Member recruitment and selection requirements are in the Corporation’s regulations at 45 CFR Part 2522.210. In addition, the grantee must ensure that the following procedures are followed:
1. Notice to the Corporation’s National Service Trust. The grantee must notify the Corporation’s National Service Trust within 30 days of a member’s selection for, completion of, suspension from, or release from, a term of service. Suspension of service is defined as an extended period during which the member is not serving, nor accumulating service hours or receiving AmeriCorps benefits.
The grantee also must notify the Trust when a change in a member’s status is approved and changed (i.e. from full-time to less than full-time or vice versa). Failure to report such changes within 30 days may result in sanctions to the grantee, up to and including, suspension or termination. Grantees or subgrantees meet notification requirements when they use the appropriate electronic system to inform the Corporation within the approved time frames. Any questions regarding the Trust should be directed to the Trust Office (800) 942-2677.
Penalties for false information: Any individual who makes a materially false statement or representation in connection with the approval or disbursement of an education award or other payment from the National Service Trust may be liable for the recovery of funds and subject to civil and criminal sanctions.
2. Parental Consent. Parental or legal guardian consent must be obtained for members under 18 years of age before beginning a term of service. Grantees may also include an informed consent form of their own design as part of the member contract materials.
3. Reasonable Accommodation. Programs and activities must be accessible to persons with disabilities, and the grantee must provide reasonable accommodation to the known mental or physical disabilities of otherwise qualified members, service recipients, applicants, and staff. All selections and project assignments must be made without regard to the need to provide reasonable accommodation. See the Policy FAQ entitled Reasonable Accommodation for more information.
4. Timekeeping. The grantee is required to ensure that time and attendance recordkeeping is conducted by the individual who supervises the AmeriCorps member. This time and attendance record is used to document member eligibility for in-service and post-service benefits. Time and attendance records must be signed and dated both by the member and by an individual with oversight responsibilities for the member.
5. Completion of Terms of Service. The grantee must ensure that each member has sufficient opportunity to complete the required number of hours of service to qualify for their education award. Members must be exited within 30 days of the end of their term of service. Should a program not be renewed, a member who was scheduled to continue in a term of service may either be placed in another program where feasible, or a member may receive a pro-rated education award if the member has completed at least 15% of the service hour requirement.
6. Member Exit. In order for a member to receive a post-service education award from the National Service Trust, the grantee must certify to the National Service Trust that the member is eligible to receive the education benefit. The grantee (and any individual or entity acting on behalf of the grantee) is responsible for the accuracy of the information certified on the end-of-term certification.