus and the Site Supervisor in the office can verify the hours. Also the projects must be in one of the areas of education, human needs or volunteer recruitment/capacity building. The hours have to be appropriate either for Direct Service hours (non-Prohibited Activities) or Member Development hours. It is common for members to have more than one service site. Remember, you are required to submit a Site Agreement form for each service site. Each Site Agreement requires a separate Time Log each month. For example, if you serve at three sites in a month, you’ll need to submit three Time Logs for that month.
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How long do I have to complete my hours?
From the date of enrollment, an AmeriCorps member has one year to complete their service hours, HOWEVER, the NC-ACTS! program seeks to run the program parellel with the academic calendar. As a result, you are expected to complete your hours between the months of August and May. If you require an extension through the summer months, you must inform you Campus Coordinator no later than May 15 and make arrangements to locate a summer service site. All paperwork for a summer service site must be completed and submitted to the NC-ACTS! state office no later than June 15.
If I get sick and have to drop out of my service position can I still receive part of my Education Award?
You can receive pro-rated education awards if you had to stop serving for “compelling personal circumstances.” The NC-ACTS! Program Director decides if a situation is a compelling personal circumstance (examples: a serious illness/injury to the member or a death in the member’s immediate family). HOWEVER, to qualify for a pro-rated education award you must have completed at least 15% (45 hours) of your term of service.
Can I get an extension if I can’t complete my hours by the end of my term of service?
In nearly all member situations, we are NOT able to provide extensions. For special circumstances (compelling personal circumstances) AmeriCorps may grant members on a case-by-case basis an extension to complete their hours. The approval is not “automatic”, and you must contact your Campus Coordinator who will contact the Campus Compact state office PRIOR to the end of your term to discuss if you qualify for an extension.
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What if I have to drop out of the program before completing my hours?
If you are dropping out of the program for any reason that would not fit into "compelling person circumstances," you must complete a Non-Completion Form to be signed by you and your Site Supervisor. Please note that this will count towards the two AmeriCorps education awards that you are allowed in a lifetime. Also, please realize that you have now prohibited another student from receiving the education award. We encourage you to make every effort to remain in the program and fulfill the requirements.
What if my Site Supervisor is away and I can’t get my time log signed by the deadline?
Don’t turn in your paperwork without a supervisor’s signature! You should call your Campus Coordinator and alert them that your time log will be late, they will make a note of the situation and you can submit it when your supervisor returns.
What do I do if my Site Supervisor changes?
You must fill out a new Site Supervisor and Service Site Agreement. Even if your service site does not change, but we must have your new supervisor’s contact information and signature.
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What do I do when I finish all my hours?
You must make sure that you have fulfilled all program requirements including two reflections and the Exit Survey. Then you can complete the Exit Paperwork. Your Campus Coordinator will submit your paperwork to the NC-ACTS! office who will exit you in the federal database. Within 2-3 days of this official exit your education award will be available for your to access. NOTE: You must establish an online account to access your award. See below.
How do I get my education award?
See Education Award for more information about setting up an account and obtaining your award.
What can the Education Award be used for?
You can use your education award in the following ways: 1. To repay “qualified student loans”; 2. To pay for CURRENT educational expenses a “qualified institution of higher education”; and 3. To pay expenses incurred while participating in an approved school-to-work opportunities program.
Qualified student loans are basically student loans backed by the federal government, except for loans in your parents’ names. This also includes loans made directly to AmeriCorps members by a “state agency” which cover all or part of their cost of attendance.
For purposes of the AmeriCorps education award, the term “state agency” includes state institutions of higher education. For example, any loan, including short-term loans, made directly to you by a state institution of higher education to cover all or part of your Cost of Attendance is a qualified loan and you may repay such a loan with your AmeriCorps education award. This does not include private loans from a bank or credit union.
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How many AmeriCorps terms can I serve?
You can serve two terms in AmeriCorps. This is because you can only ever be eligible to receive two education awards in your lifetime. You may choose to serve with the NC-ACTS! program and once you graduate serve in a full-time program. If you serve twice with NC-ACTS!, you will not be eligible to serve in a full-time program. However, serving two AmeriCorps terms doesn’t prevent you from serving in VISTA.
Why should I put my loans on forbearance?
If you have qualified loans that are currently accumulating interest, the Corporation for National & Community Service (CNCS) will pay part of the interest accrued during your term of service. Putting your loans on forbearance notifies CNCS of your current loans. If you don’t put your loans on forbearance CNCS will not partially pay your accrued interest at the end of your term. Once you are enrolled you must establish an online account through the AmeriCorps website to submit a forbearance request. Visit the Education Award section of this website and click on the Click here to download instructions. Please note that in most instances, if you are a currently enrolled student, your loans are already in deferment and you are not paying on them.
Can I transfer my award to a friend or family member?
No. Only the enrolled member can use the award.
How long do I have to use the education award?
Up to seven years.
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