• creating five new service Corps to meet pressing social challenges
• expanding the Peace Corps, Senior Corps, and Americorps
• increasing funding and resources for service-learning at the elementary, high school, and college levels
• connecting disadvantaged young people with opportunities to serve and continue their education
• investing in the capacity and innovation of non-profits
• increasing support for members of the armed forces and their families

Read the full plan on Obama’s web site. (pdf)

Of particular interest to Campus Compact’s members and civic engagement practitioners are the following provisions:

• Individuals who have worked in public service jobs for 10 years after October 1, 2007 are eligible for total forgiveness of the remainder of Federal Direct student loans.
• As of July 1, 2009, payment of student loans will not exceed 15% of an individual’s discretionary income, or 15% of the amount that an individual (and spouse)’˜s adjusted gross income exceeds 150% of the poverty line, divided by 12. After 25 years of repayment, the remainder of the loan balance is forgiven. Those who began paying an income-sensitive or income-contingent loan before this date will have the option of staying with their current payment plan or entering the new plan. (Information from the NASFAA summary; see link below)
• Funding is allocated to the states to administer college access and success programs. States can administer the programs themselves or grant the money to other organizations in the state that are administering these programs

View the full text of the bill from GovTrack

Read the NASFAA (National Association of FInancial Aid Administrators) summary of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act.

Senator Hatch and Senator Kennedy’s niece, Caroline, announced the bill during the ServiceNation Summit in New York City on September 12. The Summit brought together 500 leaders of all ages and from every sector of American life — from universities and foundations, to business and politics — to celebrate the power and potential of citizen service, and lay out a bold policy blueprint for addressing America’s greatest social challenges through expanded opportunities for volunteer and national service. (Information from the ServiceNation website; see link below)

Campus Compact was an original member of the Summit planning committee, and helped to draft a comprehensive policy paper for the Summit. The ‘Campuses of Service’ program included in the Serve America Act was inspired by the Summit policy paper.

Read a summary of the Serve America Act written by the Corporation for National and Community Service.

View the full text of the bill from GovTrack

To get involved in the ServiceNation movement, visit Be the Change

Three other sections of the bill are of particular interest to Campus Compact members and civic engagement practitioners:

• Allowing for the creation of grants to support loan forgiveness for public service
• Providing additional funding for community-based federal work-study
• The GAP (Grants for Access and Persistence) program, which supports mentoring and college preparation programs for at-risk students

The GAP program builds upon an already-existing federal program that is currently receiving funding. As of November 2008, the other programs have not yet had funds appropriated to them.

Read Campus Compact’s summary of the sections addressing loan forgiveness for public service, community-based federal work-study, and Grants for Access and Persistence.

Download the American Council on Education’s analysis of the entire bill, including the sections about the financial aid process.

View the full text of the bill from GovTrack

The Summit will take place in New York City on September 18, 2008 and is sponsored by Be The Change, Inc., City Year, and Civic Enterprises, working in partnership with TIME Magazine. Campus Compact is a member of the organizing committee for the Summit, participating in several calls a month. We are active on the policy subcommittee as well.

To prepare for the Summit in September, the organizers are conducting a Change Agent Academy experience this summer. This will be a full-time community organizing opportunity open all, yet will be particularly attractive to college students, new graduates, and Americorps members.

Learn more about the Summit and the movement

Find out more about the Change Agent Academy or download an application

Check out the Voices for National Service Legislative Updates to see how your representative voted and more.

The allocation for higher ed. remains at 25% of the budget, which would come out to $8,025,000 in the President’s proposal.

This was a particularly hard budget year across the board for all Corporation for National and Community Service programs, especially for Foster Grandparents, which took a significant cut.

For more information, please see the Voices for National Service website.

The content of the program was as follows:

1. Welcoming Remarks

   by First Lady of New York Silda Wall Spitzer

2. Lifetime Recognition Awards and Honorees

   1. National Service Lifetime Leadership Award

      Senator Harris Wofford
      For life-long dedication to citizen service and for outstanding leadership in advancing national service as a civic commitment and a legislative priority.

   2. Career Service Award

      Senator Jack Reed
      For a career of extraordinary support for national service.

   3. Citizen Service Award

      Dorothy Johnson, The Ahlburg Company
      Richard Stengel, Managing Editor of TIME
      For investing in the civic health of our nation through support of national service.

3. 2007 Awards and Honorees

   by First Lady of New York Silda Wall Spitzer

   1. Outstanding National Service Advocacy Award

      Governor Charlie Crist
      For outstanding leadership and advocacy of national service as a state and federal priority.

   2. Distinguished Service Award

      Representative George Miller
      Representative Howard McKeon
      Representative Carolyn McCarthy
      Representative Todd Platts
      For advancing national service legislation to expand high-quality opportunities for citizens to serve their communities and our country.

   3. Outstanding New Member Award

      Representative Phil Hare
      Representative John Sarbanes
      For elevating national service as a first term legislative priority.

   4. Special Recognition Award

      Representative Robert Scott
      For strengthening civil society across the generations through a commitment to seniors and to disadvantaged youth.