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enrollment, Tracking & Reporting Guide
Members are required to complete and submit the following paperwork when they begin their AmeriCorps term of service:
- Copy of Proof of Citizenship (Birth Certificate, valid passport, permanent resident card)
- Copy of Social Security Card
- Copy High School Diploma/GED equivalent or College Transcripts
- Copy of Driver's License
- Resume
- Class Schedule
The following documents are also required and can be downloaded via this website:
- AmeriCorps Application
- References (2)
- Criminal Background Check Consent Form
- Parental Consent Form (if member is under the age of 18)
- Member Enrollment Form
- Member Contract
- W-4 Form
- Emergency Notification Form
- Career Plan/Goal Statement
- Community Learning Agreement
The following paperwork is submitted online during the member's term of service via the Bonner Web-based Reporting System (BWBRS):
- A new BWBRS Community Learning Agreement for every semester for each regular placement
- Monthly Hour Log Reports (printed one month per page with all required signatures)
- End-of-semester Service Accomplishment Reports for each regular placement
In addition, you will complete a midpoint and endpoint evaluation for each of your members. You are required to discuss the evaluation with the member and provide him or her with a copy.
- Midpoint Evaluation
- Endpoint Evaluation
The Foundation is required to enroll each member within 25 days of their start date. We ask therefore, that all enrollment materials arrive at the Foundation no later than 20 days after the first day that the member desires to begin their term of service. All hours counted toward the member’s AmeriCorps commitment must be served between the official start date and the required completion date. You can review the start/end date for each member on BWBRS.
BWBRS will also track the specific status of an AmeriCorps members enrollment status, including the enrollment date, status of each required enrollment form, their total hours completed (data that will be entered on BWBRS by the student or your staff), and their exit information. This will allow for the campus administrator and the individual Bonner AmeriCorps member to be current and up-to-date with their enrollment and service status. See BWBRS Tour.
BWBRS Expectation
Each campus in the Bonner Program (regardless of participation in AmeriCorps) is required to use the Bonner Web Based Reporting System (BWBRS) to track:
- students’ enrollment status
- hour logs
- community learning agreements (CLAs)
- service accomplishments
- reflection/evaluation
Hour logs are printed directly from BWBRS, signed, and submitted MONTHLY to the Foundation if the student is participating in AmeriCorps. Additionally, a CLA is required EACH SEMESTER for every service site where the member will be serving a majority of their hours. One time service opportunities, service trips or very short term service project do not need a CLA. If you are unsure as to what type of opportunity requires a CLA, contact the program staff at the Foundation.
The Foundation cannot accept hour logs or CLAs in any format other than BWBRS printouts. All enrollment information and end-of-semester service accomplishments are also tracked in BWBRS, providing the campus and the Foundation with communication and convenient access to each students’ information for reporting and tracking.
BWBRS Purpose
To provide students an efficient means to:
- access up-to-date descriptions of service opportunities and more in-depth background on the projects and
- agencies where they might choose to serve;
- record and track their service and training hours;
- report their service accomplishments;
- review an electronic portfolio of their Bonner service activities over their time in the program.
To provide directors and coordinators an effective way to:
- disseminate important campus program and calendar news to their Bonners and other students engaged in service;
- maintain an up-to-date listing of service without having to reprint a service directory;
- monitor progress of individual students relative to their service and personal development goals;
- generate useful individual, program, campus-level program reports for both monitoring and analysis;
- convenient online forms for submitting reports to the Bonner Foundation.
To provide the Bonner Foundation an effective means to:
- manage campus reporting for both Bonner and AmeriCorps programs using a common set of forms;
- disseminate important national program and calendar news to all Bonner students and staff;
- generate useful campus and national level program reports for monitoring and analysis.
Campus Site Agreements
Each campus must submit an agreement to the Program Staff annually before members will be enrolled in Bonner AmeriCorps. Campus Site Agreements will be mailed out in August. Once the agreement is received by the AmeriCorps program staff at the Foundation, the Campus Site Agreement check box will be marked in BWBRS.
