Frequently Asked Questions

As a College Corps Fellow, you will serve 450 hours over the course of the 2025-2026 academic year (September 2025 - July 2026) in one of two areas: Food Insecurity or Economic Opportunity. This is approximately 12-15 hours/week.

Additionally, you will receive:

• Up to $7,000 living allowance.
• An Education Award of $3,000 upon completion of 450 service hours.
• Academic credit for program required classes.
• Real-world job experience and skills to add to your resume.
• Access to training, networking, and professional development opportunities.
• Connections with Fellows across the region and state via a virtual community platform and regional events.
• A sense of pride and accomplishment in working toward a common purpose alongside young leaders from across the state.

Students selected to join the Fellowship should meet at least (1) of the following criteria:

To apply, students should meet the following minimum eligibility criteria:

• Full-time student at GCC.
• Has a high school diploma or its equivalent by August 2025.
• Must currently be and remain in good academic standing, if current GCC student. (Above 2.0 GPA).
• Ability to commit to the program for the full academic year (2025-2026).
• Must be a US Citizen, US National, legal permanent resident or AB 540 Eligible Dreamer. (see below)

Financial Need

Eligible students should meet at least one of the following four criteria:

• Qualifies for a Federal Pell Grant
• Qualifies for State Cal Grant
• Qualifies for Middle Class Scholarship
• Needs to work part time and/or borrow student loans to meet educational costs

Undocumented Students

• Is an AB-540 Eligible Dreamer
• Is a Cal Grant B recipient (Note: this requirement may be waived at some participating campuses; please consult your institution for more details.)

Yes.

The College Corps program requires an application. Application for the 2025/2026 academic year is now OPEN.

*Application will closed once the next cohort is selected, which will be by the end of Summer 2025. The interview process for the program will be based on priority for the first 500 applicants.

Students who complete 450 hours of service with College Corps will receive the following benefits:

• $7,000 stipend (living allowance), plus a $3,000 Education Award;
• Academic credit (amount and type to be determined by each partner campus);
• A real-world job experience and skills to add to their resume;
• Access to training, networking, and professional development opportunities; 
• A sense of pride and accomplishment in working toward a common purpose alongside young leaders from across the state.

The 450 hours have to be completed by the end of the academic year in July 2026. The program starts with the school year in September 2025 with some service & training hours that count toward the 450 hours. Therefore, the 450 hours will be spread across 10 months (as will the living allowance). So, the target is to complete 45 hours of service per month, which roughly equates to 12 to 15 per week, to compensate for holiday closures.

The majority of your hours will be spent working at your assigned site, but some hours will be spent in training to become a Fellow, professional development, and activities with the other Fellows in your region, or at GCC.

• 450 hours of training, action, and reflection
  • 90 hrs = enrolled in required class (TBD), orientations, trainings, reflections
  • 360 hrs = community engagement (10-12 hrs/week)

• $10,000 benefit per student
  • $7,000 living allowance (10 month installment of $700) 
  • $3,000 education award upon completion of 450 hrs

Each student’s financial aid package is different. The purpose of this grant, however, is to try to reduce or eliminate the need for student loans. Please contact a Financial Aid counselor to discuss how this award may impact any other financial aid that you receive.

 

College Corps is intended to benefit as many students as possible, so repeating the fellowship is discouraged, but not prohibited.

Returning Fellows should expect a less than 30% chance of being accepted back into the program.