S2S Corps:
Frequently Asked Questions 
- What is the purpose of the S2S Corps?
- Which colleges can participate in S2S Corps?
- My university is a member of Kansas Campus Compact. What do I need to do to have S2S Corps members on my campus?
- When can students begin enrolling as mentors?
- Can our campus have more than one Campus Coordinator?
- Where and when are campus coordinators trained?
- Does KsCC reimburse campus coordinators for their travel?
- How many S2S Corps members may serve on our campus?
- Is there cap on the number of mentees that any one mentor may work with?
- What if we pool our mentors and mentees? Do we still have to adhere to the 4:1 ratio?
- Are there limitations on the use of the $2,000 provided to campus coordinators?
- What if my mentee drops out of the program? How can I continue to earn AmeriCorps hours?
- If I work with two mentees for an hour, does this count as one hour of service or two?
- How much is the stipend I will receive?
- Is my stipend taxed?
- Can I be paid by my campus in addition to my stipend?
- I finished my service and successfully completed all of the requirements. When will I get my education award?
- Can I receive my education award in advance?
- How many hours of service do I need to do?
- What counts as "direct service"?
- What does NOT count as "direct service"?
- I haven't gotten my education award yet and it's been several weeks. What can I do?
- How are S2S Corps members trained?
- When are the enrollment forms due?
- What do I need to bring to my pre-service orientation?
- What about my time sheets? Where do I submit those? When are they due?
- I see I have to do six community service projects with my mentees. Do I have to plan these myself?
- My mentees and I want to volunteer with the local church's soup kitchen. Is that okay?
- This is more work than I expected. Are there resources to help me along the way?
- Is there other information available on the web?
Q: What is the purpose of the S2S Corps?
A: The S2S Corps has two goals. The primary purpose is to increase first-to-second year student retention at Kansas colleges and universities. Specifically, the goal is for the retention rate of those receiving peer mentoring through the S2S Corps to be 10 percentage points higher than the institutional average for all other first year students. This will be measured by mid-point mentee surveys and anonymous data collection on mentee enrollment and attendance for classes in the subsequent fall term after the program year. A secondary goal is to increase the commitment to a lifetime of civic engagement by S2S Corps Members.
Q: Which colleges can participate in S2S Corps?
A: Only member institutions of Kansas Campus Compact may participate. To learn how your campus can join, please go to the Membership section of this website.
Q: My university is a member of Kansas Campus Compact. What do I need to do to have S2S Corps members on my campus?
A: Any campus that wants to host S2S Corps members needs to fill out a campus application. Usually, these are due by mid-June of the year before you begin enrolling members. Announcements of campuses who will be hosts for the next year is usually made by the end of June., Occassionally exceptions are made for institutions that are new members of KsCC.
Q: When can students begin enrolling as mentors?
A: The earliest any students may be enrolled in the S2S Corps is August 1st of the grant year. No students may be enrolled until the Campus Coordinator has completed his/her coordinator orientation.
Q: Can our campus have more than one Campus Coordinator?
A: No. You should identify only one person as the Campus Coordinator who will serve as the principal point of contact for students serving as members of the S2S Corps and with KsCC. However, you may (and should) consider assembling an advisory group of individuals on campus who care about the issue of student retention and can help ensure program success.
Q: Where and when are campus coordinators trained?
A: Campus Coordinators are brought together over the summer for a one-day training session with Kansas Campus Compact. This training will be held in Manhattan, KS on the campus of Kansas State University.
Q: Does KsCC reimburse campus coordinators for their travel?
A: Yes. Funds are provided to reimburse individual campus coordinators for their travel to and from the training at the state government mileage reimbursement rate and lodging will be provided for those with inordinately long travel.
Q: How many S2S Corps members may serve on our campus?
A: There are slots available for 80 members to serve statewide. These will be allocated based on campus applications in order to meet the most need and ensure that the maximum impact of the program is achieved. Obviously, 80 members cannot possibly reach all "at-risk" first year students on all campuses, but you are encouraged to request the number of members that best fits your campus' program and your capacity to manage them effectively.
Q: Is there cap on the number of mentees that any one mentor may work with?
A: We require that the program have no more than a 4:1 mentor to mentee ratio.
Q: What if we pool our mentors and mentees? Do we still have to adhere to the 4:1 ratio?
A: Yes, however in your campus application you should note your structure and ensure that in aggregate there are no more than 4 mentors per mentee.
Q: Are there limitations on the use of the $2,000 provided to campus coordinators?
A: Those funds may be used to offset or supplement campus coordinator salary, provide refreshments or supplies to mentors and/or mentees, or towards other program costs as your program sees appropriate.
Q: What if my mentee drops out of the program? How can I continue to earn AmeriCorps hours?