Service Site Agreements
This Agreement outlines the roles and responsibilities of a community partner and the community based site supervisor in order for an organization to host Bonner AmeriCorps Program members.
In determining how many slots to request, there are several things the campus coordinator should take into consideration. These include:
- How many hours of service are feasible for each student;
- Whether AmeriCorps is indeed the best fit for the individual student
No person can receive more than two Education Awards through any CNCS program (e.g. VISTA,) or national program supported through AmeriCorps (e.g. Teach For America, City Year).
Slot Options
There are three slot types available. The slot types are:
- One year - 1700 hour term: Living allowance of up to $12,500 and an educational award of $4725.00 upon completion.
- One year - 900 hour term: Living allowance of up to $5771.00 and an educational award of $2362.50 upon completion.
- One year - 300 hour term: Living allowance of up to $1900.00 and an education award of $1000.00 upon completion.
Slot requests are to be made via an on-line survey that Program staff will create and disseminate. We ask that you only request a number of slots you reasonably expect to fill, and that each campus or community partner only enroll members who they believe will complete their service commitment. CNCS has set a very high expectation for retention. Please make every effort to ensure that members select the slot that is most appropriate for them to ensure they successfully complete their term.
Who can participate?
To enroll in AmeriCorps, members must be permanent, US residents, 17 or older (parental consent required if not 17), and have a high school diploma or GED or agree to obtain one during their term of service. The GED requirement can be waived based on an individual educational assessment indicating that the member is incapable of obtaining a high school diploma or its equivalent. Programs must retain copies of the appropriate proofs of eligibility, a record of which should be kept in the member’s file and should be mailed to the Bonner Foundation with all other member file documents.
In addition, individuals may only ever receive two Education Awards through CNCS programs, and therefore if an individual has previously been enrolled in AmeriCorps or any other CNCS program (e.g. VISTA, Teach for America), they may not be eligible to participate.
Participating colleges and community partners should seek individuals who show good citizenship, commitment to community service, and academic achievement, but who also demonstrate high financial need. Every effort must also be made to achieve gender balance and racial diversity in each new class of Bonners.
Required Documentation
Each student is required to include the following documents with their enrollment paperwork in order to prove their eligibility to participate in Bonner AmeriCorps:
1) Citizenship, Naturalization or Resident Alien Documentation. The following documentation qualifies:
- a birth certificate showing that you were born in one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the US Virgin Islands, American Samoa or the Northern Mariana Islands;
- an unexpired US passport issued to you as a US citizen;
- report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States (US Dept. of State Form FS-240);
- certificate of birth in foreign service (US Dept. of State Form FS-545);
- certification of Report of Birth (US Dept. of State Form DS-1350);
- INS certificate of naturalization (INS form N-550 or N-570); or
- INS certificate of citizenship (INS form N-560 or N-561).
2) Copy of Social Security Card
3) Copy High School Diploma/GED equivalent or College Transcripts
Required Agreements
Sites at which members volunteer regularly are required to sign an AmeriCorps Site Agreement. The Foundation has a sample site agreement. The Foundation may also request a copy of a site agreement in order to ensure that it is in compliance with AmeriCorps and Bonner Foundation guidelines.
Service Expectations
For the purposes of the Bonner Program, “community service” is defined as service provided to individuals or communities to meet social, educational, or environmental needs. This service may be provided directly or indirectly through a student-initiated project or a project sponsored by a non-profit agency.
The following activities will not count towards meeting a Bonner AmeriCorps member’s service requirement either during the school year or in the summer:
- service on behalf of a private, for-profit company or organization;
- activity that falls into the categories outlined in the AmeriCorps Prohibited Activities;
- service on behalf of a political organization or campaign;
- pure, scientific research in a laboratory or health organization;
- ROTC or any other military service;
- clerical and/or administrative work for government agencies;
- activity whose primary focus is to support worship, evangelical and proselytizing activities within church or para-church organizations. These activities include, but are not limited to, service that focuses on religious instruction, indoctrination or conversion. Examples include providing childcare at church in support of a worship service, teaching in evangelical and proselytizing programs, participating in a worship service, and clerical and/or administrative work for the organization. Please note that service with a religious or para-religious organization for the purpose of providing direct community service (e.g., tutoring, mentoring, providing goods to those in need, community justice programs, and crisis intervention) does qualify for Bonner service hours.
