Member Eligibility AmeriCorps Programs must document the eligibility of all prospective members. An eligible member is an individual who:

• Is at least 17 years of age at the commencement of service UNLESS the member is out of school and enrolled in a full-time, year-round youth corps or full-time summer program, in which case he or she must be between the ages of 16 and 25.
• Has a high school diploma or equivalency certificate (or agrees to obtain a high school diploma or its equivalency before using the education award) and who has not dropped out of an elementary or secondary school in order to enroll as an AmeriCorps member; or who has been determined by an independent assessment to be incapable of obtaining a high school diploma or its equivalent.
• Is a U.S. citizen, U.S. national or lawful permanent resident alien of the United States.

The following are acceptable forms of certifying status as a U.S. citizen or national:

• A birth certificate showing that the individual was born in one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa or the Northern Mariana islands
• A U.S. Passport
• A report of birth abroad of a U.S. citizen (FS-240) issued by the State Department
• A certificate of birth-foreign service (FS 545) issued by the State Department
• A certificate of report of birth (DS-1350) issued by the State Department
• A certificate of naturalization (Form N-550 or N-570) issued by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS)
• A certificate of citizenship (Form N-560 or N-561) issued by the INS.

Note: An I-9 is not an acceptable form for certifying status of a US citizen or national. The following are acceptable forms of certifying status as a lawful permanent resident alien of the United States:

• Permanent Resident Card, INS Form I-551
• Alien Registration Card, INS Form I-551
• Passport indicating that the INS has approved temporary evidence of lawful admission for permanent residence
• A Departure Record (INS Form I-94) indicating that INS has approved it as temporary evidence of lawful admission for permanent residence

Secondary documentation – If primary documentation is not available, the program must obtain written permission from CNCS and VSC to approve other documentation as sufficient to demonstrate the individual’s status as a U.S. citizen, U.S. national or lawful permanent resident alien. Member Selection Policies and Procedures Program Directors should select eligible service-minded individuals who are dedicated to the goals of AmeriCorps and their organization. Before selecting a member, be sure that they have a clear understanding of the commitment and expectations of a term AmeriCorps service. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (42 U.S.C. 12101, et seq.), programs must provide reasonable accommodations to the known mental or physical disabilities of members, and all selections and project assignments must be made without regard to the need to provide reasonable accommodations. Program Directors will have the responsibility for making decisions regarding reasonable accommodation. Member Enrollment Policies and Procedures There are several steps to enrolling new members. Prior to enrollment:

1. Set up service locations in eGrants
2. Submit Service Opportunity Listings in MyAmeriCorps
3. Recruit members
4. Members will apply via MyAmeriCorps or through an outside process
5. Screen members for eligibility and criminal history
6. Select member applicants and send invitations to applicants via MyAmeriCorps
7. Once an applicant accepts the invitation via email, they will complete the member portion of the Enrollment Form in MyAmeriCorps
8. The Social Security Administration will verify the applicant’s social security number and citizenship
   • If the SSN and citizenship are verified automatically, the Enrollment Form will update with “Verified” status
   • If the SSN and citizenship are not automatically verified, the program will be notified and will need to request a secure link and submit the necessary documentation via the National Service Hotline. Once documentation is verified, the Enrollment Form will update with “Manually Verified” status.

Enrollment:

1. Confirm that SSN/citizenship are “Verified” or “Manually Verified”
2. Check NSCHC boxes certifying that the Truescreen NSOPW is complete and that the state (if applicable) and Fieldprint FBI check(s) are initiated.
   • NSCHC boxes must be checked on or before a member’s start date
   • Please note that if you are using Truescreen as your vendor for any state checks, those checks need to be completed BEFORE the start of service
3. Enter member placement information on the Enrollment Form including: Start Date, Program Year, Program Title, Service Location, Slot Type
4. Click the “Enroll” button in eGrants to enroll the member. ENROLLMENT MUST BE COMPLETE 8 CALENDAR DAYS FROM THE MEMBER’S START DATE.

PLEASE NOTE: Members who have previously received the equivalent of 2 full time education awards, or who will exceed 2 full time awards with the new term, will receive an email and will need to acknowledge that they will receive a partial or no education award for the new term prior to enrollment.