Act or DVSA means the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973, as amended, Public Law 93-113 (42 U.S.C. 4951 et seq.).

Alternative oath or affirmation means a pledge of VISTA service taken by an individual who legally resides within a State, but who is not a citizen or national of the United States, upon that individual's enrollment into the VISTA program as a VISTA.

Applicant for VISTA service means an individual who is in the process of completing, or has completed, an application for VISTA service as prescribed by CNCS, but who has been not been approved by CNCS to be a candidate.

Application for VISTA service means the materials prescribed by CNCS to ascertain information on an individual's eligibility and suitability for VISTA service.

Area Manager means a CNCS official who is head of a designated, regional set, or cluster of CNCS State Offices, or equivalent CNCS official.

Assistance means VISTAs, leaders, or summer associates. “Assistance” also means technical assistance or training of VISTAs, leaders, summer associates, candidates, sponsors, or supervisors that are provided from funds appropriated by Congress for the purpose of supporting activities under the DVSA. “Assistance” also means grant funds.

Candidate, when used in the context of an individual who has applied for VISTA service, means an individual whose application for VISTA service has been approved by CNCS, but who has not taken an oath, alternative oath or affirmation to serve in the VISTA program. Candidates may include those who were enrolled in the VISTA program at a prior time.

Cost share means when an entity, such as a VISTA sponsor, reimburses CNCS part or all of the expenses associated with the operation of a VISTA project, such as the costs for one or more VISTAs, leaders, or summer associates placed in a VISTA project.

CNCS means the Corporation for National and Community Service, established pursuant to section 191 of the National and Community Service Act of 1990, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 12651. CNCS is also sometimes referred to as “the Corporation.”

Education award or Segal AmeriCorps Education Award means an end-of-service monetary benefit from CNCS's National Service Trust that is directed to designated educational institutions and is awarded to certain qualifying VISTAs who successfully complete an established term of VISTA service.

Enroll, enrolled, or enrollment, when used in the context of VISTA service, refers to the status of an individual admitted to serve in the VISTA program. The enrollment period commences when the Oath to serve in the VISTA program is taken by the candidate and ends upon termination from a term of service in the VISTA program. The enrollment period may commence on a date earlier than the first day of a service assignment of an enrolled VISTA member.

Full-time, when used in the context of VISTA service means service in which a VISTA, leader, or summer associate remains available for service without regard to regular working hours.

Leader, a leader, or a VISTA leader means a VISTA member who is enrolled for full-time VISTA service, and who is also subject to the terms of subpart G of this part.

Living allowance or living allowance payment means a monetary benefit paid for subsistence purposes to a VISTA member during VISTA service.

Memorandum of Agreement means a written agreement between CNCS and a sponsor regarding the terms of the sponsor's involvement and responsibilities in the VISTA program.

Nonpartisan election means:

(1) An election in which none of the candidates is to be nominated or elected as representing a political party any of whose candidates for Presidential elector received votes in the last preceding election at which Presidential electors were selected; or

(2) An election involving a question or issue which is not specifically identified with a political party, such as a constitutional amendment, referendum, approval of a municipal ordinance, or any question or issue of a similar character.

Oath means an avowal to VISTA service, taken in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 3331, by an individual who is a U.S. citizen or national. The taking of the Oath effects an individual's enrollment into the VISTA program.

On-duty or during service time means when a VISTA is either performing VISTA service or scheduled to do so.

Project or VISTA project means a set of VISTA activities operated and overseen by, and the responsibility of, a sponsor, and assisted under this Part to realize the goals of title I of the DVSA.

Project applicant or VISTA project applicant means an entity that submits an application to CNCS to operate, oversee, and be responsible for a VISTA project.

Project application or VISTA project application means the application materials prescribed by CNCS to ascertain information on an applying entity's eligibility and suitability to operate, oversee, and be responsible for, a VISTA project.

Project director or VISTA project director means a staff person, of legal age, of the sponsor, who has been assigned by the sponsor the overall responsibility for the management of the VISTA project.

Sponsor, VISTA sponsor, or VISTA project sponsor means a public agency or private non-profit organization that receives assistance under title I of the DVSA, and is responsible for operating and overseeing a VISTA project. A public agency may be a federal, state, local or tribal government.

State, when used as a noun, means one of the several states in the United States of America, District of Columbia, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

State Program Director means a CNCS official who reports to an Area Manager or equivalent CNCS official, and who is the head of a CNCS State Office.

Stipend or end-of-service stipend means an end-of-service lump-sum monetary benefit from CNCS that is awarded to certain qualifying VISTAs, who successfully complete an established term of VISTA service.

Subrecipient means a public agency or private non-profit organization that enters into an agreement with a VISTA sponsor to receive one or more VISTAs, and to carry out a set of activities, assisted under this Part, to realize the goals of title I of the DVSA. A public agency may be a federal, state, local or tribal government.

Summer associate means a VISTA member who is enrolled for VISTA service, during a period between May 1 and September 15, and who is also subject to the terms of subpart H of this part. A summer associate must be available to provide continuous full-time service for a period of at least eight weeks and a maximum of ten weeks.

Supervisor or VISTA Supervisor means a staff member, of legal age, of the sponsor or a subrecipient, who has been assigned by the sponsor or the subrecipient, the responsibility for the day-to-day oversight of one or more VISTAs.

Tribe means any Indian tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community, including any Alaskan native village or regional village corporation as defined in or established pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, which is recognized by the United States or the State in which it resides as eligible for special programs and services provided to Indians because of their status as Indians.

VISTA member, a VISTA, or the VISTA means an individual enrolled full-time for VISTA service in the VISTA program, as authorized under title I of the DVSA.

VISTA program means the Federal government program named Volunteers in Service to America and authorized under title I of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 4950 et seq.

VISTA service means VISTA service activities performed by a VISTA member while enrolled in the VISTA program.