College Corps - Río Hondo College

The #CaliforniansForAll College Corps is a state-level investment in service that creates debt-free pathways for students who commit to serving in their communities for an academic year.

As a College Corps member, you’ll work with local organizations to tackle key challenges in K-12 education, climate action, and food insecurity.

Why Join?

Hands-on Experience: Work directly with community-based organizations.
Build Your Resume: Develop leadership and problem-solving skills that employers love.
Give Back: Make a lasting impact in education, the environment, and food security.

Make community service a core part of your college experience and take your future to the next level.

The College Corps Program has three goals

Goal 1

Engage college students in meaningful service opportunities that build leadership skills and civic responsibility.

Goal 2

Help students from diverse backgrounds graduate college on time and with less debt.

Goal 3

Support the work of community-based organizations focused on key local priorities.

Benefits
Commitment
Eligibility

Students holding bags of trash from cleanup

A living allowance paid monthly throughout service term, plus an Education Award paid upon completion of 450 service hours. Total financial benefit up to $10,000.
Real-world job experience and skills to add to your resume
Access to training, networking, and professional development opportunities
Connections with Fellows across the state via a virtual community platform and in-person regional events
A sense of pride and accomplishment in working toward a common purpose alongside young leaders from across the state

college core students working in dirt

Fellows will serve for at least 450 service hours (about 15 hours per week) through the duration of the program year at K-12 schools, food banks/pantries, or climate action organizations to build healthier and more equitable communities across California. They will do this in a variety of ways:

K-12 Education: Partner with local school districts to provide tutoring and mentoring services to school aged students.
Climate Action: Partner with local organizations to promote sustainability, energy conservation, environmental education/justice, etc.
Food Insecurity: Partner with local organizations to provide food/nutrition support and promote awareness of food insecurity across the community.

Fellows will also participate in regularly scheduled development workshops, including a combination of mentorship and coaching, skill-building workshops, and peer learning and exchange that aim for personal and professional growth.

College Corps student helping plant trees

To participate in College Corps, students must meet the following minimum requirements:

Be at least 18 years old
Have a high school diploma or its equivalent
Full-time, enrolled student for the entire 2026-2027 academic year
Ability to commit to the program for the full academic year (12-15 hours per week)
Must be a US Citizen, US National, legal permanent resident, or AB 540 CA Dream Act student

Financial Need
This program is designed to support low- to moderate-income students.

Students selected to join the Fellowship must need to work at least part time and/or borrow student loans to meet their educational costs, and should meet at least one (1) of the following three priority criteria for the 2026-2027 academic year:

Qualifies for a Federal Pell Grant
Qualifies for a State Cal Grant or Middle Class Scholarship
Is AB-540 Eligible
- Must have a completed & submitted California Dream Act Application (CADAA) for 2026-2027 academic year.
- Must be an active recipient of a Cal Grant B Award for the 2026-2027 academic year OR be an active recipient of a Cal Grant A Award who is also Cal Grant B eligible.

Benefits
- A living allowance paid monthly throughout service term, plus an Education Award paid upon completion of 450 service hours. Total financial benefit up to $10,000.
- Real-world job experience and skills to add to your resume
- Access to training, networking, and professional development opportunities
- Connections with Fellows across the state via a virtual community platform and in-person regional events
- A sense of pride and accomplishment in working toward a common purpose alongside young leaders from across the state
Commitment
Fellows will serve for at least 450 service hours (about 15 hours per week) through the duration of the program year at K-12 schools, food banks/pantries, or climate action organizations to build healthier and more equitable communities across California. They will do this in a variety of ways:
- K-12 Education: Partner with local school districts to provide tutoring and mentoring services to school aged students.
- Climate Action: Partner with local organizations to promote sustainability, energy conservation, environmental education/justice, etc.
- Food Insecurity: Partner with local organizations to provide food/nutrition support and promote awareness of food insecurity across the community.
Fellows will also participate in regularly scheduled development workshops, including a combination of mentorship and coaching, skill-building workshops, and peer learning and exchange that aim for personal and professional growth.
Eligibility
To participate in College Corps, students must meet the following minimum requirements:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Have a high school diploma or its equivalent
- Full-time, enrolled student for the entire 2026-2027 academic year
- Ability to commit to the program for the full academic year (12-15 hours per week)
- Must be a US Citizen, US National, legal permanent resident, or AB 540 CA Dream Act student
Financial Need
This program is designed to support low- to moderate-income students.

Students selected to join the Fellowship must need to work at least part time and/or borrow student loans to meet their educational costs, and should meet at least one (1) of the following three priority criteria for the 2026-2027 academic year:
- Qualifies for a Federal Pell Grant
- Qualifies for a State Cal Grant or Middle Class Scholarship
- Is AB-540 Eligible
  - Must have a completed & submitted California Dream Act Application (CADAA) for 2026-2027 academic year.
  - Must be an active recipient of a Cal Grant B Award for the 2026-2027 academic year OR be an active recipient of a Cal Grant A Award who is also Cal Grant B eligible.