Q: How do I know if I qualify for TEAMS/AmeriCorps?

The basic qualifications for eligibility in the TEAMS/AmeriCorps Fellowship program are as follows:

• Commitment to the mission and values of the TEAMS Program.
• Received Bachelor’s Degree or in pursuit of Bachelor’s Degree through an approved Teacher Education Department, or participating in a Career Ladder educational program,
• Enrollment in a Teaching or School Counseling Credential Program, Master of Arts in Teaching or Education-related program.
• Passing CBEST scores or participation in a Career Ladder educational program.
• Full-time job placement (at least 5 hours daily) as teacher, intern, school counselor, paraprofessional, teacher’s aide, or volunteer in a qualifying school.
• Strong academic and leadership potential.
• Dedication to working inclusively with people from diverse ethnic and economic backgrounds.
• Commitment to fulfill TEAMS Program Requirements.

We have a three-tiered system for the TEAMS/AmeriCorps Fellowship Program eligibility. All applicants must be within 1 to 5 years of credentialed educating, with the exception of interns and paraprofessionals who are currently completing credentialing coursework.

1st Priority:
Teaching Interns, Paraprofessionals, School Counselors in training who are currently working on their credential.

2nd Priority:
New Teachers, Counselors, Paraprofessionals who have completed their credential and are finishing up their MA coursework.

3rd Priority:
Any New Teachers, Counselors, Paraprofessionals who are taking continuing education coursework, not related to a degree in progress or clearing their credential.

Q: How long is the commitment?

Your commitment lasts throughout the service year, which is approximately ten months (September – June). Once you are accepted as a TEAMS Fellows, you must attend an orientation seminar to receive your formal enrollment into the program. Then you must attend the mandatory pedagogical seminars, usually one Saturday every other month, depending on your TEAMS partner.

Q: Do I have to be a full-time teacher/counselor/paraprofessional?

It is recommended that you are a full-time or ¾ time employee/volunteer/intern at an eligible school site. You are responsible for earning 1700 service hours over the course of the year so if you are employed or volunteer for less than (5) five hours per day, you may not earn enough hours to complete the program.

Q: I am a student teacher. Can I still apply for TEAMS/AmeriCorps?

Yes, student teachers are welcome to apply to TEAMS/AmeriCorps, however you must be able to complete the 1700 hour minimum in order to successfully complete the program and earn the $4,725 Education Award.

Q: What if I do not have a placement when I apply? Does TEAMS/AmeriCorps help me find a placement?

If you do not have a placement when you apply, you can still participate in TEAMS/AmeriCorps. However, in order to earn the education award, you must secure a placement during the year that you are participating with TEAMS. TEAMS/AmeriCorps does not formally place members, however we do maintain an informal network with schools and educators to assist in placing Fellows who need extra help securing a placement.

Q: How long can I participate in TEAMS/AmeriCorps?

You may participate in TEAMS/AmeriCorps for up to two years. Returning Fellows must reapply each year to maintain their eligibly for TEAMS. If this is your first time participating in any AmeriCorps program, you have a maximum of two years of eligibility. If you have participated in AmeriCorps under another program and you were successfully exited from that program, you may have limited TEAMS/AmeriCorps eligibility. If you have already completed two years of service through any AmeriCorps program you are eligible to receive an Education Award through TEAMS. If you are unsure of your AmeriCorps status, send an email to our office at teams@socrates.usfca.edu and we can help you determine your eligibility.

Q: What is an eligible school site?

An eligible school placement is an urban, public school or one in which 40% or more of the student body receives free or reduced lunch. If you have a questions about where a particular school qualifies, please contact our office and we can help you determine that.

Q: What are Pedagogical Seminars and how many Pedagogical Seminars do I have to attend?

Pedagogical Seminars are the meetings where we conduct our professional development.

Our seminars are the principal time when Fellows are able to engage with other TEAMS Fellows and interact with pedagogy. TEAMS takes particular time and resources to create an environment to stimulate your intellectual growth, encourage professional networking, and provide practical resources, all within a supportive, yet challenging environment. Each seminar is designed to be inspirational, practical, and culturally relevant. Attendance at all scheduled Pedagogical Seminars is MANDATORY.