The maximum number of hours per day that may be counted toward an AmeriCorps term is 12 hours per day. However, with prior approval from the Foundation, a student may be able to demonstrate a maximum of up to 16 hours when applicable to the service assignment.
International Service is not eligible for AmeriCorps hours. This ineligibility includes meetings to plan international service, and training and enrichments with an international focus. Service should directly benefit people in the US.
One-time events should be recorded in BWBRS as Service Opportunities, and may be counted toward an AmeriCorps term as long as the service is not a prohibited activity. Break trips must be within the United States in order to count toward completion of an AmeriCorps term. Service Opportunity hours must be approved by the campus director, as with all other hours, but no CLA is required.
Throughout the year, Bonner AmeriCorps members should have opportunities to come together for special events related to their service. Events might include: Martin Luther King Day of Service, National Volunteer Week, and National Youth Service Day.
Training and Enrichment hours should be recorded in BWBRS as Training and Enrichment, and may be counted toward an AmeriCorps term as long as the service is not a prohibited activity. Please remember that students may only log 20% of their AmeriCorps hours as training and enrichment. These hours should be use to enhance and support the service they are doing in the community. 80% of their total hours should be direct service.
There are certain activities including lobbying, political, religious or advocacy activities that AmeriCorps Members and staff may NOT perform in the course of their duties while charging time to the AmeriCorps program, or at the request of program staff. Furthermore, members and staff may not engage in any conduct in a manner that would associate the National Service Program or the Corporation with the prohibited activities. Programs must become familiar with the specific prohibitions in the Corporation's formal regulations (45 C.F.R. B2520.30) and the grant provisions. The list of prohibited activities includes:
- Participating in efforts to influence legislation, including lobbying for your program;
- Organizing a letter-writing campaign to Congress;
- Engaging in partisan political activities, or other activities designed to influence the outcome of an election to any public office;
- 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;
- Printing politically charged articles in a Corporation-funded newsletter or list serve;
- Taking part in political demonstrations or rallies;
- Engaging in any efforts to influence legislation, including state or local ballot initiatives;
- Voter registration drives;
- Organizing or participating in protests, petitions, boycotts, or strikes;
- Assisting or deterring union organizing;
- Impairing existing contracts or collective bargaining agreements;
- Religious activities, including engaging in religious instruction; conducting worship services; providing instruction as part of a Program that includes mandatory religious instruction or worship; constructing or operating facilities devoted to religious instruction or worship; maintaining facilities primarily or inherently devoted to religious instruction or worship; or engaging in any form of religious proselytization;
- Activities that pose a significant safety risk to participants;
- Assignments that displace employees;
- Placement of members into internships with for-profit business as part of the education and training component of the program;
- Providing assistance to a business organized for profit;
- Raising funds for an A*Corps stipend;
- Raising funds for an organization's operating expenses or endowment;
- Writing grant applications for AmeriCorps funding or for any other funding provided by the Corporation for National and Community Service;
- Writing grant applications for funding provided by other federal agencies;
- Administrative work, unless it benefits the member's approved direct service activities.
However, AmeriCorps members, like private citizens, may participate in lobbying, political, or advocacy activities on their own time, at their own expense, and at their own initiative. Members may not wear AmeriCorps logo items in such instances.
Note: The Prohibited Activities are also outlined in the Member Contract.
