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AmeriCorps Education Awards—recently renamed the Segal Education Awards after Eli Segal, one of the pioneers of the national service movement and the first CEO of the Corporation—are a post-service benefit received by AmeriCorps members, including those supported through VISTA and the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC).
Upon successful completion of a term of service, members are eligible to receive a Segal Education Award, which may be used only to pay college costs or to repay student loans. Members may earn up to two awards and have seven years to use this benefit. Since the inception of AmeriCorps in 1994, more than 400,000 alumni have earned more than $1.2 billion in education awards.
The award, which was designed to encourage AmeriCorps alumni to seek postsecondary education opportunities, serves as a powerful recruitment tool for individuals to join AmeriCorps. Studies show that AmeriCorps alumni, with their commitment to service, also make excellent students. A growing number of higher education institutions, in order to encourage AmeriCorps alumni to enroll in their institutions, are “matching” the education award with scholarships and / or academic credits.
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