Q: What is a Mentor?

A mentor is a self-identified staff or faculty member at your school-site who will be responsible for signing off on TEAMS documentation, forms, timesheets, etc. Although we do not establish the mentor/mentee relationship, we do advise Fellows to choose a teacher or administrator who you interact with on a regular basis and one who you feel comfortable evaluating you as an educator, as well as someone who will be able to verify the hours you submit.

Q: What is a Service Learning Project?

A service learning project is a one-time or ongoing activity that a group of your students completes with your guidance. The key component of the service learning project is that it is academically linked to curriculum and the students provide a service to their school or local community. We will teach you the major tenets of how to utilize service learning as an educational tool and we will guide you every step of the way to ensure that you have a successful project.

Q: How do service hours work?

As a TEAMS/AmeriCorps Fellow, you must earn 1700 service hours by working in an urban public school during your term of service, which is generally September through June. All of our Fellows are interns, teachers of record, teacher assistants, counselors and paraprofessionals performing direct service to the students by working at the school, preparing lessons, being involved in extra curricular activities. You also receive hours for your attendance at professional development workshops, attending educational classes (including MA/Credential classes) and our Pedagogical Seminars.

Q: What is the application procedure?

To apply to TEAMS, visit our website at www.teamsusf.org/program/application.html to begin your online application. Complete all sections of the application and remember to attach your Statement of Purpose and a current resume. If you did not submit your proof of citizenship online, then you must send it to our office via mail or fax within 14 days for your application to be complete. Once our office receives your completed application, it will be reviewed and you will be contact via email as to your acceptance within 4 to 6 weeks.

Q: I am submitting sensitive information. Is my application secure?

Yes, your application is securely transmitted to our host server suing SSL (Secure Socket Layer) technology. This is the same security given to banks, credit card companies, and online shopping web sites that consistently handle sensitive data. In addition, all sensitive information is further encrypted and can only be decoded through our San Francisco office.

Q: I did a year with TEAMS/AmeriCorps last year. Do I need to reapply this year?

Yes, each fellow must apply each year. Your application is reviewed by the Application Committee and you are selected according to our eligibility criteria as well as your previous years commitment to the program.

Q: I do not have my proof of citizenship documents in an electronic format. What can I do?

You can transform your paper documents to electronic documents at any computer with a scanner, either at your school site, your college/university, or a copy center such as FedEx/Kinko’s. Your paper document will be transformed into a digital file and it can then be submitted along with your online application. We strongly recommend sending an electronic file, as it will ensure that your application is complete once you click the SUBMIT button.

You can utilize the option of mailing in the copy of citizenship documents. We do suggest that you submit it via US Postal Service Certified Mail or another delivery service with confirmation to ensure its receipt in our office. We also suggest that you include the name with which you applied to TEAMS if it is different from the name on your birth certificate, in the case of a name change, marriage, or if you use a name other than the one printed on your proof of citizenship documents).

Q: How do I know that my application was successfully submitted?

You should receive an email shortly after hitting the submit button, confirming that your application is complete. If you did not receive this email, please log in to your application, check that your email is correctly entered and hit the submit button again. If you still do not get a confirmation email, please contact us at teams@socrates.usfcas.edu or call 415-422-5179.

Q: I need to update the information from my initial application. How do I do this?

If you need to update the information included in your application, you may do so AFTER you have submitted the necessary portions of your application. You will need to remember your email address and your application password, which you will create during the application process. You will also receive a confirmation email that will provide the link to update your application.

Q: How and when will I be notified of my acceptance into TEAMS/AmeriCorps?

TEAMS/AmeriCorps utilizes email for the majority of our correspondence. It is important that you are able to receive emails at a reliable email address, as important information is often transmitted via email, such acceptance notification, seminar locations and dates, as well as general information regarding the program and your active status.

You will be notified of your acceptance within 4 to 6 weeks of the receipt of your application.

Q: How can I use my $4,725 Education Award voucher?

