2025 College Corps Education Award Only Expansion Pilot Request for Applications

California Volunteers, the state service commission housed within the Office of the Governor of California, is soliciting applications for the 2025 College Corps Education Award Only Expansion Pilot. This opportunity is an extension of the existing #CaliforniansForAll College Corps initiative, which aims to engage college students in civic service, help them graduate with less debt, and address key challenges in California communities such as K-12 education, food insecurity, and climate action. The initiative supports public service among students by integrating them into community service roles while offering meaningful incentives including educational awards. California Volunteers will provide funding to eligible higher education institutions already operating a College Corps program. These institutions may apply for between 5 and 20 additional Education Award Only fellow slots for the 2025–26 program year. Funding will not cover fellow stipends or living allowances, but instead includes up to $4,000 per fellow for administrative costs. These funds must be used exclusively for program management and cannot support general operating expenses or duplicate existing services. Fellows who successfully complete 450 hours of service will receive a #CaliforniansForAll and federal Segal Education Award valued at up to $3,000. A prorated award is available for students completing at least 300 hours. Eligible applicants must be institutions of higher education that currently manage a College Corps program approved through 2026. Fellows must be U.S. Citizens, Nationals, or Lawful Permanent Residents and at least 17 years old. Programs must also ensure compliance with National Service Criminal History Check (NSCHC) requirements. Institutions are expected to place at least two fellows per community host organization to ensure sufficient support and impact. Participating institutions must demonstrate readiness to expand, maintain high retention and enrollment rates, and integrate new fellows into existing College Corps cohorts. Applicants are required to submit a Letter of Intent by 5:00 PM PST on July 28, 2025. Final applications must be submitted by 5:00 PM PST on August 6, 2025. Selected applicants will be notified the week of August 11, 2025, followed by a contracting period in August or September. Applications will be evaluated on criteria including community partnerships, recruitment, integration of fellows, organizational capacity, budget justification, and past performance metrics such as enrollment and retention. Applications must be submitted electronically via the provided California Volunteers online portal. The submission must include a completed narrative application, budget, and a signed California Civil Rights Laws Certification. Applications that fail to meet compliance requirements—such as having an active SAM registration or missing critical components—may be disqualified. Programs are encouraged to draft responses in a separate document before copying them into the online form, which does not allow for drafts to be saved. The full request for applications is governed by federal AmeriCorps regulations and the Uniform Administrative Requirements for Federal Awards. All awardees must adhere to detailed reporting, compliance, and monitoring requirements. Grantees must also demonstrate financial and operational capacity to sustain programming during the cost-reimbursement payment cycle, which may exceed 45 days.

Draft answers offline first as the online form does not save progress.