On April 21, President Obama signed into law the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act (H.R. 1388), a broadly bipartisan bill that represents the most sweeping expansion of national service in a generation. The Serve America Act reauthorizes and expands national service programs administered by the Corporation for National Community Service.

This bill had a fast bipartisan sprint through Congress. The President called on Congress to send him the Kennedy-Hatch national service legislation in his joint address on February 25. The bill was introduced on March 8 and passed the House on a 321 to 105 vote on March 18. The Senate followed suit one week later with a 79-19 vote, with final passage in the House on March 31, just 22 days after it was introduced.

Under the Act, which goes into effect on October 1, the Corporation will increase opportunities for Americans of all ages to serve by increasing AmeriCorps from 75,000 to 250,000 positions by 2017, expanding service opportunities for students and baby boomers, and strengthening America's civic infrastructure by investing in social innovation and volunteer mobilization.

The bill makes the following changes to the National Service Trust:

• Increases the amount of the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award by tying its value to the maximum Pell Grant (currently $5350, but set to increase over time).

• Excludes Veterans' education benefits from being considered in determining the amount of an education award that may be disbursed.

• Allows an individual to receive up to the value of two full-time education awards (current law caps at first two awards, regardless of amount).

• Authorizes $500 summer of service education awards for rising 6-12th graders based on 100 hours of service ($750 for economically disadvantaged students). Sets maximum of two summer of service education awards, neither of which affects an individual's eligibility for Segal AmeriCorps Education Award. Summer of service education award may be used for same uses as Segal AmeriCorps Education Award, within 10 years of earning the award.

• Authorizes $1,000 Silver Scholar education awards, for individuals age 55 and older who perform 350 hours of service.

• Permits individuals 55 or older to transfer education award earned in Subtitle C position or as a Silver Scholar to the individual's child or grandchild who meets the citizenship eligibility requirements for AmeriCorps and attains a high school degree before using. Recipient must use the education award within 10 years of its being earned.

• In addition to currently authorized uses, allows education award to be used (1) at educational institutions eligible for GI Bill educational benefits; (2) to repay loans made by State agencies and other lenders considered eligible under the Higher Education Act (codifying long-standing appropriations authority) or otherwise approved by the Corporation; and (3) for education expenses at a Title IV institution outside definition of cost of attendance (such as elder hostel).

The bill makes the following changes to Learn and Serve America grants:

• Higher Education remains at 25%, with institutions of higher education (individually or as a consortium or in partnership with public or private nonprofit organizations) eligible for funding. To be eligible for assistance, an institution of higher education must meet minimum Federal Work Study requirements relating to community service.

• The Corporation will give special consideration to higher education applications submitted by predominantly Black institutions, HBCUs, institutions serving minority populations (including Hispanic, Native American, Alaskan Native, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Native Pacific Islander populations), Tribal colleges, and community colleges serving predominantly minority populations.

• Adds authority to designate up to 25 institutions of higher education with exemplary records of student civic engagement and service-learning as "Campuses of Service." A designated Campus of Service will be eligible for grant funds to encourage students to engage in service during school and in their future careers.

• Adds language to promote service-learning in elementary and secondary schools, to extend service to under-served urban and rural communities, to tie service projects to housing, economic development, infrastructure, health care, job training, education, crime prevention, urban planning, transportation technology, and child welfare.

A summary of the bill is available at NationalService.gov.

By Darrill Anderson
NASFAA Associate Director of Communications

Posted 04/27/09 to www.NASFAA.org. Redistribution to non-NASFAA institutions is prohibited. Please submit Web site questions or comments to Web@NASFAA.org.