A: You may begin mentoring a new eligible mentee at any point in the program year. S2S Corps members will not be penalized if their mentee drops out of the program or out of the college altogether. However these departures will be collected and reflected in the performance measures of the grant as a whole.
Q: If I work with two mentees for an hour, does this count as one hour of service or two?
A: This counts as one hour of service.
Q: How much is the stipend I will receive?
A: The total amount of the stipend available is $1,500. However this cannot be paid in lump sums or prorated for limited service time. Thus, you will receive a bi-weekly stipend check of ***** for each two-week period in which you are actively serving.
Q: Is my stipend taxed?
A: Yes. Your stipend will be reported to the IRS as required by law.
Q: Can I be paid by my campus in addition to my stipend?
A: No. AmeriCorps members may not be paid for the service they are providing nor can they provide a service that displaces paid employees. The exception to this is if the member is receiving Community Service Federal Work Study funds.
Q: I finished my service and successfully completed all of the requirements. When will I get my education award?
A: Once you have submitted a complete exit packet and been successfully exited from the program, you will receive an email notification. From that point, your information will be downloaded into the National Service Trust. It may take as long as 30 days for your information to be downloaded by the Trust. You will need to register for a login ID at https://my.americorps.gov to track and manage your award.
Q: Can I receive my education award in advance?
A: No. However, if you have tuition due you can apply for a student loan. Keep in mind that when you do receive your education award, it can go directly to pay off that loan.
Q: How many hours of service do I need to do?
A: You will need to complete 300 hours of service before July 31. Of those 300 hours, at least 240 hours must be classified as "direct service."
Q: What counts as "direct service"?
A: Direct service is any activity that immediately impacts the mentee. It also includes time spend WITH your mentee where you are both serving the community. Thus, in-person peer mentoring sessions with your mentee as well as electronic mentoring sessions count towards direct service. Also, planning activities for your mentoring session count as direct service too. Finally, all of your joint community service activities count, including the travel time to and from those service activities and the time you spend reflection on those activities with your mentees.
Q: What does NOT count as "direct service"?
A: There are still some activities that you can count towards "member development." As a rule of thumb, if it helps enhance your ability to provide direct service, it probably counts as member development hours. This includes any meetings with your campus coordinator and your fellow S2S Corps members to get more training or share experiences to further improve your program. It also includes the member orientation session that you go through at the beginning of your service and the time you spend reflecting on your participation when you fill out your monthly time logs.
Q: I haven't gotten my education award yet and it's been several weeks. What can I do?
A: You should contact the National Service Trust. Please call 1-888-507-5962 or email edawardvoucher@cns.gov.
Q: How are S2S Corps members trained?
A: Every S2S Corps member must participate in a half-day orientation and training session, conducted by KsCC program staff and the campus coordinator on your campus
Q: When are the enrollment forms due?
A: Enrollment forms are due within 30 days of your pre-service orientation. If they are not in by 30 days, your first date of eligible service hours will be moved forward and you will not be able to count any of the hours you served before that date. It's very important you note this fact: No hours may be counted that are more than 30 days prior to official enrollment. Keep in mind also that each campus may have a unique selection process.
Q: What do I need to bring to my pre-service orientation?
A: You'll need several items.
- Your birth certificate or passport (or another item from the list of eligibility documents in the enrollment packet)
- A government issued photo ID (your passport can do double duty here)
- Your social security card
Q: What about my time sheets? Where do I submit those? When are they due?
A: You should complete your monthly time sheets online at www.kscampuscompact.org. You'll also be expected to do some reflection on each monthly time sheet to evaluate your service and the role of community engagement in your life. Each campus may have a specific deadline for time sheet submittal, however all time sheets must be submitted and approved within 30 days of the end of each month. No exceptions.
Q: I see I have to do six community service projects with my mentees. Do I have to plan these myself?
A: No, but you certainly may do so if you choose. You and your mentees may jointly volunteer with any community service activity. These might be planned by other campus organizations or community groups. No matter what volunteer projects you choose, you will need to do a post-service reflection activity with your mentees and that activity may need to be planned out by you ahead of time.
Q: My mentees and I want to volunteer with the local church's soup kitchen. Is that okay?
A: It depends. As part of AmeriCorps, no time may be spent doing any of the prohibited activities described in your member handbook, including anything that may be construed as conducting relgious services or proselytizing. So if you're just serving meals and talking with service recipients, you are welcome to volunteer with a church.
Q: This is more work than I expected. Are there resources to help me along the way?
A: YES! Your campus coordinator will be regularly convening you and your fellow S2S Corps members on your campus to share stories and help one another complete your service. There are also Facebook and Twitter accounts to use to connect with all of the S2S Corps members across the state and to get additional training materials and ideas for mentoring and service activities.
Q: Is there other information available on the web?
A: Yes! The following are helpful links:
