[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 121 (Friday, June 23, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32659-32661]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-15461]



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CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE


Availability of Educational Awards to Governor-sponsored National 
and Community Service Programs

AGENCY: Corporation for National and Community Service.

ACTION: Notice of availability of educational awards.

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SUMMARY: The Corporation for National Service (the Corporation) 
announces the availability of up to 1,500 educational awards from the 
National Service Trust, for national and community service programs 
sponsored by Governors. The Corporation will only provide these 
educational awards to programs that can support participant and 
programs costs through sources other than the Corporation; that meet 
AmeriCorps program requirements; and that are judged to be high quality 
according to Corporation criteria, as set forth in the application 
materials. Educational awards-only programs will not count against a 
State's maximum number of allowable competitive programs.

DATES: Applications may be obtained on or after July 7, 1995. 
Applications will be evaluated, and decisions made, on a rolling basis 
in the order in which they are received. The number of applications 
approved is subject to the availability of funds.

ADDRESSES: Applications may be obtained from and must be submitted to 
the Corporation at the following address: Corporation for National 
Service, 1201 New York Avenue NW., Washington, D.C. 20525. This notice 
may be requested in an alternative format for the visually impaired.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and to obtain 
applications, contact the Corporation for National Service at (202) 
606-5000, ext. 474.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Corporation is a federal government corporation that engages 
Americans of all ages and backgrounds in community-based service. This 
service addresses the nation's educational, public safety, human, and 
environmental needs to achieve direct and demonstrable results. In 
doing so, the Corporation fosters civic responsibility, strengthens the 
ties that bind us together as a people, and provides educational 
opportunity for those who make a substantial commitment to service.
    Pursuant to the National and Community Service Act of 1990, as 
amended, 42 U.S.C. 12501, et seq. (the Act), the Corporation may 
``support innovative and model programs, including * * * programs 
sponsored by governors.'' 42 U.S.C. 12653(b)(5). In addition, an 
individual can receive an educational award from the National Service 
Trust if, among other things, the individual ``successfully completes 
the required term of service * * * in an approved national service 
position.'' 42 U.S.C. 12602. The Act defines an approved national 
service position to include six specific service positions and ``such 
other national service positions as the Corporation considers to be 
appropriate.'' 42 U.S.C. 12573.
    Because the Corporation's statutory authority for sponsoring these 
``innovative and model'' programs is found in Subtitle H of the Act, 
rather than Subtitle C, some of the AmeriCorps program requirements 
found in Subtitle C may not necessarily apply to these programs. 
However, the Corporation has determined that to maintain the 
[[Page 32660]] integrity of the AmeriCorps national service network, 
these Governor-sponsored programs should in fact be as similar as 
possible to traditional AmeriCorps programs. Accordingly, the following 
AmeriCorps program requirements (which are discussed in greater detail 
in the application) will apply to these programs. Other program, grant, 
and administrative requirements will be set forth in the application 
materials.

Program Eligibility and Design

    The Corporation will accept applications from a state Governor 
proposing to sponsor a national service program in his or her state 
that addresses the unmet education, public safety, human, or 
environmental needs in the community served, and provides a direct and 
demonstrable benefit that is valued by the community. The Corporation 
is looking for high-quality programs that (1) are ``getting things 
done'' in communities, (2) strengthen communities, and (3) develop 
participants. For this educational awards-only initiative, the 
Corporation seeks to support programs that are innovative and that can 
support all program and participant costs (other than educational 
awards) through sources other than the Corporation.
    By ``getting things done'', programs will help their communities 
meet education, public safety, human or environmental needs through 
direct and demonstrable service. Programs must be large enough to 
achieve a demonstrable impact on the community served. Accordingly, the 
Corporation encourages programs to enroll at least 20 full-time 
participants, regardless of whether they are placed individually or in 
teams.
    To strengthen communities, programs should engage a full range of 
local partners to build a self-sustaining commitment to service. To 
this end, service projects should be designed, implemented, and 
evaluated with extensive and broad-based local input, such as 
consultation with representatives of the community served; appropriate 
community-based agencies; foundations; businesses; local labor 
organizations representing employees of service sponsors; and local 
government.
    To develop participants, programs should provide appropriate 
training, education, supervision, and support, and emphasize the ethic 
and skills needed for productive, active citizenship.
    To help promote a national identity for all AmeriCorps programs and 
Members, programs must agree to identify the program and its Members as 
part of the Corporation's larger national effort and to participate in 
activities designed to promote national identity.
    The Corporation intends to monitor programs supported through this 
program to the same extent that it oversees its other programs. 
Programs will be required to cooperate with the Corporation and its 
evaluators in all its monitoring and evaluation efforts.

Participant Recruitment, Development and Benefits

    Programs must select their participants in a non-partisan, non-
political, and non-discriminatory manner. Programs are encouraged to 
recruit participants who possess leadership potential and a commitment 
to the goals of national service, regardless of the participant's 
educational level, work experience, or economic background. In 
recruiting and placing their participants, programs must not displace 
any employee or position, or otherwise violate the nondisplacement 
provisions of the Corporation's regulations, which are published at 45 
CFR 2540.100(f). In addition, programs should strive to build strong 
communities by engaging diverse participants and staff in service 
activities and encouraging mutual understanding and cooperation. 
Programs must actively seek to include participants and staff from the 
communities in which projects are conducted, as well as individuals of 
different races and ethnicities, education levels, socioeconomic 
backgrounds, both men and women, and individuals with physical and 
cognitive disabilities.
    Programs must provide participants with the training, skills, and 
knowledge necessary to perform the tasks required in their respective 
projects. In addition, programs must provide support services that help 
participants: (1) who are completing a term of service to make the 
transition to other educational and career opportunities; and (2) who 
have not completed their secondary education to earn the equivalent of 
a high school diploma.
    Programs must provide full-time participants with a living 
allowance of between $7,945 and $15,890 per year. Programs are not 
required to provide a living allowance to part-time participants, but 
if they choose to do so, then the living allowance should be prorated 
according to the number of hours of service per year. Programs that 
were in existence prior to the signing into law of the National and 
Community Service Trust Act of 1993 (September 21, 1993) are not 
required to provide a living allowance to their participants. Such 
programs that choose to offer a living allowance, however, are exempt 
from the minimum requirement but not from the maximum requirement (for 
example, they may offer a living allowance of between $0 and $15,890).
    Programs must provide each full-time participant with basic health 
care coverage if he or she is not otherwise covered by a health care 
policy that provides certain minimum benefits at the time he or she is 
accepted into the program. Finally, programs must provide reasonable 
accommodation, including auxiliary aids and services based on the 
individualized need of a participant who is a qualified individual with 
a disability.

Eligibility for the Educational Award

    Participants who successfully complete full-time or part-time terms 
of service are eligible for educational awards for each of up to two 
terms of service. Full-time participants must serve at least 1700 hours 
during a period of not less than 9 months and not more than a year. 
Part-time participants must serve at least 900 hours during a period of 
not more than two years, except if the part-time participant is 
enrolled in an institution of higher education while performing some or 
all of the service, then the individual must perform at least 900 hours 
of service during a period of not more than three years. Full-time 
educational awards are $4725 and part-time educational awards are 
$2362.50.

Prohibited Service

    Prohibited activities may not be performed by participants in the 
course of their duties, at the request of program staff, or in a manner 
that would associate the activities with the national service program 
or the Corporation. These activities include:
    (1) any effort to influence legislation, as prohibited under 
section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 501);
    (2) organizing protests, petitions, boycotts, or strikes;
    (3) assisting, promoting, or deterring union organizing;
    (4) impairing existing contracts for services or collective 
bargaining agreements;
    (5) engaging in partisan political activities, or other activities 
designed to influence the outcome of an election to any public office;
    (6) engaging in religious instruction, conducting worship services, 
providing instruction as part of a program that includes mandatory 
religious educational or worship, constructing or 
[[Page 32661]] operating facilities primarily or inherently devoted to 
religious instruction or worship, or engaging in any form of religious 
proselytization; and
    (7) providing a direct benefit to (a) a business organized for 
profit, (b) a labor union, (c) a partisan political organization, (d) a 
nonprofit organization that fails to comply with the restrictions 
contained in section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or 
(e) an organization engaged in the religious activities described in 
paragraph (6) above, unless Corporation assistance is not used to 
support those religious activities.

Eligible Applicants

    Governors may apply on behalf of the following eligible entities: 
non-profit organizations, states, subdivisions of states, institutions 
of higher education. Governors are strongly encouraged to consult with 
and utilize the assistance of their State Commissions (or Alternative 
Administrative Entities.)

Extent and Duration of Program Is Subject to the Availability of Funds

    The number of educational awards provided to approved programs and 
the duration of the Governor-sponsored national service programs are 
subject to the availability of appropriated funds.

    Dated: June 20, 1995.
Terry Russell,
General Counsel, Corporation for National Service.
[FR Doc. 95-15461 Filed 6-22-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6050-28-P