Current VISTA Member Resources

Recent legislation eliminated the individual mandate for health insurance, meaning VISTAs are no longer required to maintain health insurance coverage. While VISTA members who have health insurance are encouraged to maintain it, the VISTA program provides health benefit options for both individuals who have health insurance and individuals who do not have health insurance.

The two health benefit options available to VISTA members are as follows:

If a VISTA member does not have health insurance, he or she would be eligible for the AmeriCorps VISTA Health Benefit Plan.

The AmeriCorps VISTA Health Benefit Plan is a self-funded health benefit plan created by AmeriCorps. This is a limited healthcare plan administered by International Medical Group, Inc. (IMG); this is not an insurance policy. The AmeriCorps VISTA Health Benefit Plan will terminate automatically on the date a VISTA member’s service ends or the date that other healthcare coverage becomes effective. Please note that this plan has certain limitations and does not cover pre-existing conditions, with the exception of medications already prescribed for such conditions.

If a VISTA member has health insurance, he or she would then be eligible for the AmeriCorps VISTA Healthcare Allowance.

The AmeriCorps VISTA Healthcare Allowance is designed to reimburse VISTA members for out of pocket expenses after payment by their healthcare policies for services associated with “Minimum Essential Coverage;” such expenses might include: annual deductible, coinsurance, copayments and other charges for qualified medical expenses. This is an allowance to help offset covered expenses up to the current marketplace individual maximum out-of-pocket amount associated with a VISTA member’s primary coverage regardless of type.

This benefit will also reimburse a VISTA for out of pocket expense related to routine dental expenses such as cleanings, x-rays and fillings up to a maximum of $1,000 per service term year and routine vision expenses such as an eye exam and prescribed glasses or contacts up to a plan maximum of $200 per service term year.

The Healthcare Allowance cannot be applied to insurance premiums, costs for non-essential health benefits such cosmetic or elective services including but not limited to elective abortion services or any costs associated with abortion services, or costs associated with the care of a spouse and/or dependents. The Healthcare Allowance has a reimbursement limit of $7,900 for calendar year 2019.

If a VISTA member needs to apply for health insurance outside of the VISTA program, the AmeriCorps VISTA Health Benefit Plan would be available to him or her during his or her first 60 days of VISTA service while he or she waits for that other coverage to take effect.

VISTA members can also access virtual care at no cost. Virtual care allows VISTA members to immediately consult with board certified physicians, psychologists, social workers, and professional counselors at any time or day via phone or video chat, at no personal cost. Virtual care is administered by IMG.

In order to access health benefits, VISTA members must sign-up online within 60 days of their service start dates.

Read a more detailed overview of the VISTA Health Benefit here.

View the Health Benefit Plan guide here.

VISTA members receive ten days (80 hours) of personal leave and ten days (80 hours) of medical leave.

VISTA members must request and receive approval in advance from the sub-site supervisor for all personal leave, specifying the dates of leave requested. There is no compensation for unused personal leave.

Medical leave can be used for illness, hospitalization, and medical appointments of any sort. This includes mental health and preventative care. VISTA members are required to request prior approval for medical leave, except for extenuating circumstances when a VISTA is physically unable to request prior approval, from the sponsoring organization or supervisor.

In the case of emergencies, up to five days of additional leave may be provided, but this has to be requested and approved. VISTA members should inform their sub-site supervisors and the VISTA Program Manager of emergency situations as they arise.

VISTA members with children under the age of 13 can qualify for the AmeriCorps Childcare Benefit. The approved benefit rate will either the rate of your current childcare provider or the maximum allowable rate in the state of Missouri (whichever is less).

To be eligible, you must:

The age of your children (must be under the age of 13)

Your total household income, including any other forms of assistance that you receive. Your VISTA living allowance is not factored into determine your eligibility.

Your state income limit. Your family income must be below the maximum income limit for your state

View more detailed information about the Childcare Benefit here.

GAP Solutions, Inc. (GAPSI) currently administers the child care benefit program for the VISTA program, and VISTA members must apply online directly to GAPSI for the child care benefit.

