Spotlight: Job and volunteer opportunities in disaster relief
The organizations on Idealist.org address some of the world’s biggest issues and work every day to fight the world’s toughest problems. They fight poverty, hunger, and homelessness. They advocate for human rights, education, and public health. And they build communities, support the arts, and preserve our histories.
But some organizations make it their mission to address issues that haven’t happened yet. Disaster relief organizations work tirelessly to expect the unexpected. These organizations have unique needs and require some special kinds of people to help them out. USING YOUR SEGAL AMERICORPS EDUCATION AWARD
Once you’ve completed your term of service, one of the big perks you will receive is your Segal Education award, which can be used towards paying your costs toward higher education pursuits. The award is subject to taxes and you’ll want to make sure that whichever institution you use your award towards can accept the Education Award as payment. There are some frequently asked questions, in regards to the Ed Award, which we’ll answer in the sections below.
Many universities match the Segal Ed Award: • Attending a university that matches the Ed Award can allow you to significantly leverage your EdAward, reducing your student debt load substantially. If you are interesting in learning more about schools that match the Ed Award, click here now. You can use the Education Award towards paying for: • Associate, undergraduate or graduate degrees For those looking to pursue a degree after their AmeriCorps term, you can use your Segal Ed Award to cover some of the costs involved, including paying for tuition, living costs, etc. Also click here to see schools that will do a full or partial match to the Ed award, helping to cover more of your education costs. • Existing Student loans For those who have completed school and have loans to pay off, the Ed Award can help you cover some of your loan payments. Make sure your loans are federally backed as private loans may not be eligible. • Study abroad programs If you’ve ever wanted to travel and study abroad, your Segal Ed award could help cover some of your program’s costs. Your year of service could help take you abroad to learn new cultures and opportunities to serve in a new country. Alums have been able to enroll in study abroad programs through higher education institutions and pay for their programs through the school. • Specialized skills programs If you’ve ever wanted to learn a new specialized skill, your Ed award can help pay for the classes towards your new hobby. Alums have previously used their ed award towards specialized classes, such as photography, EMT training, and even SCUBA certification.With all of these options, make sure to check with your education institution or student loan companies to see if they accept the Ed award as a form of payment. Notes on using your Ed Award • You have 7 years from the end of service to use the award. If in 7 years you have not been able to use the full award, you can apply to have the award period extended through My AmeriCorps. • The Ed award is subject to taxes, though you may be able to pay less in taxes per year if you use the award over multiple years. Click here for more information about the ed award taxes. • VISTA members have the option to forfeit the award for cash amount of $1500 at the end of their service year. Find out more information on VISTAs and using the education award here. • If you’re not planning on pursuing higher education, in special circumstances, you can transfer award to spouse or children. Click here for more information on transferring your Ed Award. Resources • Segal AmeriCorps Education Award • Using Your Education Award - AmeriCorps.gov • Frequent Asked Questions about the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award – NationalService.gov |
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