AmeriCorps VISTA                                              
                        Member Handbook 
                                
       Member Handbook en Español 
       Table of Contents 
       Chapter 1: Background & Purpose ......................................................................................................9 
        BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE .................................................................................................................. 9 
        OVERVIEW OF ROLES .............................................................................................................................. 11 
         ROLE OF SPONSORING ORGANIZATION.............................................................................................. 12 
         ROLE OF COMMUNITY ........................................................................................................................ 12 
         ROLE OF AMERICORPS VISTA MEMBER .............................................................................................. 13 
         SUPERVISION ....................................................................................................................................... 14 
         ROLE OF AMERICORPS VISTA LEADER ................................................................................................ 14 
         ROLE OF THE VISTA MEMBER SUPPORT UNIT .................................................................................... 15 
         ROLE OF THE AMERICORPS FIELD OFFICE ........................................................................................... 15 
         ROLE OF AMERICORPS VISTA HEADQUARTERS OFFICE ...................................................................... 16 
       Chapter 2: Overview of Your Year in AmeriCorps VISTA .................................................................... 16 
        OVERVIEW OF YOUR YEAR IN AMERICORPS VISTA................................................................................. 16 
        BEFORE YOU BEGIN SERVICE .................................................................................................................. 17 
         CRIMINAL HISTORY CHECK .................................................................................................................. 17 
         DRUG SCREENING ............................................................................................................................... 18 
         AMERICORPS VISTA ADMINISTRATIVE FORMS AND TASKS ................................................................ 18 
         MANDATORY ONLINE COURSEWORK ................................................................................................. 19 
        YOUR SERVICE YEAR ................................................................................................................................ 19 
         FIRST WEEK ON YOUR PROJECT .......................................................................................................... 20 
         ONGOING MEMBER TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT ......................................................................... 20 
         CHANGING YOUR END-OF-SERVICE BENEFIT SELECTION ................................................................... 21 
         TENTH MONTH .................................................................................................................................... 21 
         LAST THREE WEEKS ............................................................................................................................. 22 
        AFTER YOU COMPLETE YOUR YEAR OF SERVICE ..................................................................................... 22 
       Chapter 3: Serving at Your Project .................................................................................................... 23 
        SERVING AT YOUR PROJECT .................................................................................................................... 23 
        PROJECT APPLICATION ............................................................................................................................ 23 
        SUPERVISING MEMBERS ......................................................................................................................... 23 
       Chapter 4: Training for Members ...................................................................................................... 24 
        TRAINING FOR MEMBERS ....................................................................................................................... 24 
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        VISTA MEMBER ORIENTATION................................................................................................................ 25 
        ON-SITE ORIENTATION AND TRAINING .................................................................................................. 26 
        ONGOING MEMBER TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT ............................................................................. 27 
        ONLINE RESOURCES ................................................................................................................................ 28 
       Chapter 5: Financial Support ............................................................................................................ 29 
        FINANCIAL SUPPORT ............................................................................................................................... 29 
         LIVING ALLOWANCE ............................................................................................................................ 29 
         END-OF-SERVICE BENEFIT ................................................................................................................... 30 
         END-OF-SERVICE STIPEND ................................................................................................................... 30 
         PRORATED END-OF-SERVICE STIPEND ................................................................................................ 31 
         SEGAL AMERICORPS EDUCATION AWARD.......................................................................................... 32 
         PRORATED SEGAL AMERICORPS EDUCATION AWARD ....................................................................... 32 
         CHANGING YOUR END-OF-SERVICE BENEFIT SELECTION ................................................................... 32 
         SETTLING-IN ALLOWANCE ................................................................................................................... 33 
         EMERGENCY EXPENSE ALLOWANCE ................................................................................................... 33 
        HOW DO MEMBERS GET PAID? .............................................................................................................. 34 
         DIRECT DEPOSIT .................................................................................................................................. 34 
