AmeriCorps members serve more than 3,000 nonprofit institutions, public agencies,
faith-based and other community organizations to help meet critical needs in education,
public safety, health and the environment. The variety of service opportunities is
almost unlimited. Members may tutor and mentor youth, build affordable housing, teach
computer skills, clean parks and streams, run after-school programs, or help communities
respond to disasters.
Upon completion of their service, AmeriCorps members earn a Segal AmeriCorps Education
Award to help finance their education. Find out more about AmeriCorps at www.americorps.gov.
AmeriCorps Educational Awards at Columbia College Process & Policies:
Once the funds are received from AmeriCorps, the processing time of your award can
take up to 18 business days at Columbia College. It is your responsibility to pay
for any fees that are due, and other expenses (i.e. books, supplies and transportation)
incurred prior to the disbursement of these funds.
Follow these helpful guidelines to ensure proper and timely payment of your award:
It is our practice to accept only one AmeriCorps award request per semester. All secondary
requests submitted in the same semester will be denied.
Your AmeriCorps Educational award can only be certified by the Financial Aid Office
if you are enrolled in at least .5 units for the semester for which you are requesting
your award. If you are not enrolled, your request will be denied.
The Financial Aid Office can only certify eligible payment requests based on the cost
of attendance for the number of units that you are enrolled. For example: 12 or more units = $8,515; 9 to 11.5 units = $6,384; 6 to 8.5 units = $4,256; .5 to 5.5 units = $2,128
Payments are paid in two equal installments by AmeriCorps, one at the enrollment start
date and one at the enrollment midpoint date.
Your award is then pending the release of the AmeriCorps funds to Columbia College.
This is normally on or after your enrollment start day that was certified on your
Educational Award.
When the funds arrive, The Financial Aid Office will again verify your enrollment
before depositing the funds and requesting a check to be produced from our Business
Office. This process can take up to 4 business days.
The Business Office may take up to 14 business days to process and produce your check.
All checks are mailed to the address you have on file with Columbia College unless
you have fees owing. You will be contacted by our Business Office to pay your fees
before release of your check can occur.
