§ 12602. Individuals eligible to receive an educational award from the Trust
(a)
Eligible individuals
An individual shall receive a national service educational award, summer of service educational award, or silver scholar educational award from the National Service Trust if the organization responsible for the individual’s supervision in a national service program certifies that the individual—
(1)
met the applicable eligibility requirements for the approved national service position, approved silver scholar position, or approved summer of service position, as appropriate, in which the individual served;
(2)
(A)
for a full-time or part-time national service educational award, successfully completed the required term of service described in subsection (b)(1) in the approved national service position;
(B)
for a partial educational award in accordance with section
12593
(c) of this title—
(C)
for a summer of service educational award, successfully completed the required term of service described in subsection (b)(2) in an approved summer of service position, as certified through a process determined by the Corporation through regulations consistent with section
12592
(f) of this title; or
(D)
for a silver scholar educational award, successfully completed the required term of service described in subsection (b)(3) in an approved silver scholar position, as certified through a process determined by the Corporation through regulations consistent with section
12592
(f) of this title; and
(b)
Term of service
(c)
Limitation on receipt of national service educational awards
An individual may not receive, through national service educational awards and silver scholar educational awards, more than an amount equal to the aggregate value of 2 such awards for full-time service. The value of summer of service educational awards that an individual receives shall have no effect on the aggregate value of the national service educational awards the individual may receive.
(d)
Time for use of educational award
(1)
In general
Subject to paragraph (2), an individual eligible to receive a national service educational award or a silver scholar educational award under this section may not use such award after the end of the 7-year period beginning on the date the individual completes the term of service in an approved national service position or an approved silver scholar position, as applicable, that is the basis of the award. Subject to paragraph (2), an individual eligible to receive a summer of service educational award under this section may not use such award after the end of the 10-year period beginning on the date the individual completes the term of service in an approved summer of service position that is the basis of the award.
(2)
Exception
The Corporation may extend the period within which an individual may use a national service educational award, summer of service educational award, or silver scholar educational award if the Corporation determines that the individual—
(3)
Term for transferred educational awards
For purposes of applying paragraphs (1) and (2)(A) to an individual who is eligible to receive an educational award as a designated individual (as defined in section
12604
(f)(8) of this title), references to a seven-year period shall be considered to be references to a 10-year period that begins on the date the individual who transferred the educational award to the designated individual completed the term of service in the approved national service position or approved silver scholar position that is the basis of the award.
(e)
Suspension of eligibility for drug-related offenses
(1)
In general
An individual who, after qualifying under this section or under section
12563
(c)(8) of this title as an eligible individual, has been convicted under any Federal or State law of the possession or sale of a controlled substance shall not be eligible to receive a national service educational award, a summer of service educational award, or a silver scholar educational award during the period beginning on the date of such conviction and ending after the interval specified in the following table:
If convicted of: | |
The possession of a controlled substance: | Ineligibility period is: |
1st conviction | 1 year |
2nd conviction | 2 years |
3rd conviction | indefinite |
The sale of a controlled substance: | |
1st conviction | 2 years |
2nd conviction | indefinite |
(2)
Rehabilitation
An individual whose eligibility has been suspended under paragraph (1) shall resume eligibility before the end of the period determined under such paragraph if the individual satisfactorily completes a drug rehabilitation program that complies with such criteria as the Corporation shall prescribe for purposes of this paragraph.
(3)
First convictions
An individual whose eligibility has been suspended under paragraph (1) and is convicted of a first offense may resume eligibility before the end of the period determined under such paragraph if the individual demonstrates that he or she has enrolled or been accepted for enrollment in a drug rehabilitation program described in paragraph (2).
(f)
Authority to establish demonstration programs
The Corporation may establish by regulation demonstration programs for the creation and evaluation of innovative volunteer and community service programs.