How to Apply: College Corps

Priority will be given to students who demonstrate a financial need. As a reflection of our campus's commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, and the elimination of educational opportunity gaps, we highly encourage AB 540 students, students who are the first in their families to attend college, and students who demonstrate a financial need to apply.

We are looking for committed students who have:

• Passion for working in partnership with diverse communities to make positive change;
• Flexibility to work in different areas and adapt to changing circumstances;
• Growth mindset and eagerness to try new things;
• Enthusiasm, reliability, self-initiative, and commitment to active participation, engagement, and complete the program; 
• Interest in connecting with and learning from other students and partners across the state;
• Willingness to commute to host organization sites (this is an in-person opportunity); 
• Willingness to be an ambassador for the Fellowship on campus and beyond.

General Eligibility AY 25-26 (Cohort 4)*

• At least 18 years old (at the time of the start of the program)
• Be a full-time, enrolled undergraduate student at SF State (12 units) during the duration of the program (Fall 2025 and Spring 2026)
• Be a student in good conduct and academic standing (minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA)
• U.S. Citizen or legal permanent resident OR AB 540 CA Dream Act Student

Financial Eligibility 

Students selected to join the program should meet at least ONE of the following criteria to demonstrate financial eligibility:

1. Students who receive financial aid (state or federal): College Corps compensation will be considered as part of your financial aid package. Please refer to the Student Informational Session slide deck for details.

• Federal Eligible Students - Federal Application for Student Financial Aid for 2025-26 (FAFSA) (Award amount must be sufficient to include the College Corps compensation package)
• AB 540 Eligible Students 
  • Award amount must be sufficient to include the College Corps compensation package
  • Have completed and submitted a California Dream Act Application (CADAA) for the 2025-2026 academic year (AY).
  • Are an active recipient of a Cal Grant B Award for the 2025-2026 AY
  • AB 540 students who are accepted into the program will also be required to submit a CA DSIG Application (PDF) by September 1, 2025, to become eligible for the $3,000 Education Award.
• AB540 students interested in applying are encouraged to contact the Dream Success Center for assistance with their program applications and/or for questions. Please also feel free to reach out directly to Griselda Madrigal Lara (gmadrigallara@sfsu.edu), AB 540/Dream Resource Center Coordinator

2. Need to work part-time and/or borrow loans to meet college costs.

• Students who do not receive state or federal financial aid are still eligible for the College Corps program. Applies to U.S. Citizens or Legal Permanent Residents only. AB 540 students must be recipients of Cal Grants A or B.

Additional Requirements

Additionally, eligible students are required to:

• Attendance at all sessions is a strict requirement of the program to meet the 450-service requirement. Please only apply if it works with your class and personal schedule.  
• Be a full-time, enrolled undergraduate student at SF State (12 units) during the time of the program (AY 2025-2026)
• Must be in good conduct and academic standing (minimum GPA of 2.0)
• Be committed to the program for both the fall 2025 and spring 2026 semesters (August 2025-May 2026).
• Students graduating in fall 2025 are not eligible for this program 
• Students studying abroad during either/both semesters are not eligible
• Attend and actively engage and participate in programming (see "Expectations & What You Will Do" tab)
• Complete and pass a background check (a.k.a. Live Scan) in accordance with AmeriCorps disqualifying convictions and CA sub-factors as part of the individualized assessment
• Additional required vaccinations are required by CHP. Many CHP sites that serve youth and vulnerable populations require TB clearance and proof of COVID-19 vaccination
• Additional required documents, such as CHP site-specific volunteer packet and pre-site orientation/training (these hours will account for the 450-hour goal).
• Responsible for consistently documenting training and service hours via the online America Learns platform
• Self-accountable, responsible, and have consistent, timely, and professional communication when working with College Corps staff and CHP site supervisor(s)

*Final student eligibility will be determined after financial aid awards for 2025-26 have been confirmed by the Office of Financial Aid in June-July 2025. The College Corps program may help offset student loans by replacing or reducing the amount a student needs to borrow. The Office of Financial Aid will work with students to determine the best option. Students with questions about financial aid or CADAA status or process should contact the Office of Financial Aid at SF State. Additionally, eligibility is dependent on background clearance. 

Up to 10,000 in Financial Assistance for Educational Expenses

Fellows who complete 450 hours of service over the academic year will be eligible for up to $7,000 (paid in monthly installments) in living allowance. Additionally, students may be eligible for a transportation allowance. Students who complete all program requirements are eligible for a $3,000 Education award.*

*The College Corps program is unique in that participants receive a living allowance, other AmeriCorps programs where participants are not full-time (1,770 hours required) - do not receive a living allowance. Eligible AB 540 Dreamer's compensation distribution may differ depending on eligibility 

Academic Credit and Experiential Learning

As part of the fellowship experience, Fellows will participate in bi-weekly training sessions with other Fellows through guided critical reflection. Fellows will be assigned to "Team CIRCLES". This will be a mandatory learning space to share what's working, strategize challenges, introduce social justice concepts, and participate in training to help you in your service. These Corps "Team CIRCLES" will count as the 90 hours allotted towards the 450-hour service goal. 

