Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Timesheets are due Bi-Weekly at the CEC Office before 4pm on their due date. CNM Timesheets are due on Mondays, while UNM Timesheets are due on Thursdays. Due dates and pay period info is available at the CEC office and on the monthly calendar.
You need to contact either your financial aid advisor or the work-study/student employment office at the campus you are attending to get this information. Remember that the work-study has to be a federal work-study award and not state work-study.
Yes, this is so that we know how much money you have available during the course of the year and we have a “heads up” if you need to be switched over to another funding source so that your pay is not delayed.
Contact the work-study/student employment office and ask them what the balance is that you have remaining on your award. Please note though that sometimes their info may have a delay of about two weeks, so if you have been paid between the day you call and the “as of” date that they give you, that payment must be subtracted to get your actual balance.
Yes, if you fall below 6 credit hours at either CNM or UNM, your work-study will be taken away.
You will have to talk with your Site Facilitator and/or a CEC staff member to see what other funding source you can be put under until you can receive a new work-study award, which won’t likely be until the summer semester or the following academic year.
You need to apply for it at your work-study office. The FAFSA form you filled out mainly covers the Fall and Spring semesters so you need to stop by the Financial Aid office to get any necessary forms filled out for the Summer award. This should be done before the end of the Spring semester so that there are no unnecessary delays.
At CNM you need to be enrolled in 6 credit hours for the entire 12 weeks during the Summer, while at UNM, the student needs to be enrolled in 3 credit hours for the entire 8 week Summer session.
Yes, because UNM and CNM can work together through the consortium agreement. You will have to check with the Financial Aid office for more details and eligibility requirements.

The priority date for filling out the FAFSA form is January 4th of each year. This is when you can receive the most money possible for your financial aid. The FAFSA forms are available at the financial aid offices and you can also do it electronically online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. *When you fill out the FAFSA form please make sure that you mark YES when asked if you are interested in work-study!*

Important Numbers and Info

  • FAFSA Online
  • CNM Financial Aid & Student Employment Office: 505.224.3090
  • UNM Financial Aid Office: 505.277.2041
  • UNM Work-study/Student Employment: 505.277.3511

Starting in 2010 eligible UNMSC members are enrolled in AmeriCorps through the Bonner Foundation in New Jersey. To know about the program requirements, visit this link.

Member Eligibility: Required Documents

Be a U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident Alien

Please submit a legible copy of one of the following:

  1. Signed, unexpired U.S. Passport or Passport Card
  2. State or county-issued birth certificate
  3. Naturalization or Legal Permanent Resident Documentation
  4. Report of Birth Abroad to a U.S. citizen

Please note that legal name change documentation is also needed if the name that appears on your citizenship documentation is different than your current legal name (e.g., copy of Marriage Certificate or court order).

Pass a Criminal Background Check and Sex Offender Registry Check

Please submit a legible copy of one of these acceptable forms of government-issued photo ID:

  1. Signed and un-expired U.S. Passport or Passport Card or;
  2. Driver's license or;
  3. Permanent Resident Card

Other Requirements

  1. Signed Social security Card
  2. Have already obtained a high school diploma or its equivalent or agree to obtain a GED before term of service end date.
  3. Be 18-years-old or be at least 17-years-old and have signed and parental consent if starting an AmeriCorps before becoming 18-years-old.
  4. May not have exceeded the term limits (4 Terms) or the award amount of two full time Ed. Awards

Term and Award

Members can serve up to four terms (either 450 or 300 hours of service)

Member Benefits

HOUR REQUIREMENTAMERICORPS EDUCATION AWARD
300 hours (one year term)$1,175 Education Award
450 hours (one year term)$1,468 Education Award

Accessing an AmeriCorps Education Award

Upon successful completion of a term of service, a student will be certified by a National Bonner AmeriCorps Enrollment Manager as eligible to access an Education Award directly from the National Service Trust. After a student has been certified as eligible to receive an Education Award and sees that their status in BWBRS has changed to "Alumni" for the term in question, the student should register at my.americorps.gov and create an account which will permit allocation of the Award. AmeriCorps Education Awards are not accessed or allocated through the Bonner Foundation.

  • Click on the following link (https://my.americorps.gov/mp/login.do)
  • Next, click on “Register to create a new Member/Alum account” shown in red on the site and follow the prompts or log in if you have already created an account.
  • Log in to the system
  • From home page, select “Education Award Payment Request”
  • Verify your information
  • Choose whether your payment will be used to pay a loan or pay for current educational expenses. (If the latter, enter the semester or term for which you are authorizing payment.)
  • Enter the amount authorized
  • Search and select your Institution (see troubleshooting section for more directions)
  • Check certification boxes
  • Click “submit”
  • Log in to the system
  • From home page, select “Forbearance Request”
  • Verify your information
  • Search and select Financial Institution (see troubleshooting section for more directions)
  • Click “submit”
  • Log in to the system
  • From home page, select “Interest Accrual Benefit Request”
  • Verify your information
  • Search and select Financial Institution (see troubleshooting section for more directions)
  • Click “submit”

To determine if a service position is an eligible placement for National Bonner AmeriCorps, refer to the list below of currently eligible position types:

After School Programs (ASP)

In order for an after-school program to serve as a placement site for a Bonner AmeriCorps member, the following must be true:

  • The population served should be from an at-risk population, defined as at least 51% eligible for free or reduced lunch
  • The youth/children served should participate in programming at least 5 hours/weekly for at least 16 weeks.

Capacity Building (CB)

Eligible positions under capacity building must meet two criteria:

  1. Fall within one of our five categories and
  2. Be based at an organization which addresses at least one of the following CNCS priority issue areas:
    • Disaster Services: Concerns regarding the preparation, mitigation, response, and recovery efforts that relate to disaster events.
    • Economic Opportunity: Addresses unmet needs of economically disadvantaged individuals, including financial literacy, affordable housing, and employment‐related assistance.
    • Education: Topics related to unmet educational needs within communities, especially those that help at-risk youth to achieve success in school and prevent them from dropping out.
    • Environmental Stewardship: Matters regarding energy and water efficiency, renewable energy use, at-risk ecosystems, and behavioral change leading to increased efficiency.
    • Healthy Futures: Addresses unmet health needs, including access to health care, increasing physical activity and improving nutrition in youth, and increasing seniors’ ability to remain in their own homes.
    • Veterans and Military Families: Addresses unmet needs of veterans, members of the armed forces, and family members of deployed military personnel.

There are many types of service activities that may connect with capacity building, and a capacity building position may involve a number of the following activities:

  • Volunteer Management including volunteer recruitment, volunteer training and/or volunteer recognition
  • Training and Program Development including curriculum development, implementing new programs and/or organizing staff training
  • Fundraising including organizing a fundraising event, identifying grant or other funding sources, and/or writing grants (but for no more than 10% of your originally agreed-upon hours)
  • Communications including website development and/or social media implementation
  • Research including program surveys and/or community-based research