The AmeriCorps Education Award can be used in its entirety or broken-up and used numerous times to Repay qualified student loans. The most common include:

• Stafford Loans
• Perkins Loans
• Federal Direct Loans
• Supplemental Loans for Students (SLS)
• Federal Consolidated Loans
• Health Education Assistance Loans (HEAL)
• Health Professions Student Loans (HPSL)
• Pay current educational expenses, such as tuition, at a qualified Title IV school. Most schools are Title IV; contact National Service Trust for guidance. Educational expenses will vary from school to school.
• Pay current educational expenses while participating in an approved school-to-work program. You can use your voucher to repay any existing or past student loans, originated by the federal government.

Q: Do I need to fill out the FAFSA?

We recommend that all Fellows complete the FAFSA form, as it is required in order to qualify for a Stafford Loan or any financial assistance from TEAMS.

Q: What is Loan Forbearance and how does it apply to me?

TEAMS/AmeriCorps Fellows who are earning an education award are uniquely eligible for one type of postponement of the repayment of their qualified student loan called forbearance. During this forbearance based on national service, interest continues to accrue. If you successfully complete your term of service and earn an education award, the Trust will pay all or a portion of the interest that has accrued on your qualified student loans during this period. This accrued interest paid by the Trust, like the education award itself, is subject to income taxes.

Submit your Forbearance Request for National Service form and any other information required by your loan holder to the National Service Trust, which we will process and return to your loan holder. We can certify your AmeriCorps status, but only the loan holder can determine your eligibility for forbearance. Contact your loan holder if you have not heard from them within four weeks of submitting your information to the Trust.

Q: What about the interest that accrues on my loan that is in forbearance?

AmeriCorps members who have earned an education award are eligible to have the Trust pay up to 100% of the interest that accrued on their qualified student loan during their service. To have the Trust pay all or a portion of the interest accrued on your qualified student loans, the Trust must receive verification from your project that you have completed your service and are eligible for an award. You and your lender also must complete the Interest Accrued During National Service form, which indicates the amount of interest accrued during your service period. Your loan holder sends this completed form to the Trust for payment.

The Trust WILL NOT pay interest on qualified student loans if you fail to complete your term of service. Exceptions will be made only if you fail to complete your term of service for compelling personal circumstances and you have earned a pro-rated award. It is up to your individual program to determine compelling personal circumstances. Examples that might be considered are a serious illness or injury, death of your immediate family member, or early closing of your project.

The Trust will only pay interest on qualified student loans, as described earlier. Ask your loan holder if your student loan qualifies for other kinds of forbearance.

Defaulted Loans

Most student loans that are in default are not eligible for forbearance. If you have loans that have gone into default before you begin your AmeriCorps service, you can attempt to negotiate an arrangement with the loan holder (or collection agency) to bring the loan out of default so forbearance can be granted and interest paid.

You must correctly complete and submit to the Trust the (1) Forbearance Request for National Service form at the start of your service term; and submit to your lender the (2) Interest Accrued During National Service form at the end of your service term. Your project director may also make these available to you.

Q: I am currently participating in AmeriCorps and have a question about my Education Award. Who should I contact?

For general questions about the Education Award and student loan deferment, contact National Service Trust at 1-888-507-5962. Live operators are available from 8:00 am to -6:00 pm EST, Monday through Friday.

If you have successfully completed your AmeriCorps service, you can view your AmeriCorps Education Award account balance and activity online.

To request a copy of your AmeriCorps Education Award voucher or report a change of address, you can e-mail edawardvoucher@cns.gov.

For general information on student financial assistance, you may contact your high school guidance counselor, the financial aid officer at the post-secondary institution you plan to attend, the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243), or consult the Student Guide issued by the U.S. Department of Education.

Q: How do I know when I have completed the program?

In order to be successfully exited from the TEAMS program and earn an education award, each Fellow must:

1. Complete ALL required documents and obtain ALL necessary signatures (see “Required Form Checklist” in your Resource Book)
2. Earn the minimum number of required hours (1700)
3. Attend all mandatory Pedagogical Seminars
4. Develop and implement a service learning project