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 2022-2023 academic year (August 2022-May 2023). This roughly equates to 15 hours/week. 

As a College Corps Fellow, you'll receive:

• Up to $7,000 living stipend (throughout service term) + $3,000 Education Award upon completion of 450 service hours (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) by the beginning of 2022-2023 AY
• 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)

Fellows will work with 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 at VU’s Living Well center providing access to community members facing food insecurity.
• 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. 

College Fellows Orientation:

• August 17, 2022 (Vanguard University)
• August 18, 2022 (Concordia Irvine)

Saturday Symposiums:

• October 8, 2022 (Irvine Valley College)
• January 28, 2023 (Vanguard University)
• April 15, 2023 (Concordia Irvine)

Regional Meetings: Dates TBD

As a College Corps Fellow, you'll receive:

• Up to $7,000 living stipend (throughout service term) + $3,000 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 2022-2023 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 2022-2023 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 12-15 hours/week. The remaining hours will be completed with the August on-boarding, ongoing academic and vocational support, Saturday symposiums with all College Corps Fellows and professional training/development. 

• Complete the application - you can find the APPLY NOW button on the sidebar.
• 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 asked to participate in the signing ceremony that will take place during finals week. 

Yes, students are eligible to participate in both years of the grant award. More information and the application process for repeat Fellows during the 2023-2024 academic year will be posted at a later time. 

Fellows will receive financial compensation for the hours served on an ongoing basis. Should a Fellow need to discontinue from participating in the program, they are ineligible to receive the remaining balance of the $7,000 award as well as the $3,000 Academic Award. 

While we are working hard to ensure placements are within a reasonable distance to Vanguard's campus, we understand that not every Fellow has access to personal transportation. Please be sure to share any transportation needs on your application and the College Corps staff will attempt to assist to the best of our ability with carpooling, bus passes, or alternative options as the grant award allows. 

At this point, our grant award is limited to the areas of K-12 Education, Food Insecurity, and Climate Action. 

Yes! Once you have committed to Vanguard and submitted your deposit for the 2022-2023 academic year, you are welcome to apply to the Fellows program. 

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