Vermont officials warn AmeriCorps cuts imperil Serve Learn Earn programs, members lose benefits

Montpelier — Kate Bluffman, director of Serve Learn Earn, told the Vermont House Committee on Commerce & Economic Development on Feb. 9 that recent federal cuts to AmeriCorps and related grant streams have already reduced funding for Serve Learn Earn partner programs by about $1 million and could bring total losses to roughly $2.324 million if other tentative reductions materialize.

Bluffman said the cuts have immediate effects on individual members and program capacity. “Serve Learn Earn is not AmeriCorps,” she said, explaining that the state service commission, Serve Vermont, administers AmeriCorps funding in Vermont and that Serve Learn Earn programs received only a portion of their support from that federal source. Bluffman added that members are losing benefits tied to AmeriCorps, most notably the Segal Education Award: “For a full‑time member, that’s over $7,000.”

The Segal Education Award, health insurance eligibility tied to living allowances, housing placements that had been available to some members, and other supports will not be covered if the federal money is not restored, Bluffman said. She said some partner organizations — including Vermont Youth Conservation Corps (VYCC) and organizations supported by the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board…