As a College Corps Fellow, you will serve 450 hours in an area of K-12 Education, Food Insecurity, or Climate Action over the course of the academic year (August - May). This roughly equates to 15 hours/week. 

As a College Corps Fellow, you'll receive:

• Up to $10,000 paid as a Living Allowance (throughout service term) + Education Award upon completion of 450 service hours eligible at any University (Awarded by AmeriCorps to be utilized for future education needs).
• Academic credit, if doing in conjunction with academic internship/practicum course.
• Real-world job experience and skills to add to your resume.
• Access to training, networking, and professional development opportunities.
• Connections with Fellows across the 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:

• Needs to work part time and/or borrow student loans to meet their educational costs
• Qualifies for a Federal Pell Grant
• Qualifies for a State Cal Grant or Middle Class Scholarship
• Is an AB-540 Eligible Dreamer

Additionally, eligible Fellows are required to:

• Have a high school diploma or its equivalent (i.e., GED) prior to the service term
• Be a full-time, enrolled undergraduate student at Vanguard University
• Complete a National Service Criminal History Check and Live Scan, upon selection
• Hold a 2.5 minimum GPA and remain in good academic standing
• Commit to the program for the full 450 hours during the academic year (Aug-May)
• Not participating in a semester off-campus (Study Abroad)
• Not participating in paid Student Leadership position

Fellows will work with community host partners that specialize in K-12 schools, food banks/pantries, or climate action organizations to build healthier and more equitable communities across California. They will do this in a variety of ways:

• K-12 EDUCATION: Serve as a  tutor to K-12 students at local schools and/or organizations that provide tutoring services.
• FOOD INSECURITY: Serve at a local food bank, food distribution center, or food pantry.
• CLIMATE ACTION: Serve with local organizations that are focused on positive environmental change.

The College Corps staff will do their best to match accepted Fellows with their top field choice, however, it is not guaranteed. 

2026 - 2027 Dates

College Fellows Orientation:

• Residential Student Move In: Week of August 17, 2026 
• Incoming Student and Returning Fellow Dinner: August 19, 2026 
• Orientation Training: August 19-21, 2026
• All Cohort Service Project: August 24, 2026
• Service Week: August 24-28, 2026 (Various Sites)

All Cohort Service Dates  

• TBA

Regional Meetings: Early February 2027

End of Year Ceremony: Early April 2027

As a College Corps Fellow, you'll receive:

• Up to $10,000 paid through a Living Stipend (throughout service term) + Education Award upon completion of 450 service hours (to be utilized for future education needs).
• Academic credit, if doing in conjunction with academic internship/practicum course.
• Real-world job experience and skills to add to your resume.
• Access to training, networking and professional development opportunities.
• Connections with Fellows across the 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.

Selected undergraduate students will be referred to as College Corps Fellows throughout the duration of the program.

The fellowship refers to the year-long commitment and service completed with an external community partner. As a College Corps Fellow, you will be assigned an external community partner to work with and complete a majority of the 450 hours of service with this community partner.

Yes! AB540 students are eligible, but:

• Must have a completed & submitted California Dream Act Application (CADAA) for 2023-2024 AY
• Must be enrolled at a Cal Grant Eligible School (Vanguard is!)
• Must be an active recipient of a Cal Grant B Award for the academic year
• Must have sufficient financial need (determined by Vanguard's Financial Aid Office).
• Must submit a CA DSIG Application by September 1 to become eligible for Education Award

Let's break it down. The majority of your hours will be spent working at your assigned site, which will be roughly 15-20 hours/week. The remaining hours will be completed with the August orientation, Saturday symposiums within our consortium and a regional College Corps Event. There will also be required monthly 1:1's with peer mentor,  Vanguard Service projects, and professional training.

• Complete the application
• Students selected for an on-campus interview will be notified via email. 
• Students awarded a Fellowship position will be notified via email.
• Students who accept the fellowship program will be expected to attend the Spring Fellow Orientation.

Fellows will receive financial compensation for the hours served on an ongoing basis. Should a Fellow need to discontinue participation in the program, their Living Allowance payments will cease and they become ineligible to receive the Education Award. 

We understand that not every Fellow has access to personal transportation and will do our best to accommodate those needs as space allows. While we are working hard to ensure placements are within a reasonable distance to Vanguard's campus, not every Community Host Partner we partner with can be within walking distance to campus. Please be sure to share any transportation needs on your application. 

Yes! Once you have committed to Vanguard and submitted your deposit for the 2026-2027 academic year, you are welcome to apply to the Fellows program. If you are an incoming student, your interview for possible acceptance into the program can be done over Zoom. A link will be provided for you at that stage of the process. 

Each student's financial aid package is different. We encourage you to connect with your Vanguard University Financial Aid Counselor to make sure you understand how the $10,000 through this program will impact your specific situation.