How you can turn free time into an education grant worth thousands of dollars

Financial aid can sometimes be a tricky thing. There?s a lot of financial aid available out there, but you have to qualify for it through a few approval processes. Unfortunately, many people who are seeking a better education and a better life don?t always qualify for this aid. But do you just have to sit there and take ?no? for an answer?

Answer: No.

There?s another way you can get a great head start on money for your education, no matter who you are, where you live or what kind of credit you have. It?s called AmeriCorps!

AmeriCorps is a government institution that organizes citizens age 17 or older into action groups that sign up for periods of service in one of five training locations around the country. As you work for AmeriCorps, you earn hours that go toward an education grant. Yes, that?s right ? a grant, not a loan that will need to be paid back. You pay for the grant up front with your work hours, not later with money and interest.

The Term of Service
Since this is a civil service organization, time must be set aside for the training camp. AmeriCorps camps are not like military boot camps (although you do wear a uniform). AmeriCorps is real-life education and work experience wrapped into one. As a member, you will learn teamwork, leadership, responsibility and other essential skills that will help you for the rest of your life. You will gain the personal satisfaction of taking on challenges and seeing results.

You can work hard with your body or your mind. You get to choose your area of training. For instance, you can earn your tuition money by:
? tutoring and mentoring youth
? assisting crime victims
? building homes
? restoring parks
? helping a faith-based charity
? providing first aid and support for disaster relief

The Application
If you have decided that AmeriCorps is the best way for you to earn education money, it?s now time to pick your program of interest. Programs can be chosen from current issues the communities are experiencing or from a broader range of skills and abilities, like construction, electronics, leadership and many more.

Once you have found the appropriate program, you need to pick your area of service and the training camp you will attend.

After you confirm all of your eligibility requirements and your age, you are then ready to prepare for service in a rare type of adventure that few experience.

The Award
After successfully completing a term of service, AmeriCorps members who are enrolled in the National Service Trust are eligible to receive a $4,725 AmeriCorps Education Award. You can use your AmeriCorps Education Award to pay education costs at qualified institutions of higher education, for educational training or to repay qualified student loans. This $4,725 is for a year of full-time service and is prorated for part-time service. You can access the award in full or part and can take up to seven years after your term of service has ended to claim the award.

What can you use it for? You can use your education award in the following ways or a combination of them:

? to repay qualified existing or future student loans
? to pay all or part of the current education expenses to attend a qualified institution of higher education (including certain vocational programs)
? to pay expenses while participating in an approved school-to-work program

And here?s one more big reason to look into AmeriCorps and their generous awards: You can get more than one. That?s right ? if you have the time, you can serve your community for up to two years, reap double the benefits, and receive two awards, both worth $4,725 for a year of service. That?s $9,450 to put toward education to help you build your future!

Why They Do It
Aside from the obvious benefits of getting people involved in bettering their communities, AmeriCorps is also a way for the government to curtail costs of natural disasters, urban decay and other expensive projects that can?t be completely covered by the private sector. It?s a win-win situation for everyone.

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