1. Changing Member Status. Circumstances may arise within a program that necessitate changing the type of unfilled AmeriCorps member positions awarded to a grantee or sub-grantee, or changing the term of service of a currently enrolled member. Note that once a member is exited with a partial education award, the remaining portion of that education award is not available for use.
Any change of member status that:
a. Necessitates a change in the number of member service year positions in the grant, or
b. Changes the funding amount of the grant
requires prior written approval from the Corporation’s Office of Grants Management.
2. Changing Slot Types (unfilled positions). Grantees or sub-grantees may change the type of slots awarded to their program if:
a. the change does not increase the total MSYs authorized in the Notice of Grant Award (e.g. one half-time position cannot be changed to one full-time position),
b. the change does not increase the amount of the education award (effective November 14, 2006).
To request a change in slot type, the grantee must make a slot conversion and/or correction request in WBRS.
3. Changing a Term of Service (filled positions). Changes in terms of service may not result in an increased number of MSYs for the program.
a. Full-time. State Commissions and Parent Organizations may authorize or approve occasional changes of currently enrolled full-time members to less than full-time members within the first 90 days of the member’s service. Impact on program quality should be factored into approval of requests. The Corporation will not cover health care or childcare costs for less than full-time members. It is not allowable to transfer currently enrolled full-time members to a less than full-time status simply to provide a less than full-time education award. A Change of Status form must be completed in WBRS and forwarded to the Corporation within 30 days.
b. Less than Full-time. Changing less than full-time members to full-time is discouraged because it is very difficult to facilitate, unless done very early in the member’s term of service. State Commissions and Parent Organizations may authorize or approve such changes so long as they are within the first 90 days of the member’s service, and the current budget can accommodate such changes. Programs must keep in mind that a member’s minimum 1700 hours must be completed within 12 months of the member’s original start date. A Change of Status form must be completed in WBRS and forwarded to the Corporation within 30 days.
c. Refilling Slots. Eligible AmeriCorps State and National programs that have fully enrolled their awarded member slots are allowed to replace any member who terminates service before completing 30 percent of his/her term (effective May 17, 2007) provided that the member who terminates is not eligible for and does not receive a pro-rated education award. Programs may not refill the same slot more than once.
As a fail-safe mechanism to ensure that corporate resources are available in the national service trust to finance any member’s education award, the Corporation will suspend refilling if either:
i. total AmeriCorps enrollment reaches 97 percent of awarded slots or
ii. the number of refills reaches five percent of awarded slots.
Grantees whose awards have special grant conditions under 45 CFR 2543.14 or 2541.120 are not eligible to refill positions. In order to be qualified to refill, grantees will be evaluated on the basis of the results of their State Administrative Standards reviews, the outcomes of Inspector General audits, and site visits and oversight by CNCS program and grants officers.
State Commissions and Parent Organizations must forward all changes and appropriate forms to the Corporation after approval. Any requests for changes that fall outside of the parameters set forth above must come to the Corporation for written approval with concurrence from the State Commission or Parent Organization.
4. Notice to Childcare and Health Care Providers. The grantee must notify the Corporation’s designated agents immediately in writing when a member’s status changes, such that it would affect eligibility for childcare or health care. Examples of changes in status are converting a full-time member to less than full-time member, terminating or releasing members from service, and suspending members for cause for lengthy or indefinite time periods. Program directors should contact AmeriCorps®Care at NACCRRA at (800) 570-4543 on childcare related changes, and their health insurance provider about health insurance related changes.