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If you’re a Seattle Pacific University graduate student and you volunteer for community service work, you may be eligible for an AmeriCorps ‘Students in Service’ scholarship. For the second consecutive year, SPU will accept applications for these significant scholarship awards. All qualifying students are eligible for up to two awards each for a total of almost $5,000.00. The AmeriCorps ‘Students in Service’ scholarship program exists to meet critical community needs, draw higher education students into service, and encourage a sense of civic responsibility. These students find volunteer opportunities locally, regionally, and nationally, and at the end of a period of service, they can receive an Education Award that contributes to payment of their student loans or tuition fees. Often called “the domestic Peace Corps,” AmeriCorps is a service effort that was initiated in 1994 by President Clinton. It is funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service. More than 150,000 AmeriCorps members have served across the nation to help address critical needs. “Community service” is a broad term, and only certain varieties of service can qualify students for aid. If you have experience volunteering in education, public safety, environmental initiatives, homeland security, or human needs, your work may be applicable. The only paid jobs that can qualify you for these scholarships are service-related, federal/state-funded Work Study jobs. (Political, religious, and union activities, or work in for-profit businesses, student teaching, fundraising, or administative service, as well as jobs with significant safety risks, do not qualify.) For more specific information, see the Students in Service Web site. A number of SPU School Counseling students and Marriage and Family Therapy students have already registered and applied their internship hours toward the scholarship. Another student is volunteering at a local homeless shelter, accruing hours toward his award. How It Works |
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3. Schedule and attend the mandatory In-Person Program Orientation session by contacting the Campus Partner at your institution. This is the time to commit to a term of service (300, 450, or 900 hours), learn about National Service, receive your Member Resource Book that contains all the paperwork you'll need to enroll, and fill out your enrollment paperwork. |
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4. After successfully completing the enrollment process, you become an AmeriCorps Member and accumulate service hours over the course of one or two years. Each month, you will submit time logs and report progress to the Campus Compact Office. |
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5. You'll work closely with a person at your service site called a Site Supervisor, who assists you in developing a service position description and identifying service goals. Site supervisors also verify monthly time logs and monitor compliance with prohibited activities. |
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6. You'll have two years (24 months) from the date of the In-Person Program Orientation to complete a 900-hour term, and one year (12 months) from the date of the In-Person Program Orientation to complete either the 300- or 450-hour term. |
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7. Upon successful completion of the term of service and necessary paperwork, you'll exit the program and become eligible for an Education Award. |
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For more information, visit the Students in Service website at www.studentsinservice.org. Complete the pre-service orientation to see if your volunteer work meets the scholarship guidelines. Then, contact Kevin Tjoelker via e-mail at kevinski@spu.edu to find out when the next in-person orientation is scheduled. Students must complete the on-line pre-service orientation prior to attending the in-person orientation.
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