AmeriCorps State and National
April, 2021
Member Enrollment Preparation and Implementation
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Purpose
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This presentation is designed to guide AmeriCorps program users to enroll individuals as
AmeriCorps members in the My AmeriCorps Portal, the system by which AmeriCorps
members are entered into the National Service Trust.
The presentation represents AmeriCorps State and National requirements for enrolling
members in the Portal as of April 29, 2021.
Please begin the member enrollment process as soon as possible after grant
notification. This includes taking proactive steps to plan for member recruitment,
citizenship verification, and National Service Criminal History Check processes well in
advance of your expected member start dates.
If you are a subgrantee, please ensure you are following any additional policies or
procedures required by your State Commission or prime grantee.
Quick Links and Resources:
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References:
Enrollment Preparation and Implementation Resources:
• AmeriCorps State and National Knowledge Network
o Member Enrollment Resources (to be updated May 1st, 2021)
NSCHC and New Rule Information:
• General AmeriCorps NSCHC Resource Page
• AmeriCorps Resources regarding the May 1
st
NSCHC Rule
• Federal Register New Rule (effective May 1st) for 45 CFR § 2522 and 45 CFR §2540
eGrants Login
My AmeriCorps Portal
eGrants Tutorials (these are dated, but there is still some useful content)
Let’s compare:
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Enrollment Parameter
Members enrolled prior to April 29, 2021 Members enrolled after April 29, 2021
Enrollment
certification
timeline
•Certification of member enrollments required within 8 days
•Enforced by My AmeriCorps system validations
•Certification of member enrollments required within 8 days
•Monitored through annual progress reports rather than My
AmeriCorps system validations
National Service
Criminal History
Checks (NSCHCs)
•NSOPW completion and State/FBI check initiation certified
by checking two boxes
•My AmeriCorps records the date on which the boxes were
checked
•Recorded date must be on or before member start date
•Certification required for all members
•Completion and adjudication of all required checks certified
by entering a date in the NSCHC Certification field
•My AmeriCorps records the date entered in the field
•Recorded date must be before member start date
•
Certification required for applicants ages 18+ as of the entered
start date
Citizenship and SSN
verification
SSN and citizenship status must be verified on or
before
member start date
SSN and citizenship status must be verified on or
before
member start date
Start date changes
•Can be made by grantee staff
within the parameters outlined above
•Changes outside these parameters
require Administrative Review
•Will only be considered if a failure in AmeriCorps’
technology platform or other circumstances prevent
timely enrollment
•Can be made by grantee staff
within the parameters outlined above
•Changes outside these parameters
require Administrative Review
•Will only be considered if a failure in AmeriCorps’
technology platform or other circumstances prevent
timely SSN or citizenship verification
Requirements for All Member Enrollments
This includes both Individual and Group Enrollments
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Notice of Grant Award has been received
The program’s Member Enrollment Period has begun
Service locations are set up in the My AmeriCorps Portal
Slots of the right type are available for all applicants being enrolled
Citizenship and SSN have been verified
National Service Criminal History Checks (NSCHCs) have been completed for applicants ages 18+
Applicants have been determined to be eligible to serve
Applicants have completed their portion of the enrollment form (including acknowledging a
partial Education Award if applicable)
Notice of Grant Award
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• Following the grant application review process, successful programs receive a
Notice of Grant Award (NGA) prior to the requested start date in their grant
• Programs cannot take the necessary steps in the My AmeriCorps Portal until the
NGA is received
• Grantees access NGA via eGrants; subgrantees are notified by their State
Commission
Notice of Grant Award (Direct
Grantees and State Commissions)
Grant ID
Awarded funds and
member positions
Special conditions
on the award
(including
subgrantee-specific
special conditions)
Project and Budget
Periods (NOT the
same as member
enrollment period,
which may start later
and/or end earlier)
Please remember, an individual is
officially an AmeriCorps member
on the start date recorded in
eGrants. Prior to this start date,
individuals should not accrue any
service hours
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Enrollment Process
*Process may vary for sub-grantees. Please check with your Commission or Prime grantee for further guidance.*
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Preparation for
Enrollment
Staff have
completed
required NSCHC
training
Set up operating
sites (Direct)
Set up service
locations
Create service
opportunity
listings
Identify your member
Individual
applies
Program screens
applicant
• Gather
applicant
information
• Complete
NSCHC
• Determine
applicant
eligibility
Select your member
Select
applicant in
eGrants
Applicant
completes
enrollment form
in My
AmeriCorps
Social Security
Administration
Check
Enrollment
Verification of
Eligibility
eGrants
Enrollment
process
• Individual
Enrollment
• Group
Enrollment