For the AY 2025-26 (Cohort 4): Fellows seeking to earn academic credit can do so by contacting their department/program to identify relevant courses that can count this experiential learning experience towards their internship requirement. Additionally, Fellows can view the available community-engaged courses by referring to the class schedule and using the "service learning" attribute to help identify courses that instructors would allow to use this experience to count toward the service learning/internship requirement of the course.

Career Preparation

• Be part of a cohort of students in a first-of-its-kind statewide partnership addressing societal challenges and helping to build more equitable communities across California
• Serve in a community service placement focused on an issue you care about Food Justice, Climate Justice, or K-12 Education (includes youth Behavioral Health and well-being).
• Participate in training, professional development, and exposure to the skills and collaboration needed for community change
• Network with community leaders and students from across campus and the state of CA who are committed to building stronger communities
• Gain hands-on, real-world experience and professional skills that will transfer to future endeavors
• Instill a sense of pride and common purpose as you work alongside fellow student leaders from across the state

Graduation Preparation

Fellows will work with Program Coordinators to ensure that committing to the College Corps Fellowship will not delay their graduation. We have a designated Financial Aid liaison and partnerships with Advising on campus

Dates for 2025-26 AY (Year 4 Cohort) Applicants*​​​​​​

​*Dates are subject to change.

• Fellows will work with K-12 schools, food banks/pantries, or climate action organizations to build healthier and more equitable communities across California. Projects range from working in a community garden/farm and tutoring to mentoring K-12 school students (including youth behavioral health & well-being). 
• College Corps at SF State offers service positions with local nonprofits and municipal agencies located within San Francisco counties. Placement with host sites will happen as a separate process after the initial application. 
• You’ll share successes and challenges and will learn from your peers in the bi-weekly cohort "Team CIRCLES"; each cohort will consist of College Corps Fellows all focused on the same community issue (food, climate, or education/health)
• You will have opportunities to apply your learning from orientation, College Corps cohort meetings, and virtual training that will provide a foundation for your service

Fellow Responsibilities

• This is a paid service fellowship that provides participants with professional development and the opportunity to network, gain skills, and work with and for community host organizations. This is not a volunteer opportunity* and students participating in this program are expected to complete all programmatic requirements and expectations. *In general terms, volunteering is simply the act of "voluntarily" giving your time and energy to help a cause. Normally, the volunteer receives no tangible benefits, such as a living allowance, education award, etc. from the work. College Corps fellows sometimes are interchangeably called "volunteer" at their host site because the host site is not directly compensating the fellows but this does not mean that Fellows are "volunteering" their time and can choose not to do service hours or not. 

• Attendance is a requirement of our program. Students should expect to work ~15 hours per week during academic semesters. Please only apply if it works with your class and personal schedule. Attend and actively engage and participate in the following:

  • Complete 450 hours of service by May 31, 2026*. To reach this goal, students must commit to consistently serving an average of 12+ hours per week throughout the academic year at their assigned CHP site (the majority of positions are in-person, and candidates must be willing to commute to and from the site). *Summer extension to July 2025 may be an option.
  • Attend bi-weekly in-person 'Team CIRCLES" on Friday mornings between 9:30 am- and 11:30 am in the fall 2025 and spring 2026 semesters. The Corps "Team CIRCLE" session hours will be counted towards the 450-hour goal.
  • Attend in-person mandatory student orientation that will occur late Aug. 2025, from 9:00 am - 3:30 pm @ Seven Hills Conference Center, SF State. These hours will be counted towards the 450-hour goal.
  • Attend the in-person Far North/Bay Area Spring Mid-Year Leadership Workshop on Sat., March 2026 @ SF State Annex I. These hours will be counted towards the 450-hour goal.
  • Attend 30 min. bi-weekly 1:1 check-ins with the assigned College Corps program coordinator.  These 1:1s will occur on Zoom (camera on) or in person (if preferred by Fellow). These 1:1s will be counted towards the 450-hour goal. These meetings are meant to provide support and check in to ensure Fellows are on track with personal and professional goals/skills.
• Responsible for consistently documenting training and service hours via the online America Learns platform
• Self-accountable, responsible, and have consistent, timely, and professional communication when working with College Corps staff and CHP site supervisor(s)

Fellow Responsibilities at Host Site

• Create a schedule with an assigned host site to work an average of 12+ hours per week throughout the academic year
• Arrive at your assigned site on time
• Have consistent and professional communication with the host site regarding availability and attendance
• Self-accountable, responsible, and have consistent, timely communication when working with host site staff 
• Fulfill host site responsibilities

Fellows will be matched with community host partner (CHP) sites that we already partner with. All CHP sites are non-profit or government organizations located and serve clientele in San Francisco.

As part of the application process, candidates who pass the initial interview screening will be asked to complete information about their schedule, passion, interests, and skills for CHP placement. Final candidates will then interview with a CHP site before an official offer is made to the program.