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356 (07/2026) Chapter 2:Eligibility • Section 5: Financial eligibility Motor vehicles (cars, trucks and vans) are often important tools for participants to use to attain self-sufficiency. They are critical employment tools for participants who: • Live in areas not served by public transportation • Are fleeing domestic violence, or • Cannot access public transportation due to physical disabilities. For REF, REFM, SNAP and TANF, there are a few steps to determine the countable resource value of a motor vehicle: • Step 1: Determine the availability of the vehicle as a resource. Participants might own or co-own a vehicle, but it may not be available to them as a resource. This is especially true if the participant is a survivor of domestic violence. • Step 2: Determine the equity value. ODHS|OHA will exclude $10,000 in equity value for all licensed motor vehicles excluded when determining the value of motor vehicles (see Step 4). • Step 3: Determine the equity value of the vehicle. The equity value of the vehicle is the fair market value of the car minus any encumbrances. Using the National Automobile Dealers Association’s (NADA) Used Car Guide (or similar publication), workers should review the average trade-in value for the vehicle. Disability- related apparatus, optional equipment or low mileage should not be added to increase the value of the vehicle. From the fair market value amount, any amounts the participant owes on the vehicle or other costs, such as liens, should be subtracted. The remainder is the equity value. Reminder: Workers no longer need to do manual calculations outside of the system. National and Community Service Trust Act (NCSTA/AmeriCorps) The National and Community Service Trust Act (NCSTA) of 1993 (P.L. 103-82) amended the National and Community Service Act (NCSA) of 1990 (P.L. 101 610) that established a Corporation for National and Community Service. The corporation administers national service programs providing living allowance, educational award, child care and in-kind benefits. NCSTA also created AmeriCorps and incorporated VISTA. AmeriCorps contains three parts – one is State and National, another is NCCC and the other is VISTA. All references to AmeriCorps in this section mean AmeriCorps State and National or AmeriCorps NCCC unless specifically stated as AmeriCorps VISTA. In ONE, child care payments from the National and Community Service Trust Act are coded on the Specific Income screen: • Specific Income Category – Child Care • Specific Income Type - National and Community Service Trust Act (NCSTA): Child Care Payments