Partial Award
Acknowledgment
(if applicable)
Log into eGrants and My AmeriCorps Portal
For Direct Grantees and Subgrantees
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Set up Operating Sites
Direct Grantees Only
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Complete all
fields and click
“save”
Set up Service Locations
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Complete all fields
and click ‘save’
Service Opportunity Listings
• Grantees are required to
post all available member
service opportunities in the
My AmeriCorps Portal
• Service Opportunity Listing
Resources
include a
PowerPoint step-by-step,
outline requirements, and
provide a template for
programs
• Grantees may also use
other recruitment strategies
in addition to the My
AmeriCorps platform
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Identify your
member
• Individual applies
• Program screens applicant
• Gather applicant information
• Complete NSCHC
• Determine applicant eligibility
Receiving Applications
• Programs can set up their Service Opportunity Listings to allow
applicant to apply inside and/or outside of My AmeriCorps:
Programs that do not accept applications via My
AmeriCorps must develop their own process to
receive applications and select applicants
Indicates whether
individuals can apply
via My AmeriCorps
• All applicants are required to be screened
for eligibility and criminal history. Programs
may vary in their process and policy
regarding how they conduct applicant
screening
• Programs should build in as much time as
possible to complete the National Service
Criminal History Check (NSCHC) and
determine eligibility
• Applicants must have their eligibility verified
before
they can start service
Applicant Screening
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Gather Applicant Information
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• In order to be enrolled in eGrants and the National Service Trust,
programs need to gather information that is consistent with the
Social Security Administration Records. This includes:
o Applicant Name
o Social Security Number
o Date of Birth
• Additional Recommendations for information gathering
o Citizen Verification Documents (e.g. birth certificate, passport,
certificate of citizenship, green card, etc.)
o Contact information (phone, email, address, etc.)
National Service Criminal History Check (NSCHC)
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• AmeriCorps State and National grantees must conduct National Service
Criminal History Checks for AmeriCorps applicants ages 18+
• Three checks are required for individuals to comply with NSCHC requirements:
o A nationwide check of the National Sex Offender Public Website through
NSOPW.gov
o A check of the State criminal history record repository or agency-designed
alternative for the individual’s state of residence and state of service
o A fingerprint-based check of the FBI criminal history record database
through the state criminal history record repository or agency-approved
vendor
45 CFR § 2540.205(a) The National Service Criminal History Check must be conducted, reviewed,
and an eligibility determination made by the grant recipient or subrecipient based on the results of
the National Service Criminal History Check before
a person begins to work or serve in a position
specified in 45 CFR § 2540.201(a).
Determine Member Eligibility
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• Programs must conduct a screening of individuals as part of the recruitment and selection
process
• Eligibility Requirements:
45 CFR § 2522.200
o Age
An AmeriCorps participant must be at least 17 years of age
o Have a high school diploma or equivalent (see regulation for additional details)
o Be a citizen, national, or lawful permanent resident alien of the United States (see
regulation for a list of acceptable forms certifying status as a citizen)
o Satisfy the National Service Criminal History Check eligibility criteria
Failure to conduct timely and compliant NSCHCs and ensure eligibility of
an individual may:
- Delay the enrollment process
- Result in cost disallowances
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Select your
member
Select applicant in eGrants
Applicant completes
enrollment form in My
AmeriCorps
Social Security
Administration Check
Selecting your applicant in
eGrants
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Click the
relevant
radio button
to select the
applicant
Click to
submit the
selection.
The
applicant
will be
notified via
email
Complete the
certification
There are two ways to
select an applicant in
eGrants:
• Via My AmeriCorps
application process
• Inviting an
individual in
eGrants following
program specific
recruitment
Selecting an applicant who applied via My AmeriCorps:
Selecting your applicant in eGrants
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There are two ways to
select an applicant in
eGrants:
• Via My AmeriCorps
application process
• Inviting an
individual in
eGrants following
program specific
recruitment
Enter applicant’s
data. Important:
make sure this
information is
entered correctly
and matches what
is listed on the
member’s ID and
Social Security Card
Click add another
to send the current
invitation and enter
another
Click save and
then send to
complete the
invitation. The
applicant will be
notified via email
Notes:
If an individual is serving
with another program
immediately before your
program, the applicant
must first be exited.
Date of birth and SSN
must be entered
correctly to avoid delays
in enrollment
Applicant Invitation
The link in the email connects to the My AmeriCorps
Portal where the applicant’s identity will be verified.
