CMU Heinz AmeriCorps Issues

[mppthrowaway]

I'm in a bit of a pickle, and would appreciate some help. This is somewhat sensitive, hence the throwaway and limited info. 

I got into Heinz with a good-sized scholarship for fall 2018. I'm in the middle of an Americorps term that ends almost four weeks after orientation. I made it clear when I took the position that I wanted to attend grad school for 2018 and would likely leave early. The problem is, I was led to believe my $5,800 education award could be prorated. However, I now know that Americorps policy is that if anyone leaves early for any reason, there is NO education award payout (I know I should have hounded them for a more thorough answer. Trust me, I'm kicking myself over this).

Long story short: my boss is contacting the higher ups to see if they can make an exception. I'm 98% sure they won't. I don't want to lose the Segal, but at this point, I'm mostly worried about Heinz. Has anyone with a strategic partner scholarship in the past worked with CMU to navigate this bullshit? I'm afraid to even bring it up out of fear that if I mention leaving AmeriCorps early I'll lose my scholarship, but I know I probably should before I think about accepting my spot. 

Any insight would be greatly appreciated. 

[AddSmith]

I think your big issue is going to come with your credentials verification and not completing your term of service, thus an issue with your resume and creds. I understand not wanting to lose Segal, it’s something I am heavily relying on for CMU. I think if you’re upfront with Heinz, it should be okay? But, it’s hard to tell what will happen with your SPS. 

If I were you, I’d reach out to admissions and discuss your predicament, with a backup plan for scholarship. I think being an Americorps participant should hold its same weight, even without completing the term of service. 

[mppthrowaway]

@AddSmith that makes a lot of sense. I figured the credentials verification would be the biggest problem with CMU. I just don't know how thorough they are? There are plenty of different AmeriCorps programs, and I don't know if anyone's going to do the math that I would have to leave early since I'll end up serving 11 months. I know I should reach out and be upfront, but part of me is terrified that drawing attention to the problem is what will make it a problem--that they wouldn't have noticed it otherwise.

The SPS is a big deal in me being able to afford Heinz. Has anyone found any info on deferring admission? It seems deeply stupid to have to defer admission for an entire year because of less than a month overlap, but it's an option I'm considering, for sure.

[AddSmith]

On 3/24/2018 at 11:28 AM, mppthrowaway said:

Has anyone found any info on deferring admission? It seems deeply stupid to have to defer admission for an entire year because of less than a month overlap, but it's an option I'm considering, for sure.

When you submit your acceptance, you can defer for 12 months. It popped up on my acceptance letter as an option! There's specific guidelines about it on the admission response form. 

[mppthrowaway]

I was combing the website, and didn't even think to re-read my letter! Nice catch, @AddSmith. That feels like a solid backup plan.

[mppthrowaway]

I wanted to return to this thread in case it could help ease the anxiety of a future applicant.

I checked in with CMU Admissions and Financial Aid to see if my funding would be affected, and they assured me it would not be. Their general stance seems to be that life happens, and what they really care about is that everything on the application is true at the time of applying. My award may be rebranded, but the sum of my aid should remain unchanged. 

I found out right after I enrolled at Heinz that I would not receive the AmeriCorps Segal Education Award if I left three weeks early to attend grad school. I resigned from my AmeriCorps position almost immediately to earn more money, and my supervisor was incredibly understanding. I'll post updates if anything with CMU arises as a result of that, but at this point I'm feeling assured that I made the right decision for me financially.