Students can pay for college with public service. Stanislaus State, UC Merced take part
Some students will be able to help pay for college through public service, thanks to a pilot program the state launched Monday. Three universities in the Northern San Joaquin Valley are among the eight involved statewide.
About 250 students will take part in the rollout of the Civic Action Fellowship during the 2020-21 academic year. It builds on community service that many students already do as part of their coursework.
In Turlock, for example, students at California State University, Stanislaus, have mentored at-risk teens, helped residents with tax returns and served lunches to homeless people, among other tasks. It has not yet determined how to deploy the 47 students who apply successfully for the new program, which will provide up to $10,000 for each of them.
The University of California, Merced, plans to have 24 students provide literacy coaching to kindergarten through third-grade children at six Merced County schools.
The University of the Pacific in Stockton is one of three private schools in the pilot program. It plans to bolster efforts to connect area residents to health care.
Capitol gathering
The program was announced at a Monday morning news conference at the State Capitol by California Volunteers, part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office. Stan State President Ellen Junn was among the campus leaders on hand.
“These Stan State students, by participating with community partners outside of the classroom, learn the importance of civic responsibility and what it means to be a productive citizen — traits that will serve them well in their lives after college,” Junn said.
The other schools in the pilot program are UC Berkeley, Dominican University in Marin County, California Lutheran University near Los Angeles, and the CSU campuses in San Jose and LA.
The Civic Action Fellowship will launch with $3.2 million in state and federal funds, plus $667,000 in scholarships awarded upon the completion of the program.
It will supplement the federal AmeriCorps service program, allowing students to earn up to $10,000 toward college costs.
Existing efforts
Stan State created its Office of Service Learning in 2000 to connect students with causes related to their coursework. About 3,330 undergraduates, 40 percent of the total, enrolled in one or more of the 193 service-related course sections last year.
UC Merced will run the new state program through its Community Engagement Center, which already matches students with service opportunities.
“This exciting new program will improve literacy among Valley children, while also giving UC Merced students invaluable experience and lessening their student loan debt,” Interim Chancellor Nathan Brostrom said.
UOP also has an existing effort, the Center for Community Involvement. The new funding “will help improve access to primary and preventive care by advocating for our city’s vulnerable populations,” Interim President Maria Pallavicini said at the Capitol.
This story was originally published February 11, 2020 at 1:57 PM with the headline "Students can pay for college with public service. Stanislaus State, UC Merced take part."
