Committee reviews bill to match AmeriCorps education awards, encourage members to stay in Vermont

A presenter to the House Committee on Commerce & Economic Development described a bill April 1 that would match Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards at Vermont colleges and add incentives such as in‑state tuition and preferential hiring for state jobs to encourage AmeriCorps members who serve in Vermont to remain in the state after their service.

The presenter said the bill is modeled on programs in other states and aims to convert AmeriCorps service into long‑term workforce recruitment. “The idea is these folks are coming here. If we can keep them here, we win,” the presenter said, adding that a two‑year service commitment followed by two or four years of schooling increases the chance members will stay.

Committee members asked for details about the size and source of the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award and whether the state collects data on how many AmeriCorps members who serve in Vermont come from other states or remain in Vermont after completing service. The presenter said he asked Phil Koehling, director of SERV Vermont, to join but Koehling was unable to attend and that Koehling would have the enrollment and retention numbers. The presenter offered to provide the committee with a Rhode Island white paper describing that state’s approach and to obtain the Vermont data.

The presenter described options the committee could consider: matching the federal education award at state colleges to retain federal dollars in Vermont, expanding prior versions of a matching policy, and exploring preferential state hiring of former AmeriCorps members. He noted the proposal would have a cost because the state match brings federal education dollars into state institutions rather than allowing them to be used out of state.

Committee members discussed whether private colleges would be included and were told the committee could decide; the presenter said the bill would focus predominantly on state colleges because that aligns with the committee’s jurisdiction. He also described AmeriCorps’ program types (mentoring, RSVP and senior volunteer programs, environmental placements through the Agency of Natural Resources) and noted the program’s federal funding fluctuates with administrations.

The discussion closed with the presenter repeating an offer to obtain retention data and share the Rhode Island white paper with committee members to inform next steps.