Volunteer Background Check

How to Register, Login, Complete and Submit

The content on this page will guide you through the process of completing a Volunteer Background Check. We understand that the background check process can seem daunting, but our goal is to make it as straightforward and stress-free as possible.

This page also features a comprehensive FAQs section, addressing all your questions and concerns. It covers topics such as the steps involved, required documentation, timelines, and renewal procedures. Additionally, it provides solutions to common issues and contact information for further assistance, making the background check process clear and straightforward.

Our aim is to provide you with all the tools and information you need to complete your background check efficiently and correctly, so you can focus on what matters most – your valuable volunteer work.

Thank you for your dedication and service. We are here to support you every step of the way.

If you have questions about the volunteer background check process, please contact Jen Lobley, Extension Educator for Volunteer Development, jennifer.lobley@maine.edu.

How to Submit a Volunteer Background Check Using Verified Credentials

Thank you for choosing to apply to be a UMaine Extension volunteer or completing your required three-year check. A background check is required in order to be an enrolled volunteer with the University.

If you have any concern about the security of this site, please feel free to contact the Verified Credentials Customer Service Department at 800.938.6090.

Please note: 

  • If you time out, simply log back in with the email address previously used. Once through the verification process, select Finish My Application.

The Nine-Step Process: 

Step 1:

Proceed to the Candidate Verification Center on the Verified Credentials website (opens in new window) to begin the background check:

Click the button below:

Volunteer Background Check: Applicant Center Kiosk (Verified Credentials)

Go to the Candidate Verification Center on the Verified Credentials website (opens in a new window) to begin the background check.

Step 2:

Login screen for the University of Maine System Candidate Verification Center prompting users to enter their email to receive an access code.

Enter your email address and select Send Me My Access Code. Go to your email to retrieve the six-digit access code and enter it, then click Submit. At the next screen, click Continue.

Step 3:

CVC Terms of Use Agreement with a scrollable text box and a button labeled “Next Step” to proceed after reading.

Read CVC Terms of Use Agreement (scroll to the bottom), Select the ‘I have read statement..’ and click Next Step.

Step 4:

Dashboard view of a background check application showing a pending action and steps including identity, education, employment, and consent.

Select Get Started Now!.

Step 5:

Identity information entry form including fields for name, email, SSN, date of birth, license number, and phone number.

Complete the Identity Information fields, then select Next Step.

Step 6:

Profile entry page asking if the applicant has used any other names, with sections for address, education, and employment history.

Complete the Other Names and the Address History sections, then select Next Step. You do not have to complete the education or employment sections. Just select “I don’t have any Education History” and “I don’t have any Employment History”.

Step 7:

Disclosure form stating the University of Maine System may request consumer reports, with a prompt to sign and date the document.

Please write No in the signature field of the Consumer Report Disclosure (no credit report will be conducted), select Next. Read the Fair Credit Reporting Act and then select Next. Finally, sign the Background Check Authorization and click Next.

Step 8:

Review your information. Edit if needed. Then click Confirm & Submit.

Step 9:

After submitting the form, please remember to contact the University of Maine Cooperative Extension staff member you’ve been working with to notify them that this has been completed. Contact information can be found on UMaine Extension’s County Offices page.

FAQs: Volunteer Background Check

Why do I need to complete a background check to become a University of Maine Cooperative Extension volunteer?

The University of Maine is committed to providing a safe environment for leading, learning and community outreach. To reaffirm its commitment to provide a safe environment, the current policy requires all UMaine Extension staff and volunteers who work with vulnerable populations to undergo a criminal background check. Extension’s volunteer appointment process includes screening of every volunteer applicant to determine if the applicant has any substantiated charges of child abuse or neglect or criminal convictions relevant to his or her service as an Extension volunteer. Screening decisions are made at the University level.

Who conducts the background check?

UMaine’s Human Resources department runs the background check. The university uses a secure site called Verified Credentials. Extension employees do not see your application. It is important that you notify your local Extension office once you submit your background check application so the process can be completed.

Why do I have to provide my Social Security Number?

A social security number is required in order to improve the reliability of your background report. The Social Security Number assists in:

  • Validating that the Social Security Number is real, still active, and issued after the provided date of birth.
  • Identifying relevant past addresses and additional alias names that are associated with the individual. If additional names and addresses are found, they are used to determine where criminal background checks should be performed and under what names they should be searched.
  • Matching background check information to a given individual, depending on the source.

How do I know the Verified Credentials website is secure?

Verified Credentials understands the evolving concern for data privacy and security. That’s why they employ strict information handling and technology practices. Rest assured that all information stored at Verified Credentials is contained in highly secure databases and is handled only by authorized and well-trained staff.

Verified Credentials takes charge to help protect users and information across their platforms. They have an Information Security Management System (ISMS) that aligns with NIST 800-53 security controls. The standard of their ISMS is equivalent to HITRUST and ISO 27001 measures. In other words, their system is set up to assist in protecting you.

They have a variety of measures to help make sure access is secure:

  • They encrypt your personal information in transit and at rest in their systems to help keep it safe and secure.
  • Their privacy protection standards are certified by TRUSTe, the leading internet privacy services provider.
  • They mask all dates of birth and social security numbers in shared reports.
  • They conduct extensive background checks on new hires and employees.
  • Only authorized personnel may enter their facility, a controlled-access environment.

For additional information about Verified Credentials, go to their Privacy Policy or you can reach out to Verified Customer Service via phone: 800.469.9539 or by email consumersupport@verifiedcredentials.com.

How much will the background check cost me?

The background check is done at no cost to you.

How often do I need to have a background check done?

To continue to be an enrolled volunteer, you must have a background check run every three years. You will receive a reminder from your county Extension office when you are due for your next one.

What if I have questions about how to fill out the background check form online?

Visit the How to Submit a Volunteer Background Check Using Verified Credentials section on this page for step-by-step instructions, complete with screenshots.

For additional questions, contact Jen Lobley, Extension Educator for Volunteer Development, jennifer.lobley@maine.edu.