College Corps fellows describe community service, demand as program seeks scale-up across UC

Josh Friday, California's chief service officer, briefed the UC Board of Regents on the College Corps paid service program and the experiences of student fellows on the program's third year.

The College Corps model asks students to commit to 450 hours of community service in exchange for up to $10,000 toward their education. "You serve your community, we're going to help you pay for college," Friday told the regents. He said roughly a third of the nearly 3,500 statewide College Corps participants over the program's first three years have been at seven UC campuses and that the program is now tracking alumni outcomes through a new Core to Career effort and an evaluation with WestEd.

The program's nut graf: College Corps combines direct financial support for students, workforce development and short-term capacity for community organizations. At the Regents' meeting, three alumni described how the program reduced financial barriers and connected them to internships and public-service careers; regents pressed program leaders about demand, data, funding and whether participation affects students' financial-aid packages.

Key facts and figures presented: Josh Friday said the program has enrolled nearly 3,500 members in three years, that the current funded cohort fills roughly 3,234 positions and that the most recent recruitment cycle produced more than 10,000 applications. Friday described the $10,000 package as structured so students receive a stipend during the academic year and a $3,000 scholarship after completing 450 service hours.

Student speakers described how College Corps supported their attendance and career choices. "College Corps changed the trajectory of this," said Sara E. Castaneda, a UC Merced fellow who described 920 hours of combined service across two years and work on food-insecurity and conservation projects. Jasmine Lopez, a UCLA graduate student and former fellow, described the program's role in removing practical barriers and supporting her graduate studies. DJ Nunley, a three-time fellow, said the program allowed him to pursue social-welfare study while supporting his family.

Regents' questions focused on evaluation and scaling. Regent Rejib Bihari asked whether the program has systems to track long-term employment outcomes; Friday said College Corps is tracking current impact data, has launched Core to Career to help fellows transition to jobs, and is working with WestEd on program evaluation. Several regents urged wider campus participation. Regent Hernandez confirmed the program's $10,000 award equates to roughly $22.22 per hour over 450 hours and noted the program is not below minimum wage. Regents and student leaders urged active storytelling to legislators and the public to support program growth.

Funding and eligibility notes. Friday said the program is primarily funded by state allocations championed by Governor Newsom, with a small AmeriCorps contribution tied to stipends; AB 540 undocumented students are explicitly eligible and have participated. Friday said the governor proposed ongoing funding for the program in his budget and that further scale will depend on state and campus partnerships.

What remains open: Regents asked for campus-level data on whether College Corps stipends affect financial-aid packaging; student speakers and campus staff described coordination with financial-aid offices and said negative impacts are uncommon but encouraged individual students to confirm with financial-aid offices. Regents also asked for more granular impact and demographic tracking; Friday and campus staff said that work is underway and data-sharing with campuses will continue.

The College Corps presentation concluded with regents expressing broad support for expansion and offers to help with campus visits, local media, and legislative outreach to publicize the program's outcomes.