- October 1, 2007 - All Enrollment Materials
- October 3, 2007 - Completed September Timesheets
- November 3, 2007 - Completed October Timesheets
- December 3, 2007 - Completed November Timesheets
- December 15, 2007 - First Quarter Activity Reports & Signed Monthly Allocation Reports
- January 3, 2008 - Completed December Timesheets
- February 3, 2008 - Completed January Timesheets
- March 3, 2008 - Members’ Completed Mid-Point Evaluations and Completed February Timesheets
- March 15, 2008 - Second Quarter Activity Reports, Signed Monthly Allocation Reports and 2008-2009 Slot Request Estimates
- April 3, 2008 - Completed March Timesheets
- May 3, 2008 - Completed April Timesheets
- June 3, 2008 - Completed May Timesheets
- June 15, 2008 - Third Quarter Activity Reports and Signed Monthly Allocation Reports
- July 3, 2008 - Completed June Timesheets
- August 3, 2008 - Completed July Timesheets
- September 3, 2008 - Completed August Timesheets
- September 15, 2008 - Final Activity Reports, Signed Monthly Allocation Reports, ALL Members' Final Evaluations and Exit Forms
The New Jersey State Commission and the Corporation for National & Community Service require specific documentation for AmeriCorps members. The following documents must be provided to the Foundation prior to member enrollment. We suggest that each site keep copies of the required paperwork.
- Copy of Proof of Citizenship. (Birth Certificate, valid passport, permanent resident card)Copy of Social Security Card
- Copy High School Diploma/GED equivalent or College Transcripts
- Copy of Driver's License
- Resume
- Class Schedule
The following documents are also required and can be downloaded via this website:
- AmeriCorps Application
- References (2)
- Criminal Background Check Consent Form
- Parental Consent Form (if member is under the age of 18)
- Member Enrollment Form
- Member Contract
- W-4 Form
- Emergency Notification Form
- Career Plan/Goal Statement
- Community Learning Agreement
- Midpoint Evaluation
- Endpoint Evaluation
- AmeriCorps Exit Form
The New Jersey AmeriCorps Bonner Leader Program strives to meet the following objectives during the program year:
Mentoring
- Members will provide mentoring to 75 low-income, homeless and at-risk youth as measured by agendas, activity reports, and attendance logs.
- 75% of youth mentored by members of the NJ AmeriCorps Bonner Leaders Program will identify areas of personal growth and achieve 2 or more personally identified goals as measured by the Mentored Children’s Achievement Log.
- 75% of youth mentored by members of the NJ AmeriCorps Bonner Leaders Program will demonstrate an improvement in pro-social behaviors including respect for others, resisting peer pressure, improved attitude towards school, and/or speaking positively about oneself as measured by the Mentoring Assessment Tool.
Adult Education
- Members will provide academic enrichment activities (such as GED preparation, ESL classes, or computer training) to 25 low income and/or homeless adults as measured by class rosters and attendance logs.
Community Awareness
- Members will raise community awareness by facilitating 10 on-site orientations, presentations, and/or special events explaining issues related to poverty, public safety, and/or volunteer opportunities to the local community, as measured by attendance lists, agendas, or contents of presentations, newsletters, or media exposure.
Volunteer Recruitment
- Members will recruit and/or train 200 community volunteers to engage in activities/programs at local agencies.
Member Development
- All members will participate in trainings, enrichment, and/or reflection activities designed to increase service and leadership competencies, as measured by attendance logs and training agendas.
- 80% of members will demonstrate an increase in their service and leadership skills by rating a “good” or better on two or more areas of the Midpoint Evaluation.
- Members will demonstrate leadership skills. 35% will serve in leadership capacities as demonstrated in the Endpoint Performance Evaluation completed by campus and/or site supervisors.
Each quarter, members are asked to report on the services and activities they provide to the community. The forms available below help us to capture and document our progress towards meeting the program objectives described above. Supporting documentation such as agendas, sign-in sheets, photos, fliers, etc. should be mailed to the Program Director along with the each of the reports. Due dates for the activity reports are noted on the Reporting Calendar.
