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My AmeriCorpsWhat is My AmeriCorps and how does the automated payment process work? My AmeriCorps is an online system that allows AmeriCorps members and financial and education institutions to submit and process Segal Education Award payments, as well as interest payments and requests for forbearance. The National Service Trust (the Trust) is the branch within the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) that administers the education award program. Here’s how the system works:
(click here to download larger version of diagram - PDF) The automated payment process and online portal will provide many benefits to you and your organization. Here are just a few of the highlights of My AmeriCorps:
In order to prevent a delay in the processing of Segal Award payments, individuals must use My AmeriCorps. The Corporation cannot guarantee the prompt and accurate processing of requests for payments using paper forms. Payments requested by paper can take up to six months or more for processing and are less secure. This electronic process only works if the recipients of education award payments—schools and loan holders—are registered in My AmeriCorps. The Corporation strongly urges schools and student loan holders to register. If you have questions about the automated process, please visit http://www.nationalservice.gov/questions/app/ask. Receive Payments ElectronicallyWhen you register with My AmeriCorps, you will automatically be sent information on signing up to have payments from CNCS be sent to you electronically. If you register with My AmeriCorps and elect to have the payments sent to you electronically, the entire process will be paperless. To establish electronic Automated Clearing House (ACH) payments, you must send us a completed Department of Treasury form, SF 3881, ACH Vendor/Miscellaneous Payment Enrollment Form. A copy of that form and the instructions for completing it are available here. The Corporation will provide to your bank the following information: where the funds came from (The Corporation for National and Community Service); the amount of the payment; the last name and first name initial of the former AmeriCorps member; and the purpose of the payment (whether it is for current education expenses, a loan repayment, or a payment for the interest that accrued while the individual was serving in the program). Your bank is required to provide this remittance information to you, although they may charge a fee for this service. Here’s how to sign up for electronic (ACH) payments:
If you have questions about the electronic payment process, please contact us at trustcomm@cns.gov. How do institutions register to use My AmeriCorps?Click here to register your institution now. Follow the instructions, enter some basic information, and then click on “submit”. Upon approval of your registration request, you will receive a second email with a link allowing you to create your user name and password. Once you have set up your user name and password you can provide access to others in your organization as needed. You will also receive information for signing up to have payments sent to you through the ACH/Electronic Funds Transfer process. Additional Frequently Asked Questions
How will I log in to the system? You can access the system from My AmeriCorps or the AmeriCorps.gov website. The first time you use the AmeriCorps online payment system, you will need to complete a simple registration process by following the steps below:
Can more than one person in my institution have access to the system? The person who registers your Institution will become the Institutional Security Administrator. The Institutional Security Administrator (there may be more than one person assigned this role) has the ability to grant access to others within your organization and assign roles depending on what type of requests each user will be processing. What are the security measures on the site? According to OMB and NIST guidelines, electronic signatures can be achieved in a Level 2 system via verified user registration methods. OMB reveals that Level 2 systems generally contain information that, if violated, would be financially harmful to an individual and cause a small degree of financial exposure to the related agency. For the purposes of this system, we will be using a method that requires two separate steps. First, the user must identify him/herself to the system using predetermined data elements. Second, the system will verify the individual’s identity, and then require him to establish a username and password for subsequent reentry. Will we have a record of requests that are made through the system? Institutions will always have access to historical records, because all records will be maintained in the Trust’s database. From your homepage, you can select “Search Requests” from the left-hand navigation bar where you can view and search past requests on a number of different fields. You will also have the option of printing requests if you so desire. How will I be notified that a request has arrived and is awaiting action? You have the choice either to receive notification e-mails or simply log in to your account to view the status of pending requests. To receive e-mail notifications so that you are made aware of any change to your account, just select that option when you register. How do I sign up to receive payments electronically? You will be given the opportunity to sign up for electronic payments as part of the process for registering with My AmeriCorps. You can also sign up for ACH electronic payments by sending us a completed Department of Treasury form, SF 3881, ACH Vendor/Miscellaneous Payment Enrollment Form. Fax the form to the EFT Coordinator at (202) 606-3484. A copy of that form and the instructions for completing it is available here. |
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