GWU- Funding for AmeriCorps Alums

[mpptobe2011]

GWU's website says, "AmeriCorps and Teach for America alumni are eligible to receive a $5,000 financial aid award for the MPA or MPP program." Does anybody know if this is a guaranteed award for all alums, or a limited/ merit-based thing?

If you're an AmeriCorps or Teach for America alum, I'd be interested in hearing whether you got the $5,000 this year.

I'm just wondering because when I received my official acceptance (whew!) the letter indicated that I hadn't qualified for any fellowships or assistantships. I'm trying to figure out whether that's because I was a marginal applicant or because one of my professors submitted my recommendation after I'd been accepted (and, presumably, after fellowship decisions had been made).

Thanks in advance!

[skeedy]

I'm an alum and waiting on my darn letter (after an unofficial acceptance email)... So hopefully I will be able to illuminate you shortly.

[mpptobe2011]

Thanks very much! My official acceptance letter came within a week of the official acceptance email (which itself came a few days after the unofficial acceptance email... quite a procession). So I'd think you'll get your letter shortly.

I'm an alum and waiting on my darn letter (after an unofficial acceptance email)... So hopefully I will be able to illuminate you shortly.

[Gradpaths]

I am currently serving in AmeriCorps and just got my unofficial email today, and hoping that my official letter will follow soon. I hope since there are more than one of us, we all get an award...I hope they plan for this sort of thing happening.

[skeedy]

I hope since there are more than one of us, we all get an award...I hope they plan for this sort of thing happening.

Agreed. GW isn't the only school to match Ed awards - UW-Madison, U Penn, U Mich, and Carnegie Mellon all promise to offer at least $5,000 to Americorps alumni (U Penn's Fels Institute of Government offers up to $5,000 a semester.) But I have no idea how this money is allocated/what do they do if they can't accommodate everyone? It seems to good to be true...

[mpptobe2011]

Duke offers Americorps, PeaceCorps and Teach for America alums an amazing "minimum of $14,000 per year, through a combination of a tuition fellowship and payment for community service, teaching, research, or graduate assistantship." (http://sanford.duke.edu/graduate/mpp/admissions/partnerships.php) It definitely seems too good to be true!

[skeedy]

Duke offers Americorps, PeaceCorps and Teach for America alums an amazing "minimum of $14,000 per year, through a combination of a tuition fellowship and payment for community service, teaching, research, or graduate assistantship." (http://sanford.duke....artnerships.php) It definitely seems too good to be true!

Well, dang. I dropped the ball on applying there! That IS amazing.

[mssyAK]

Bump! Any info on GWU AmeriCorps scholarships?

[smerd]

It's my understanding that GWU (and others) straight up matches the AmeriCorps segal award automatically. If you're admitted, it's matched. On AmeriCorp's website, GWU is listed as one of the "Institutions that Match the Education Award," see here: http://www.americorps.gov/for_individuals/benefits/ed_award_match_detail.asp?tbl_acaward_id=62

[skeedy]

It's my understanding that GWU (and others) straight up matches the AmeriCorps segal award automatically. If you're admitted, it's matched. On AmeriCorp's website, GWU is listed as one of the "Institutions that Match the Education Award," see here: http://www.americorp...l_acaward_id=62

Yep - that's why I applied there (and the other 5 schools that match the award.)

But the promise is that they (GWU, etc) "at least" match the $5,000. So the question is if they go above and beyond the amount