- Mentoring & Enrichment Activity Reports
- Adult Education Activity Report
- Community Awareness Activity Report
- Volunteer Recruitment Activity Report
- Food Collection & Distribution Report
Expectations
All students in the Bonner Program should complete a Community Learning Agreement (CLA) for each semester. The CLA is designed to be a collaborative effort between student, campus administrator and community partner. They should work together to articulate expectations, the service job description, service outcomes and learning goals. Clear communication of goals and expectations can set the tone for the entire placement and it is imperative if the student is to gain a level of competency in a distinct skill/knowledge area through the active participation in specific direct service and learning experiences. One to four years worth of CLAs can also provide an powerful insight to what the student has accomplished through their service, charting both service outcomes and personal student development.
Some additional notes about using Community Learning Agreements:
- Students participating in Bonner AmeriCorps are required to fill out a Community Learning Agreement in BWBRS for each service site at which they regularly serve (this excludes one-time service opportunities and most break trips).
- The CLA should be sent in to the Bonner Foundation with the first time log for each service site. The hard copy CLA must be signed by the student, the campus administrator, and the service site supervisor. We cannot approve any hours for any student without a CLA.
- Each college must assure that all service sites and/or service opportunities are not in conflict with any of the prohibited activities listed in the Service Workbook.
- Bonner Leaders should complete a “review” of their CLA at the end of each semester and summer to measure the quality and impact of their service experience. In this way, the Service Accomplishments work in conjunction with the CLA.
- CLAs should be developmental. The service, and service objectives and learning objectives should all increase developmentally as the student gains more experience and skills. Therefore, a first year's title, service description, and service and learning objectives should look very different from a senior's service and learning objectives.
Components of the CLA
See BWBRS Tour pages for Members.
Title: Remember to always have a title. Without a title, you will not be able to see your information in BWBRS. Try to be as specific as possible and avoid vague terms like Volunteer or tutor. Examples:
- Level 1: Explore: Elementary School Tutor
- Level 2: Experience: Elementary School Science Coordinator
- Level 3: Example: Elementary School Tutoring Program Manager
- Level 4 Expertise: Science Tutoring Specialist
Service Description: Have the student pretend that he/she is writing for an unknown audience. Provide one to two sentences that state the type of work you are doing, for whom, and for what overall purpose Use an active tense to describe your work and how it benefits specific individuals or the community. Be as specific as possible! Examples:
- Level 1: Explore: I will tutor six third-grade students in reading, math and science skills.
- Level 2: Experience: I will tutor 15 fourth-grade students in science skills and manage 4 other volunteers at the school who are tutoring in other subjects.
- Level 3: Example: I will tutor 10 fifth-grade students in science skills and manage 7 other volunteers, including parents, at the school in the tutoring program.
- Level 4: Expertise: I will write curriculum, tutor students, and train and manage other volunteers, including students and parents, to use it in a developmental program for elementary school youth.
Remember to refine the Service Description if, after meeting with the community partner, the student has tailored it to be even more specific.
Service Objectives: The service objectives outline how the service benefits the community partner and/or community (the service beneficiary).
For example:
- Level 1: Explore: The third-grade students who I tutor for 10 weeks in the semester will increase their attendance and enjoyment in school, and their grades in reading, math, and science.
- Level 2: Experience: The third grade students who I work with in the Science Program will receive positive teacher ratings for their work.
- Level 3: Example: The 40 students in the tutoring program will report gains in their enjoyment and understanding of science and other subjects.
- Level 4: Expertise: The six-graders I have tutored for four years will graduate to middle school. The elementary school will adopt the curriculum and sustain in the tutoring program.
Learning Goals: The learning goals broadly outline the skills and knowledge the student wishes to acquire by the end of their service experience. Examples:
- Level 1: Explore: I want to gain skills in tutoring, including how to coach students on their math and science work.
- Level 2: Experience: I want to gain skills in training and managing other volunteers at the elementary school to expand the tutoring program.
- Level 3: Example: I want to gain skills in recruiting and training student and parent volunteers to be successful tutors for children.
- Level 4: Expertise: I want to learn how to write science curriculum modules and train adult volunteers to use them successfully.