Ensure applicants understand this is a secure site
and the information entered must be accurate and
reflect what is on the government issued ID (this
includes hyphens, spaces, multiple middle or last
names, etc.).
The link will be broken if the program resends or
deletes the invitation.
Member Enrollment Form
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• Per the Grant Terms and Conditions, the Enrollment Form
must be completed by the applicant
o Programs must request a waiver if this is not possible
• To facilitate successful enrollment, individuals who have
previously served in AmeriCorps must:
o Ensure that they have been exited from their previous program by verifying
with their previous supervisor or checking their Ed Award status
Applicant Enrollment Form
Form continued…
Once the
individual
clicks ‘save
information’ to
submit the
form, the
eligibility
verification
process is
initiated.
SSN & Citizenship Verification
• The My AmeriCorps portal submits the record to the Social Security Administration (SSA) as
soon as the applicant completes and saves their section of the enrollment form.
• The Social Security Administration will then follow their process to verify the applicant's
citizenship status and social security number (SSN).
• Within three business days, My AmeriCorps will be updated with either "Verified" or "Returned"
for both the SSN and citizenship status.
Example of a verified applicant
Example of an applicant who will have
to be manually verified
Both the SSN and citizenship status must be noted as “Verified” or “Manually Verified”
in My AmeriCorps before the individual can be enrolled.
1. The grantee administrator receives an email notification to submit additional documentation
via Secure File Transfer for manual verification of the applicant’s citizenship or Social Security
Number
2. To submit documentation, the program must request a secure file link from the AmeriCorps
Hotline (detail on next slide)
3. Program submits additional documentation (refer to 45 CFR 2522.200 for documentation
guidance)
4. AmeriCorps Hotline forwards submitted documentation to the National Service Trust
5. If the submitted documentation is sufficient to verify eligibility, the record in eGrants will be
updated within 3 business days. This ends the manual verification process
6. If the submitted documentation is not sufficient to verify eligibility, the grantee administrator
will receive another email notification to submit sufficient eligibility documentation to
continue the manual verification process until the documentation is sufficient
Manual Verification Steps
Only required if applicant is not automatically verified
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For some individuals, the Social Security Number and citizenship manual verification process may take several
days to a couple of weeks to complete. Programs must factor that into their planning.
Requesting a Secure File Link
Go to webform: https://questions.americorps.gov/app/ask to request helpdesk ticket(s).
Request a secure file link by completing the form (below)
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Best practices:
• Indicate that you are a State and
National program enrolling
applicants and need a Secure File
Link to submit SSN/citizenship
verification documentation
• If your program has multiple
individual cases requiring
SSN/citizenship verification at the
same time, send these cases under a
single ticket
• Document all communication and
take screenshots if necessary
• Reach out to your Portfolio Manager
if you encounter any challenges
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Enrollment
Verification of eligibility
eGrants enrollment process
• Individual Enrollment
• Group Enrollment
Partial award
acknowledgment
(if applicable)
Confirming SSN & Citizenship Verification
Verification Status Types
Open: individual has been invited to participate in a program but has not yet
created/updated and saved their My AmeriCorps Portal Profile
Pending: individual’s name, SSN, and DOB have been sent to SSA for verification and are
awaiting results
Verified: individual’s SSN/citizenship eligibility has been automatically verified by SSA
Returned: individual was not verified automatically by SSA; document submission is required
to prove eligibility
Manually Verified: individual’s SSN/citizenship eligibility has been verified by AmeriCorps
based on submitted documentation
Cannot be Verified: individual has been proven not to be eligible with respect to SSN or
citizenship. (If a program believes this status is incorrect, they can submit an appeal to their
Portfolio Manager within 30 days of the eligibility decision)
Check the applicant SSN and
Citizenship status in eGrants- the
applicant must be ‘Verified’ or
‘Manually Verified’ to continue
Note: My AmeriCorps will not allow you
to enter an applicant’s start date that
is earlier than the verification dates
Completing Individual Member Enrollment Form
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Confirm
SSN/Citizenship are in
“Verified” or
“Manually Verified”
status
If applicant is 18 or
older, enter the
date the NSCHC
was completed and
adjudicated.
Complete the
placement
information
• Start date must
be on or after
SSN/citizenship
verification dates
and after
NSCHC
certification date
Once all
information has
been entered
correctly, the “enroll
member” button will
become active
Check the
certification box
Saving Information in the Enrollment Field
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As mentioned, you
can enter information
ahead of time
(except for start date
and slot type).
