§ 12653c. Silver Scholarships and Encore Fellowships

(a) Silver Scholarship Grant Program

(1) Establishment

The Corporation may award fixed-amount grants (in accordance with section 12581 (l) of this title) to community-based entities to carry out a Silver Scholarship Grant Program for individuals age 55 or older, in which such individuals complete not less than 350 hours of service in a year carrying out projects of national need and receive a Silver Scholarship in the form of a $1,000 national service educational award. Under such a program, the Corporation shall establish criteria for the types of the ^[1] service required to be performed to receive such award.

(2) Term

Each program funded under this subsection shall be carried out over a period of 3 years (which may include 1 planning year), with a 1-year extension possible, if the program meets performance levels developed in accordance with section 12639 (k) of this title and any other criteria determined by the Corporation.

(3) Applications

To be eligible for a grant under this subsection, a community-based entity shall—

(A) submit to the Corporation an application at such time and in such manner as the Chief Executive Officer may reasonably require; and

(B) be a listed organization as described in subsection (b)(4).

(4) Collaboration encouraged

A community-based entity awarded a grant under this subsection is encouraged to collaborate with programs funded under title II of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 [42 U.S.C. 5001 et seq.] in carrying out this program.

(5) Eligibility for fellowship

An individual is eligible to receive a Silver Scholarship if the community-based entity certifies to the Corporation that the individual has completed not less than 350 hours of service under this section in a 1-year period.

(6) Transfer to trust

The Corporation shall transfer an appropriate amount of funds to the National Service Trust to provide for the national service educational award for each silver scholar under this subsection.

(7) Support services

A community-based entity receiving a fixed-amount grant under this subsection may use a portion of the grant to provide transportation services to an eligible individual to allow such individual to participate in a service project.

(b) Encore Fellowships

(1) Establishment

The Corporation may award 1-year Encore Fellowships to enable individuals age 55 or older to—

(A) carry out service projects in areas of national need; and

(B) receive training and development in order to transition to full- or part-time public service in the nonprofit sector or government.

(2) Program

In carrying out the program, the Corporation shall—

(A) maintain a list of eligible organizations for which Encore Fellows may be placed to carry out service projects through the program and shall provide the list to all Fellowship recipients; and

(B) at the request of a Fellowship recipient—

(i) determine whether the requesting recipient is able to meet the service needs of a listed organization, or another organization that the recipient requests in accordance with paragraph (5)(B), for a service project; and

(ii) upon making a favorable determination under clause (i), award the recipient with an Encore Fellowship, and place the recipient with the organization as an Encore Fellow under paragraph (5)(C).

(3) Eligible recipients

(A) In general

An individual desiring to be selected as a Fellowship recipient shall—

(i) be an individual who—

(I) is age 55 or older as of the time the individual applies for the program; and

(II) is not engaged in, but who wishes to engage in, full- or part-time public service in the nonprofit sector or government; and

(ii) submit an application to the Corporation, at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Corporation may require, including—

(I) a description of the area of national need that the applicant hopes to address through the service project;

(II) a description of the skills and experience the applicant has to address an area of national need; and

(III) information identifying the region of the United States in which the applicant wishes to serve.

(B) Selection basis

In determining which individuals to select as Fellowship recipients, the Corporation shall—

(i) select not more than 10 individuals from each State; and

(ii) give priority to individuals with skills and experience for which there is an ongoing high demand in the nonprofit sector and government.

(4) Listed organizations

To be listed under paragraph (2)(A), an organization shall—

(A) be a nonprofit organization; and

(B) submit an application to the Corporation at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Corporation may require, including—

(i) a description of—

(I) the services and activities the organization carries out generally;

(II) the area of national need that the organization seeks to address through a service project; and

(III) the services and activities the organization seeks to carry out through the proposed service project;

(ii) a description of the skills and experience that an eligible Encore Fellowship recipient needs to be placed with the organization as an Encore Fellow for the service project;

(iii) a description of the training and leadership development the organization shall provide an Encore Fellow placed with the organization to assist the Encore Fellow in obtaining a public service job in the nonprofit sector or government after the period of the Encore Fellowship; and

(iv) evidence of the organization’s financial stability.

(5) Placement

(A) Request for placement with listed organizations

To be placed with a listed organization in accordance with paragraph (2)(B) for a service project, an eligible Encore Fellowship recipient shall submit an application for such placement to the Corporation at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Corporation may require.

(B) Request for placement with other organization

An eligible Encore Fellowship recipient may apply to the Corporation to serve the recipient’s Encore Fellowship year with a nonprofit organization that is not a listed organization. Such application shall be submitted to the Corporation at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Corporation shall require, and shall include—

(i) an identification and description of—

(I) the organization;

(II) the area of national need the organization seeks to address; and

(III) the services or activities the organization carries out to address such area of national need;

(ii) a description of the services the eligible Encore Fellowship recipient shall provide for the organization as an Encore Fellow; and

(iii) a letter of support from the leader of the organization, including—

(I) a description of the organization’s need for the eligible Encore Fellowship recipient’s services;

(II) evidence that the organization is financially sound;

(III) an assurance that the organization will provide training and leadership development to the eligible Encore Fellowship recipient if placed with the organization as an Encore Fellow, to assist the Encore Fellow in obtaining a public service job in the nonprofit sector or government after the period of the Encore Fellowship; and

(IV) a description of the training and leadership development to be provided to the Encore Fellowship recipient if so placed.

If the Corporation determines that the eligible Encore Fellowship recipient is able to meet the service needs (including skills and experience to address an area of national need) of the organization that the eligible fellowship recipient requests under subparagraph (A) or (B), the Corporation shall—

(i) approve the placement of the eligible Encore Fellowship recipient with the organization;

(ii) award the eligible Encore Fellowship recipient an Encore Fellowship for a period of 1 year and designate the eligible Encore Fellowship recipient as an Encore Fellow; and

(iii) in awarding the Encore Fellowship, make a payment, in the amount of $11,000, to the organization to enable the organization to provide living expenses to the Encore Fellow for the year in which the Encore Fellow agrees to serve.

(6) Matching funds

An organization that receives an Encore Fellow under this subsection shall agree to provide, for the living expenses of the Encore Fellow during the year of service, non-Federal contributions in an amount equal to not less than $1 for every $1 of Federal funds provided to the organization for the Encore Fellow through the Encore Fellowship.

(7) Training and assistance

Each organization that receives an Encore Fellow under this subsection shall provide training, leadership development, and assistance to the Encore Fellow, and conduct oversight of the service provided by the Encore Fellow.

(8) Leadership development

Each year, the Corporation shall convene current and former Encore Fellows to discuss the Encore Fellows’ experiences related to service under this subsection and discuss strategies for increasing leadership and careers in public service in the nonprofit sector or government.

The Corporation shall conduct an independent evaluation of the programs authorized under subsections (a) and (b) and widely disseminate the results, including recommendations for improvement, to the service community through multiple channels, including the Corporation’s Resource Center or a clearinghouse of effective strategies.

[1] So in original.

U.S. Code

§ 12653c. Silver Scholarships and Encore Fellowships