CaliforniansForAll College Corps Grant Program

California Volunteers, Office of the Governor administers the #CaliforniansForAll College Corps as a statewide service initiative that partners with California colleges and universities to engage students in paid community service. The 2026 funding opportunity invites higher education institutions to operate programs that place fellows with community organizations to address pressing local needs while cultivating civic leadership among students. The initiative is positioned as a Governor’s priority, delivered by California Volunteers and GO-Serve in collaboration with campuses that demonstrate strong commitments to civic and community engagement. The program’s purpose is twofold: to help students from diverse backgrounds graduate on time with less debt, and to strengthen community capacity in key priority areas. College Corps fellow placements focus on K–12 education, food insecurity, and climate action—domains where local partners can deploy student talent to tangible effect. Participating institutions receive state funds alongside an allotment of fellow slots; campuses then recruit, support, and manage fellows to maximize community impact and student development within these thematic areas. Allowable activities align with those priorities and center on substantive service roles for students in schools, food systems, and climate-related community efforts. Applicants should design programs that embed fellows with community-based organizations and public partners, ensure supervision and training, and integrate reflective learning to build leadership and civic responsibility. As a state-funded initiative, programs are expected to comply with applicable state requirements and program documents, including use of the official budget template and completion of required certifications. Eligibility is limited to institutions of higher education as defined in 2 CFR §200.1 that propose to operate solely within California. All applicants must hold an active registration in the federal System for Award Management at the time of application. California Volunteers does not list other applicant types for this competition; consortia or partnerships may be included at the campus’ discretion, but the lead applicant must be an eligible higher education institution responsible for compliance and delivery. The submission process has two time-sensitive steps. First, applicants must complete a required Pre-Registration form by the stated pre-registration deadline in order to unlock access to application submission. Second, complete application packages—following the application instructions and using the provided templates—must be received by the final due date. Required materials include, at minimum, the official budget template and the California Civil Rights Laws Certification; additional narrative and form requirements are detailed in the Request for Applications. California Volunteers offers technical assistance via scheduled webinars to answer applicant questions; recordings will be posted for on-demand viewing after the sessions convene. The program page provides a dedicated funding inbox for applicant inquiries. The competition timeline for the 2026 cycle indicates publication in late September with a late November application deadline, preceded by the pre-registration cutoff a few days earlier. Given that College Corps has been issued in prior years, institutions can expect future cycles; however, applicants should rely on each cycle’s official dates, requirements, and documents as released.

Complete Pre-Registration by the deadline; use the official Budget Template and required certifications; attend technical assistance webinars; submit all components by the final due date