UC San Diego College Corps

UC San Diego is proud to be among 45 statewide campuses selected for the #CaliforniansForAll College Corps program. Students accepted into College Corps at UC San Diego engage in community-serving opportunities that focus on K-12 education, climate action, food insecurity, and public health while also receiving financial compensation and other benefits.

Led by California Volunteers and the California Office of the Governor, College Corps has three priorities across the state:

• To engage college students in meaningful service to build leadership and civic responsibility
• To promote academic success and economic well-being with students from diverse backgrounds
• To support the work of community-based organizations in key local priorities, with UC San Diego focusing on K-12 education opportunities that address learning loss caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, climate action, and food insecurity

In one year, College Corps Fellows at UC San Diego accomplished 46,056 hours of service and training to address local needs, advance community organizations' missions, and equip fellows with skills to take into their next steps.

Click here to view our 2023-2024 annual report and learn about our incredible impact!

#CaliforniansForAll College Corps is the largest state-level investment in a college service program in California history.

College Corps at UC San Diego aims to:

• Create a generation of civic-minded leaders with the ability to bridge community divides and address social problems;
• Help low-income students graduate college on time and with less debt;
• Address societal challenges;
• Connect students to community partners via direct service; and
• Help build more equitable communities across California.

Benefits

Each student serving as a College Corps Fellow for the academic year receives:

• An opportunity to create a more just, inclusive, and sustainable world by supporting K-12 education, reducing food insecurity, and addressing climate change and public health in our community
• Real-world professional experience and resume-building skills
• Access to training, networking, and professional development opportunities
• Up to a $7,000 living stipend and a $3,000 education award upon completion of 450 fellowship hours to help pay for college
• A sense of pride and accomplishment in working toward a common purpose alongside leaders from across the state

Eligibility

Students interested in applying to College Corps at UC San Diego should meet the following criteria:

• Be at least 18 years old by the start of the program
• Be a full-time, enrolled UC San Diego undergraduate student
• Maintain a cumulative UC San Diego GPA of 2.5 or above
• Commit to the program for the full 450 hours during the academic year (no early graduation or study abroad during fall, winter, or spring quarter)

In addition, eligible fellows are required to:

• Complete a National Service Criminal History Check and Live Scan, upon selection

The College Corps fellowship is designed for low- to moderate-income students. Therefore, each student selected to join the fellowship should meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Qualifies for a federal Pell grant, OR
• Qualifies for a State Cal Grant, OR
• Qualifies for a Middle Class Scholarship, OR
• Needs to work part time and/or borrow student loans to meet their educational costs, OR
• Is an AB-540 eligible Dreamer:
  • Must have a completed and submitted a California Dream Act Application (CADAA) for the academic year
  • Must be an active recipient of a Cal Grant A or B Award for the academic year
  • Must submit a CA DSIG Application to become eligible for Education Award

Per the California Student Aid Commission, students who hold an F, J, or M visa cannot receive federal financial aid through the FAFSA or state financial aid through the California Dream Act Application. Unfortunately, these students would be ineligible for College Corps due to how the living stipend is disbursed through financial aid.

Service Areas

Through College Corps at UC San Diego, fellows will serve in one of four areas throughout greater San Diego during the academic year:

• Assisting local K-12 schools and education organizations;
• Participating in climate action research and community engagement;
• Addressing food insecurity in our region; or
• Addressing public health needs in our region.

Day-to-day activities depend on each fellow's placement.

• Fellows focused on K-12 education might: work with a teacher to plan and set up lessons, lead classroom or extracurricular activities, tutor students 1:1, or work with teachers leading after school programming.
• Fellows focused on climate action might: remove invasive species, support habitat restoration or conservation, develop communications or educational content about environmental and climate issues.
• Fellows focused on food insecurity might: lead food recovery efforts, host food distributions, prepare meals, or maintain a garden.
• Fellows focused on public health might: interview community members about housing insecurity, conduct outreach to community members about nutrition, or develop communications or educational content about local health issues.

Application for the 2025–2026 Fellowship Cohort

The application will open in January 2025 for students interesting in participating in College Corps during the 2025–2026 academic year! Please fill out our interest form linked here to be notified when the application opens.

Application Windows:

• Apply by 11:59pm on →
  • January 31
  • February 28
  • April 4
• Learn if you're invited to an interview
  • February 4
  • March 4
  • April 8
• Attend an interview
  • February 10 - 21
  • March 10 - 27
  • April 14 - 25
• Learn your admissions decisions
  • February 24
  • March 27
  • April 28
• Accept or decline your offer
  • February 28
  • April 3
  • May 2

Applications received after April 4, 2025 will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Continuing undergraduate students, incoming first-year students, and transfer students may apply. Applicants may be placed on a waitlist depending on how quickly openings become filled.

More About #CaliforniansForAll College Corps

#CaliforniansForAll College Corps provides up to 6,500 college students over two academic years with service opportunities in critical issue areas such as K-12 education, climate action, and food insecurity.

Students who complete a year of service receive up to $10,000 while gaining valuable experience serving in their communities.

The College Corps program unites young Californians of all backgrounds in service, and — for the first time — specifically creates state-funded opportunities for AB 540 eligible Dreamers to serve their communities. Learn more about the statewide College Corps program here.

Community Host Partners

Are you affiliated with a local nonprofit organization or government agency that would be interested in hosting two or more fellows for the academic year?

If so, please message collegecorps@ucsd.edu with a brief description of the primary activity or project that you would like College Corps at UC San Diego to support.