Group Enrollment
Group Enrollment is an option during the final phase of enrollment in eGrants.
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Extra step for group
enrollment during
the invitation
process:
Applicants must be
associated with the
correct Program
Year and Program
Title
Special Requirement for Group Enrollment
Continued…
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Program Year must be selected correctly by the program on the applicant
invitation
• Applicants who applied via My AmeriCorps will need have the program year entered manually
on their individual Enrollment Form, and so cannot participate in group enrollment (i.e., they will
not appear on the Group Enrollment tab)
Program Title (operating site/subgrantee program name) must be selected
correctly by the program
• Applicants who applied to/were invited under a different operating site must have the Program
Title changed manually on their individual Enrollment Form, and so cannot participate in group
enrollment (i.e., they will not appear on the Group Enrollment tab)
Group Enrollment Screen
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Same information needed
as in the individual
enrollment form with one
key difference:
- On the group
enrollment form, you
may enter information
for up to 20 individuals
at a time and enroll
them simultaneously.
Group vs. Individual Enrollment
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Group Enrollment Individual Enrollment
Number of applicants enrolled at a time
Up to 20 Only 1
Program Year and Program Title
Pre-populated from
member invitation
Selected manually on
enrollment screen
Individuals who applied through My
AmeriCorps
Cannot be used Must be used
Individuals invited under different program
year/ program title
Cannot be used Must be used
SSN/Citizenship
Applicants will not appear
on Group Enrollment tab
until they have been
verified
Verification status and
dates visible on individual
enrollment screen
NSCHC certification Certified by entering date on or before which all
required NSCHCs were completed and adjudicated
(ages 18+)
Group Enrollment Steps
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Step 1:
In the S&N
Workbasket in the
My AmeriCorps
Portal, click on the
Group Enrollments
tab
Group Enrollment Steps
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Step 2: Select the correct Program Title (operating site name or subgrantee program name)
• The Program Year whose enrollment period is currently open will populate automatically
• Applicants who are associated with this Program Year and Program Title, have completed
their portion of the Enrollment Form, and whose SSN/citizenship has been verified will appear
on the tab. (These individuals are also visible on the Pending Enrollments tab)
Group Enrollment Steps
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Step 3: Select the Slot
Type for the applicants
you wish to enroll
• In subsequent steps,
you will only enter
information for
applicants who will
be enrolled in this
type of slot
• If you have
applicants that will
need to be enrolled
in other slot types,
leave those blank for
now. (You will
repeat these steps to
enroll those
applicants.)
Group Enrollment Steps
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Step 4: For the applicants you wish to enroll, enter the date when all required National Service
Criminal History Checks were completed and adjudicated for each applicant. For applicants
under age 18 as of the entered start date, leave the NSCHC Certification field blank.
IMPORTANT:
- All required criminal
history checks must be
completed and
adjudicated prior
to
inputting a certification
date
- The applicant start date
must be after
the date
entered in the NSCHC
Certification field
Group Enrollment Steps
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Step 5: For the
applicants you wish to
enroll, select the
appropriate Service
Location(s)
• Service Locations
must be set up in
the My AmeriCorps
Portal prior to taking
this step
Group Enrollment Steps
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Step 6: For the individuals
you wish to enroll, enter the
correct Start Date
• Must be within member
enrollment period
• Must be on or after the
SSN/citizenship
verification dates
• Must be after the date
entered in the NSCHC
Certification field
Per AmeriCorps policy,
enrollment should be
certified within 8 days of the
member’s start date
Group Enrollment Steps
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Step 7: For the
individuals you wish
to enroll, click the
“Select to Enroll”
box
• Only the
individuals with
this box checked
will be enrolled
when you click
the “enroll”
button at the
bottom of the tab
Group Enrollment Steps
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Step 8: At the
bottom of the
tab, certify the
form
Group Enrollment Steps
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Step 9: At the
bottom of the tab,
take the “enroll”
action. (If you are
not ready to enroll
the individuals yet,
click the “save
information” button
instead)
• Up to 20
individuals can
be enrolled at a
time
Group Enrollment Steps
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Step 10: Check for error
messages at the top of the
tab. These messages will
indicate if one or more of
the individuals' enrollments
was not successful.
• In this example, the
start date entered for
Shannon was prior to
the date of the NSCHC
Certification, so they
could not be enrolled.
Program staff will need
to correct Shannon’s
start date and try
again.