         PAPER CHECK PAYMENT (EXCEPTION ONLY) ...................................................................................... 34 
         LOST CHECK ......................................................................................................................................... 35 
        TAXES: OBLIGATIONS, WITHHOLDINGS, AND CREDITS .......................................................................... 36 
         FEDERAL TAXES ................................................................................................................................... 36 
         STATE, COUNTY, AND MUNICIPAL TAXES ........................................................................................... 36 
         SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE ...................................................................................................... 36 
         W-2 FORM-STATEMENT OF EARNINGS AND TAXES WITHHELD ......................................................... 37 
         EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT ............................................................................................................. 37 
        DEDUCTIONS FROM ALLOWANCES ........................................................................................................ 38 
         RECOVERY OF OVERPAYMENT ............................................................................................................ 38 
        CHILD CARE ............................................................................................................................................. 39 
         STATE BENEFIT LIMITS ........................................................................................................................ 39 
        HOUSING ASSISTANCE ............................................................................................................................ 40 
        MEMBER ALLOWANCES AT A GLANCE ................................................................................................... 40 
       Chapter 6: Benefits Toward Education .............................................................................................. 42 
        EDUCATION BENEFITS ............................................................................................................................. 42 
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        IF YOU ELECT THE END-OF-SERVICE STIPEND ......................................................................................... 42 
         POST-SERVICE CANCELLATION OF FEDERAL PERKINS LOANS ............................................................. 43 
        IF YOU ELECT THE SEGAL AMERICORPS EDUCATION AWARD ................................................................ 44 
         OVERVIEW OF SEGAL AMERICORPS EDUCATION AWARD.................................................................. 44 
         NATIONAL SERVICE TRUST .................................................................................................................. 45 
         EDUCATION AWARD AMOUNT ........................................................................................................... 45 
         HOW TO QUALIFY ............................................................................................................................... 46 
         RESTRICTIONS AND LIMITATIONS ....................................................................................................... 46 
         PRORATED SEGAL AMERICORPS EDUCATION AWARD ....................................................................... 47 
         QUALIFIED LOANS ............................................................................................................................... 48 
         INSTITUTIONS MATCHING THE EDUCATION AWARD ......................................................................... 49 
         ELIGIBLE INSTITUTIONS ....................................................................................................................... 49 
         QUALIFIED EXPENSES TO ATTEND SCHOOL ........................................................................................ 51 
         BOOKSTORES AND THE EDUCATION AWARD ..................................................................................... 52 
        LOAN POSTPONEMENT AND INTEREST PAYMENT ................................................................................. 52 
         FORBEARANCE OR DEFERMENT? ........................................................................................................ 52 
         LOAN FORBEARANCE .......................................................................................................................... 53 
         PAYMENT OF ACCRUED INTEREST ...................................................................................................... 55 
        TAX IMPLICATIONS .................................................................................................................................. 56 
         FEDERAL TAX ....................................................................................................................................... 56 
         TAX CREDITS ........................................................................................................................................ 56 
        CONTACTING THE NATIONAL SERVICE TRUST ........................................................................................ 57 
        GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATION FEE REDUCTION PROGRAM .......................................................... 57 
        EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS AT A GLANCE .................................................................................................. 57 
       Chapter 7: Travel & Transportation Support ..................................................................................... 59 
        TRAVEL & TRANSPORTATION SUPPORT ................................................................................................. 59 
        RELOCATION TRAVEL .............................................................................................................................. 59 
         RELOCATION TRAVEL ALLOWANCE ..................................................................................................... 60 
         REQUESTING APPROVAL FOR RELOCATION TRAVEL .......................................................................... 60 
         MODES OF TRAVEL FOR RELOCATION ................................................................................................ 60 
        REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FOR TRAVEL ......................................................................................... 61 
         TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT AT END OF SERVICE .................................................................................. 61 
        SERVICE-RELATED TRANSPORTATION..................................................................................................... 62 
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