Since 2001, Education Northwest has provided trainings to members on strategies for the use of their education awards. More than 70 sessions have been given to audiences ranging from five to 200 members.

Here are a few pieces of advice, from the trenches, for those preparing an education award strategy training for members.

• Know your audience. In planning the session, or at the beginning of the presentation, ask members these questions:
  1. How many of you are second year members?
  2. How many are planning to do a second year?
  3. How many are planning to go to school? Undergraduate or graduate school?
  4. How many have filled out a FAFSA this year?
  5. How many of you have no idea what you're going to do with your award?
  6. How many of you are planning to repay loans with your award?
• The answers should help guide the presentation.

Check out the Education Award online resource and find sections to share with your audience members based on their interests and needs.

• Add your own touches to create a personalized "script" that speaks to the needs of your members. Enliven the presentation with your own visuals, including PowerPoint.
• Another option: Create a peer training by recruiting four people, dividing the information among them, and asking them to present their segments to the group.
• Ask a financial aid officer and/or representatives of a local college or nontraditional school to attend the training to answer questions or make a presentation.
• Begin the session by asking members to raise their hands if they're interested in specific areas (like taxes, forbearance, repaying student loans, getting the best financial aid deal). Distribute handouts and ask everyone to find one interesting fact about the area they've expressed interest in and share it with the group as an "instant expert."
• Welcome clarifying questions: You want to stop periodically and make sure the audience is with you. However, if members have questions that are specific to their own situations, ask them to wait until the session is over.
• If questions come up that stump you, jot them down on poster paper in a "parking lot." After the session, research the answers (or find appropriate resources you can refer members to) and make sure you distribute the information to everyone.
• Everyone has a different situation, so one presentation can't meet all members' needs. However, here is some advice beneficial to most members:
  1. Don't miss filling out the FAFSA's Additional Financial Information section. You have nothing to lose—and everything to gain—by filling it out when doing your FAFSA.
  2. Become an active participant in the financial aid process. Treat your appointment with the financial officer like a job interview. Be sure to tell the officer that you have an ed award, but you don't want to use it if it means foregoing other types of aid that the college is able to provide.
  3. If you are using the ed award to repay qualified student loans, pick the repayment plan that best suits your financial and lifestyle needs. Consider if you'd rather use the award in a lump sum to reduce your principal or if you prefer monthly payments on both the principal and interest.
  4. When figuring out your federal income taxes, use the 1040 form rather than the "EZ" form. Though it's more work, you'll be able to take advantage of tax breaks that the 1040 allows.
• After the presentation, consider doing a survey. (There are some examples in the Looking at the Individual section.) It will help you hone your presentation for the next time. And remember, the more trainings you do, the easier it gets!

Go on to Planning a Career

The Segal AmeriCorps Education Award is an incentive for recruiting and retaining members, but getting the most value out of it can be complicated, and with the passage of the Serve America Act and new student loan relief programs, the information is evolving.

A comprehensive and updated learning resource is available to assist members with forming a strategy for their awards. The site uses animated stories and learning pathways to illuminate key points around the award.

For information on how individual awards are processed, see the official CNCS web site. To learn more about (or sign up for) the AmeriCorps Online Payment System, click here.

In addition, you can find a set of tips and process notes for creating an education award training for members on your own.

Refer your AmeriCorps and VISTA members to two online tutorials designed specifically for them:

• Education Award is a step-by-step tutorial to help members maximize their education award.
• What's Next provides tools and resources to help members serve and transition to the next stage of life.

Go on to Tips for Preparing an Education Award Training

Alternatives for use of the education award in non-university settings

Revised in summer 2009, this document was created by the Corps Network, which administers multi-state national direct AmeriCorps programs as well as a national Education Award program.

Not everyone will choose to enroll in a university degree program. This handout covers ways to use the education award at trade schools, in the applied arts and sciences, and in other alternative educational environments.