VISTA members are not only allowed but encouraged to participate in professional development during the course of their terms of service. Up to two or three hours of professional development is allowed per week. VISTA members should speak with their sub-site supervisors about what areas of professional development are relevant and of interest to the VISTA. Professional development can include attending conferences, classes, or other learning events related to poverty reduction, a VISTA member’s VAD, or a VISTA member’s organization. It can also include shadowing, informational interviews, writing and revising resumes, researching colleges or graduate schools, and similar activities. Professional development, however, cannot include any activity related to direct service.

We also ask that all of our VISTAs attend a monthly professional development meeting hosted by the LKC VISTA program. During these meetings we have group discussions, listen to guest speakers, and have presentations given by some of our own VISTA members. It is also a great opportunity to network and discuss issues related to service or your specific project.

Each VISTA member on the Literacy KC VISTA Team can request up to $500 for emergencies during their year of service. The fund can be utilized for purposes such as car repairs, emergency medical expenses, et cetera. The emergency fund is available to VISTA members after 90 days of service. Requests to use the emergency fund should be sent to the VISTA Program Coordinator.

Emergency fund requests will be assessed with regards to whether or not they qualify as an emergency and approved or denied accordingly.

Upon completion of their term of service, VISTA members are eligible to receive either a cash stipend of $1,800 or the Segal Education Award of around $6,495 for future or past education expenses (the education award can vary in amount from year to year).

If selected, the cash stipend will be distributed with the VISTA member’s last two living allowances.

If the Segal Education Award is selected, the VISTA member will have up to seven years to use the award to repay qualified student loans (loans in the student’s name that are backed by the federal government or made by a state agency) or to pay for all or part of the cost of attending an eligible institution of higher education.

A VISTA member can request to use his or her Segal Education Award through his or her My AmeriCorps account upon completion of his or her term of service. The end of service award is considered taxable income.

Learn more about how to use the Segal award here and check out a list of nontraditional ways to use the award here.

In addition to the education award, VISTA members can take advantage of several other education benefits open to AmeriCorps members. VISTA members, for example, can place qualified student loans into forbearance or deferment during their term of service. VISTA members can also receive a GRE Fee Reduction Certificate. Many institutions also offer to match the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award or make available to AmeriCorps VISTA alumni other financial aid benefits, such as scholarships, tuition waivers, and in-state tuition.

One of the benefits of successfully completing your year of service as a VISTA is the option to use the Non-Competitive Eligibility (NCE) hiring status to help obtain federal employment. NCE does not guarantee an individual a federal position; NCE permits (but does not require) a federal agency to noncompetitively hire a VISTA alum who meets the minimum qualifications for a position.

The NCE hiring status is good for one year starting from a VISTA member’s end of service date. NCE can be extended for up to two more years past the expiration date by the hiring agency, under certain conditions. VISTA alumni can access a letter verifying their VISTA service through their My AmeriCorps accounts upon completion of his or her term of service.

Although daily commuting is at the expense of the individual VISTA member, all travel directly related to the service of AmeriCorps VISTA members will be reimbursed, either by the Literacy KC VISTA Program or by the sponsoring organization.

VISTA Program Reimbursement: For travel expenses related to mandatory VISTA training, VISTA members must complete and submit a reimbursement form to Literacy KC. The Literacy KC VISTA Program will then reimburse the VISTA member through check.

Sponsor Organization Reimbursement: For travel expenses related to the performance of activities identified in a VISTA member’s VAD (not including the daily commute and other non-service trips), VISTA members must complete and submit a reimbursement form to their sponsoring organizations. The sponsoring organization will then reimburse the VISTA member. Sub-site supervisors should inform VISTA members of the specific forms and processes for travel reimbursement at their respective organizations.

V-81: If in the course of carrying out his or her assigned duties as a VISTA member, a VISTA member is involved in an accident with a privately owned vehicle, the AmeriCorps Regional Office requires a Use of Vehicles or Public Transportation form to be completed – the V-81. The V-81 is available on the member home page in My AmeriCorps under My In-Service Benefits.