For more information regarding writing CLAs, please refer to the StrategySessionWorksheeAdm.doc
Background
The Bonner Foundation encourages each institution to provide Bonner Leaders with initial and on-going training to prepare and strengthen their skills and knowledge for their service work. This training should be appropriate to each stage of the students’ personal development and service responsibilities. The Foundation has developed a number of resources that provide campuses concrete strategies and tools to realize student development goals in the context of the specific programs: specifically, implementation guides for co-curricular, curricular, advising, vocation, an extensive set of training modules. These resources can be found online at http://www.bonner.org/resources/resources.htm
Training and Enrichment (T&E) activities must be documented in BWBRS as Training and Enrichment Opportunities, and not Service Opportunities. The Coordinator should add all T&E opportunities to BWBRS so that students can include these hours on their monthly time log and so that the Foundation has a record of the activities.
As outlined in the Bonner AmeriCorps Campus Site Agreement, it is the Campus Program’s responsibility to at a minimum provide members with:
Orientation
Each year, an orientation should be convened for all incoming Bonner AmeriCorps members to build a Bonner community atmosphere, provide enrichment activities, and begin preparing them for their service and other responsibilities.
On-going Training & Enrichment
The Bonner Foundation expects each campus to provide Bonner AmeriCorps members with initial and on-going training to prepare and strengthen their skills and knowledge for their service work, as part of the Student Developmental Model.
Coordinators are encouraged to meet one-on-one with Bonner AmeriCorps members at least once each semester and more often for those students who are having academic or personal difficulties.
Who can sign?
Time logs must be printed from BWBRS with signature lines, signed by the member, the campus director/coordinator, and the site supervisor.
If a given time log notes hours served at multiple placements, a signature line will show up for each site.
NOTE: An AmeriCorps member cannot sign as the campus staff or site supervisor.
The Foundation can only accept original signatures, no photocopies or faxes will be accepted.
Submission of time logs
Time logs must be submitted to the Foundation in BWBRS format on a monthly basis. Please make sure that you print the logs by month. In order for a time log to be approved by the Foundation, a CLA must have been submitted and accepted by Foundation staff.
What will count?
In order to be counted toward an AmeriCorps term, hours must be:
- Served at an approved service site with an accepted CLA, and/or;
- Campus staff approved Training and Enrichment events, and/or;
- Campus staff approved service opportunities, such as one-time events or break trips, and;
- Served within the AmeriCorps commitment dates.
Hours will not count if:
- There is no approved CLA, or it is a prohibited activity;
- The service is international in focus;
- The time log is missing any of the required signatures;
- The time log is not the BWBRS format.
Purpose
Members should enter Service Accomplishments in BWBRS at the end of every semester and/or summer of service. This is an opportunity for the student to reflect on their experience and gauge the scope of the impact their service has had. The Service Accomplishment couples with the CLA in many ways to assess/evaluate if the student actually accomplished their service and learning goals. It also provides an opportunity for members to relate personal and compelling stories of beneficiaries and service outcomes.
Service Accomplishments are also vital to the work of the Bonner Foundation, since the information members provide in their Service Accomplishments are a factor in CNCS awarding AmeriCorps slots to the Foundation. Therefore, member cooperation in entering Service Accomplishments benefits future Bonner AmeriCorps members.
What to track
Detail is important in tracking Service Accomplishments. BWBRS prompts the students to select the related categories and fill in numerical values as well as descriptions of the beneficiaries or the service and the results of the service. Members should be as specific as possible about what they accomplished. (e,g, the student they tutored raised his math grade from C to A, or 30 miles of highway were cleaned up.)
Please coach the students on paying special attention and reporting on the following:
- Number of college student volunteers trained & recruited
- Number of non-college student volunteers trained & recruited
- Number of young people participating in mentoring or academic enrichment activities
- Disaster relief work (e.g. number of homes repaired, meals served, goods/services provided)
- Great Stories! We are looking for narratives that showcase an exciting accomplishment, Community-Based Research projects, volunteer management.
What about one-time events?
For one-time events and break trips, one member who played a leadership role in planning or executing the event should submit Service Accomplishments for the event. They should include details about how many members participated, the combined total of hours served, and the total impact of the event. For example, if 30 students spend a week doing hurricane relief, they might serve a total of 150 hours and repair roofs on 4 houses.