Troubleshooting Enrollment Error Messages
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Sufficient slots available
SSN and citizenship verified on or before member start date
NSCHC Certification date before member start date
Service Location selected
Member start date no later than today’s date
Applicant is eligible to serve
o Has not previously served more than 4 terms
o Has not declined a partial education award
o Has not received an unsatisfactory performance rating from a previous term of service
o Is not currently actively enrolled in the same program or in another term that when combined exceeds
full-time service
The details of the error message
will provide specific guidance
Partial Award Acknowledgment
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When the program attempts
to click “enroll” you will see
this note for applicants who
need to perform a partial
award acknowledgment
Additionally, the applicant
enrollment status will
indicate pending partial
award acknowledgement
The member enrollment is not complete
If an individual will exceed the equivalent amount of two full-time education awards while
serving with your program, the applicant will need to acknowledge partial or no education
award before they can be enrolled.
Partial Award Acknowledgement
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Partial Education Award notification email:
Recommended reminders
for the applicant:
- Let the applicant know
to look out for this email
- Ask the applicant to
complete and
acknowledge
as soon
as possible
- Communicate that
delay in completing this
farm will delay their
enrollment
Partial Award Acknowledgment
Applicant view in My AmeriCorps Portal
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Step 1: Log into My AmeriCorps and click Enrollment Form
Step 2: Scroll down to the bottom of the enrollment form so
the member can select “I accept.”
Step 3: Click “Save Information.”
Partial Award Acknowledgement
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Once this information is saved, the individual’s enrollment status in
eGrants will be updated to “Partial Award Acknowledged.”
The program can then return to the member enrollment form and take the “enroll” action.
ONLY THEN IS THE MEMBER ENROLLMENT COMPLETE.
Check your work!
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Run reports in eGrants
View each member’s service information in
Portal
Double check the following:
• Within member enrollment period
• Sufficient slots available
• SSN and citizenship verified on or before
member start date
• NSCHC Certification date before member
start date
• Service Location selected
• Start date no later than today’s date
Applicant eligible to serve?
• Has not previously served more than 4
terms
• Has not declined a partial education
award
• Has not received an unsatisfactory
performance rating from a previous
term of service
• Is not currently actively enrolled in the
same program or in another term that
when combined exceeds full-time
service
Run Reports to Check Enrollments
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Enrollment Approval Cycle
Time
• Presence of all expected
enrolled members
• Number of days from member
start date to enrollment
activation (should be 8 or less)
Member Download Report
• Displays multiple pieces of
enrollment information for
each member
• Check member’s service
location, slot type, status (e.g.,
in-service, suspended, exited),
start date, address, etc.
S&N Reports
Run Reports to Check Enrollments
SSN and Citizenship Status Report
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SSN and Citizenship
Status Report
• Trust Enrolled Status
• Citizenship Status
• SSN Status
How to Update a Start Date in eGrants
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Step 1: Using the “Manage Members” link from
the Portal Home, locate the individual and click
on the member name to open the Member
Information screen
Step 2:
Click the
“view” link
next to the
service
term
*in-service members only
How to Update a Start Date in eGrants
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Step 3: Click the
“Correct” link
*in-service members only
How to Update a Start Date in eGrants
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Step 4: After opening the
“Correct Term of Service”
screen you can see the
member’s current start
date is listed in the
“Effective Date” field.
The dates of SSN and
citizenship verifications
and NSCHC certification
are also displayed.
*in-service members only
How to Update a Start Date in eGrants
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Step 5: Enter the corrected start date
in the “Effective Date” field, ensuring
that it is:
• Within the member enrollment
period
• On or after the dates of SSN and
citizenship verification
• After the NSCHC certification date
Step 6: If the corrected start date is
within these parameters, the “Save”
button will become active. Click
“Save”
NOTE: entering a start date that is
more than 8 days in the past will
affect the program’s compliance
with 8-day enrollment requirements
*in-service members only
What to do if the enroll button isn’t active
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Check the applicant’s SSN and Citizenship verification status.
• Both statuses must be “verified” or “manually verified”
• Verification dates must be on or before the entered start date
Check the NSCHC certification
• The date entered in the NSCHC Certification field must be before the entered start date
Check the entered start date
• The date must be within the member enrollment period
• The date cannot be later than today’s date
• The date cannot be earlier than the SSN/Citizenship verification dates
• The date cannot be the same or earlier than the date in the NSCHC Certification field
Check that all fields are completed
If all the previously mentioned steps are complete and you still cannot enroll the applicant,
contact the AmeriCorps Hotline and your Portfolio Manager
Thank you for your service
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