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Refer to VISTA Member Handbook: Chapter 2: Overview of Your Year in AmeriCorps VISTA

W-4 Employee's Withholding Allowance Form. Complete the W-4 Form to establish income tax withholding for your year of service.
W-5 Earned Income Credit Advance Payment Form. If you are eligible for an earned income tax credit, complete a W-5 Form (see Chapter 5).

Visit the my americorps website (https://my.americorps.gov/mp/login.do) and log in to make sure you have filled out these forms completely. If you ...

Refer to Chapter 2: Overview of Your Year in AmeriCorps VISTA

LAST THREE WEEKS

In the last three weeks of your service, you should prepare to leave your sponsoring organization and phase out of your service as an AmeriCorps VISTA member. (See Chapter 11 for the end-of-service checklist of things you should do to ensure this transition is as smooth as possible.) If you elected to receive a stipend at the end of your service year and not an education award, you will receive $400 of your accrued s...

In case of early termination, we strongly encourage you to consult your Supervisor and your VISTA Leader. Leaving your term early is frowned upon and every case is handled differently. You as a VISTA committed to serve your organization and your community for a whole year and ending your commitment for another oppurtunity is heavily discouraged.

As officially stated on Chapter 12 - Administrative Policies when ending your term early, you will not be eligible for any end of service stipend, b...

T. Camille Moman inquired regarding the education award and her's what she found.

T. Camille Moman
NCALL Research, Inc

I spoke to someone at Direct consolidation yesterday about this program and here is what I found out.

You must have a Federal Direct Loan to qualify....but if you don't, you may do a Federal Direct Consolidation of your current loans.

With Federal Direct Loans you may chose from a income based payment (best plan) , income contingent payment, or standard payment.  You may n...

You must go to www.myamericorps.govand sign in to your VISTA Portal. On the right hand side you will see a number of tabs, you need to click on the one that says "Create a forbearance letter." Follow the instructions from that point. If you have further questions please call VMSU at 866-473-5733

With the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), you can receive food stamp credits that you can use to buy healthy food for you and your family. Sign up and find out if you qualify today!

If you have the following net monthly income, then you can qualify for Food Stamps

Your income from VISTA is exempt... aka you make $0.00. Access your "Currently Serving VISTA Letter" on MyAmericorps.gov portal under "My Service Letter." Below is the general threshold for acceptance for EBT. Th...

Refer to VISTA Member Handbook: Chapter 2: Overview of Your Year in AmeriCorps VISTA

FIRST WEEK ON YOUR PROJECT

Your sponsoring organization should provide you with an On-Site Orientation and Training during your first one to three weeks on the project. This orientation will introduce you to your sponsoring organization, the community at large, and your role during your year of service. During the on-site training period, it is important that you review and integrate the Pre-Service Orienta...

For many VISTAs, living on the monthly allowance is one of the biggest challenges of service. Budgeting is essential. Luxuries disappear and credit cards must be used wisely.
The allowance is designed to give you a taste of life as lived by many Americans in poverty that is the amount is set at 105% of the poverty income threshold in your community.

Making it on such a low income can be a useful experience. It builds empathy towards those living in poverty.

Please use tips listed on the Li...

From AmeriCorps*VISTA Rules and Restrictions:
During a term of service, members live at the economic level of the people they serve. The member living allowance is at the poverty level. A member may not receive any additional monetary compensation beyond the standard allowances for services rendered as an AmeriCorps VISTA member. A member also may not accept any benefit from the sponsoring organization or the community served that relates to the AmeriCorps VISTA assignment without approval fro...

When in doubt about your relocation, please contact VMSU (VISTA Member Services Unit) at 866.473.5733 or VISTAmembersupportunit@cns.gov. Before or during your relocation, please fill out “Travel to service form.” Contact your Supervisor or VISTA leader or the VMSU office to get a copy of this form.

Refer to VISTA Member Handbook Chapter 5: Relocation Allowance

Members serving a 12-month term and moving from their home of record to their project site are eligible to receive a relocation al...

Refer to VISTA Member Handbook: Chapter 2: Overview of Your Year in AmeriCorps VISTA

BEFORE YOU BEGIN SERVICE

As an AmeriCorps VISTA candidate, you are expected to attend to important legal administrative tasks related to your enrollment, and to make vital decisions to maximize your benefits. Once you become a candidate, one of your first responsibilities is to cooperate fully with AmeriCorps VISTA in an investigation of your background.

CRIMINAL HISTORY CHECK
AmeriCorps VISTA and its spons...

Refer to VISTA Member Handbook: Chapter 2: Overview of Your Year in AmeriCorps VISTA

AmeriCorps VISTA ADMINISTRATIVE FORMS AND TASKS

Before or during the Pre-Service Orientation for AmeriCorps VISTA candidates, you must complete various forms and administrative tasks to establish your AmeriCorps VISTA benefits tax withholding, and other conditions of service. These required administrative tasks include the following:

•End-of-service benefits election form. AmeriCorps VISTA members have a ...

PSO stands for Pre-Service Orientation

Refer to VISTA Member Handbook: Chapter 4: Training & Technical Assistance

PRE-SERVICE ORIENTATION

PSO serves as your learning process about AmeriCorps VISTA. It is typically a four-day event in which you begin to assume your role as an AmeriCorps VISTA member in the community and on the project you are assigned.

Pre-Service Orientation is conducted by Corporation staff, assisted by project sponsoring organizations and supervisors and professional traini...

Refer to - VISTA Member Handbook: Chapter 5: Financial Support

As an AmeriCorps VISTA member, you are required to have your biweekly living allowance sent via electronic funds transfer or direct deposit. The U.S. Treasury requires federal payments to be made by direct deposit, except when this form of payment would cause unusual hardship on the payee. (For hardship cases, see Appendix A for the procedure to have payments made by paper check.)
To set up direct deposit, you and your financial ...

Refer to VISTA Member Handbook: Chapter 13: Other Terms & Conditions of Service

MEMBER HOUSING

One of the three fundamental assumptions of AmeriCorps VISTA is that the skills and energies of AmeriCorps VISTA members are used most effectively when they live and work with the low-income people they are serving. In keeping with this philosophy, you are expected to secure housing using your living allowance, which is provided to cover the basic costs of food, housing, and utilities. You should lo...

Upon assignment as an AmeriCorps VISTA member, you will begin receiving a modest living allowance. The Corporation determines the living allowance rate, which varies according to the local cost of living in the area where you serve.
Member living allowances are computed on a daily rate and paid every other week. Living allowance payments cover a 14-day period. Direct deposit payments to AmeriCorps VISTA members are made five days after the pay period ends.

Federal income tax deductions and ...

I spend a lot of my time driving to presentations for my organization and the gas is getting higher as the summer goes on. I love doing the presentations but its starting to really cut into my budget. Is it possible to get parking and gas reimbursements from VISTA?

Refer to VISTA Member Handbook: Privately Owned Vehicle pg. 58

"In some instances, the Corporation may provide all or a portion of the member’s mileage expenses for assignment-related purposes. This payment may be accomplished th...

Attached file accounts for VISTA living allowance payment schedule. If you still have questions regarding your living allowance, please contact VMSU (VISTA Member Support Unit) at (866) 473-5733 or email them at VISTAMemberSupportUnit@cns.gov.

Living Allowance Calender