In any situation that requires an early termination or suspension, it is best to be in contact with the Bonner AmeriCorps program staff at the Foundation. Below we provide guidance for some common situations.
Suspension for Personal & Compelling Circumstances
At any time during a Bonner AmeriCorps Member’s term of service they may be eligible for suspension if they can demonstrate that there are “Personal and Compelling” circumstances. Suspension will “freeze” their term for a given period of time and allow them to come back and finish out the remainder of their term. They may also choose to exit and receive a Pro-rated Education Award for Personal & Compelling circumstances.
The Corporation for National & Community Service has defined “Personal and Compelling” as circumstances that are beyond the participant’s control or that the Corporation has, for public policy reasons, determined as such. These would include personal or family illness, transferring for family member's job, military service, academic programs abroad, or leave of absence from school (new for Fall 2007). It does not include reasons such as travel for non-academic purposes, or leaving to take a paid position.
The campus director and the Bonner AmeriCorps Program Staff must approve of the suspension or exiting with a partial award.
Suspension & Reinstatement
Notification of all suspension requests must be submitted using the Request for Suspension Form ( SuspensionForm.pdf).
- The Foundation must receive this form no later than 25 days after the date of the requested suspension. Before requesting a suspension, be sure that the reason for suspension is congruent with the definition of Personal & Compelling circumstances.
- All time logs must be up to date and completed prior to the suspension or those hours may not be counted toward the member’s term of service.
- Students cannot log any hours during the period that their suspension is in effect.
In order to be reinstated, the student must complete the Request for Reinstatement Form ( ReinstatementForm.pdf), approved by the campus director and forwarded to the Bonner AmeriCorps program staff within 25 of the anticipated reinstatement date.
A suspension from the Bonner AmeriCorps program cannot last more than 2 years from the date of suspension. Once the student has been reinstated, the length of their suspension is added to the term of service. For example, if you are suspended for exactly 5 months, the required completion date is moved back exactly 5 months. The period of suspension cannot last longer than the amount of time that the student has left in their term of service.
Exiting for Personal & Compelling Circumstances
A participant who is released for Personal & Compelling Circumstances AND who has completed 15% of their required terms of service is eligible for a pro-rated Education Award. Members wishing to exit with a partial Award must:
- update and submit the time logs (with the required approvals)
- complete and submit an exit form
- send a letter explaining the Personal & Compelling Circumstance.
Early Termination for Cause
A release for cause encompasses any circumstances other than Personal & Compelling Circumstances that warrant an individual’s release from completing a term of service. These could include anything from disciplinary removals pursuant to the program’s contract with the member or to the member’s decisions to leave for any reason that is not a compelling personal circumstance. The term “for cause” does not necessarily have the same meaning as under traditional employment law. Any reason for leaving other than compelling personal circumstances is for cause under the National and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended. AmeriCorps programs must release for cause any participant who is convicted of a felony or the sale or distribution of a controlled substance during a term of service. See the Member Contract for more information.
The consequences of releasing a member for cause are:
- the member will not receive any portion of the education award or any other payment from the National Service Trust, including loan forbearance;
- an individual who is released for cause must disclose this fact in any subsequent applications to participate in an AmeriCorps program.
Early Termination Procedure and Documentation
In order to terminate a member’s term, the member and/or Coordinator must submit an Exit Form within 20 days of the exit date, include a memo indicating that the member is being exited without completing their term, and the reason for early termination. Please include any additional documentation of disciplinary warnings.
Administrators Responsibilities
- Verify the number of hours served. (This verification can be done by checking the hours log summary page or the individual student’s enrollment page in BWBRS.)
- Approve all hour logs on BWBRS and sign the hard copies.
- Remind students to finish Service Accomplishments
- Collect and submit an Exit Form to the Foundation within 20 days of the last day of service and required exit date.
Students Responsibilities
Students should follow these steps if they are exiting after having completed all of their hours, are exiting for Personal & Compelling circumstances, or are exiting the program for other reasons.
- Complete Service Accomplishments in BWBRS
- Update all hour logs with the appropriate signatures and turn them in.
- Complete an Exit Form to be turned in with final hour logs.
- Use the My AmeriCorps Portal to access your Education Award. (No more paper vouchers will be sent!) Remember that the Education Award will be held in trust for you for up to 7 years; it is taxable in the year that it is used; it may be paid out in increments; and you may use it to pay back qualified student loans or pay it to the institution directly.
Education Award
To successfully earn an Education Award, Bonner AmeriCorps members must satisfactorily complete a full term of service as determined by the member contract, and must successfully complete all program requirements as determined by the Institution and The Bonner Foundation.
The Education Award can be used to repay qualified existing or future student loans, to pay all or part of the current cost of attending a qualified institution of higher education, or to pay current expenses while participating in an approved school-to-work program.
The National Service Trust has launched a new online payment system that automates the AmeriCorps Education Award process. The online payment system will also allow AmeriCorps Members (and Alumni) to request their AmeriCorps Education Award benefits, including interest accrual and forbearance, online. The new automated process is easy to use and eliminates the need to fill out and submit paper forms. Members are also able to update their contact information, view their account information and the status of their requests, and contact the Trust all through the system. Best of all, payments will be made faster. The online system makes the Education Award process a much quicker and simpler process for all involved.
Registering with the Online Payment System — http://www.americorps.org/for_individuals/online/index.asp.
- Go to the AmeriCorps.gov website
- In the For Individuals section click on “My AmeriCorps/AmeriCorps Online Payment System.”
- Click on “Click here to log in to My AmeriCorps today!”
- Click on where it says “Register to create a new Member/Alum account.”
- Enter your Last Name, Date of Birth, Social Security Number and Email Address
There should be evidence of use of the AmeriCorps’ name and logo in printed materials, signs, or banners at each Institution participating in the Bonner AmeriCorps program. Members should be identifiable as Bonner AmeriCorps members through access to sweatshirts, buttons, etc.
In addition to AmeriCorps service gear, there are many other ways in which the common look and affiliation may be advanced by programs, such as signs identifying sites as AmeriCorps project sites and students/program staff identifying themselves as AmeriCorps members and describing AmeriCorps appropriately.
Logos may be found at www.bonner.org and www.cns.gov. Contact the Foundation if you have any questions.
How do I start?
- Go to www.AmeriCorps.gov
- Click on “AmeriCorps Online Payment System” under the “For Individuals” heading
- Click on “Register to create a new Member/Alum account”
- Enter your last name, date of birth, social security number, and a current e-mail address
- Click “submit”
How do I request forbearance for my education loans?
- Log in to the system
- From homepage, select “Forbearance Request”
- Verify your information
- Search and select Financial Institution (see troubleshooting section for more directions)
- Click “submit”
How do I request my Interest Accrual Benefit?
- Log in to the system
- From homepage, select “Interest Accrual Benefit Request”
- Verify your information
- Search and select Financial Institution (see troubleshooting section for more directions)
- Click “submit”
How do I request my Segal AmeriCorps Education Award payment?
- Log in to the system
- From homepage, select “Education Award Payment Request”
- Verify your information
- Choose whether your payment will be used to pay a loan or pay for current educational expenses. (If the latter, enter the semester or term for which you authorizing payment.)
- Enter the amount authorized
- Search and select your Institution (see troubleshooting section for more directions)
- Check certification boxes
- Click “submit”
Mail all documents to:
Bonner AmeriCorps
The Bonner Foundation
10 Mercer Street
Princeton, NJ 08540
609-924-6663
Staff emails
- Bobby Hackett, Vice President rhackett@bonner.org
- Christen Foell, NJ BLP Program Manager cfoell@bonner.org
- Joan Horton, Enrollment Manager Jhorton@bonner.org
- Annie Pasqua, BLP Program Associate apasqua@bonner.org
- Gretchen Mielke, BLP Program Associate gmielke@bonner.org
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