Apply to be a part of UCSB's inaugural class of College Corps Fellows as part of the 2026-2027 cohort! Below you will find information about how to apply and what the program entails. Please note that since this is our first year having College Corps at UCSB, some videos and photos are from other campuses in our Consortium.
Climate Action
Climate related outreach, education, and training
Planting! Trees, native plants, gardens, and farms.
Food Security
Food distribution
Food harvesting
Health or nutrition related outreach, education, and training
K-12 Education
Tutoring
Mentoring
K-12 related outreach, training and education (College prep/outreach, AVID and similar style programs, etc)
*Please note Environmental Education efforts will fall under "Climate Action" instead of this category.
Eligibility Criteria:
To be eligible, applicants must:
- be a full time undergraduate student at UC Santa Barbara for the 2026-2027 academic year.
- not be traveling abroad in the 2026-2027 academic year.
- be a AB 540 California Dream Act Student, a US Citizen, US National, or a Legal Permanent Resident. Most international students are unfortunately not eligible.
- be in good academic standing and have a GPA of 2.5 or higher at the time of application. If you don't meet this requirement, you can attach a brief paragraph stating why you think you will be able to take on this internship and still do well in school next year. Please attach in handshake.
- be able to volunteer with the program on average 15 hrs. a week. Time off will be given for school holidays.
- qualify for Pell grant, Cal Grant, Middle Class Scholarship, or has a need to work part-time and/or borrow student loans to meet educational costs.
- have enough room in your financial aid award package to accept a $7,000 stipend (awarded in monthly increments) and $3,000 educational award (awarded at the end of the year) during the 2026-2027 year. Both will processed as financial aid.
- be 18 years old or older in August 2026.
It is also highly recommended that you be available for a Summer Session G (Aug 24 - Sept 11) Onboarding Class, a 2 unit academic course.
What Types of Students Are We Looking For?
- Goal oriented and resilient
- Has humility and empathy
- Strong communication and collaboration skills
- Oriented towards community service
- Open to learning new skills and changing your perspectives
- Responsible, hardworking, and someone who follows-through on what you say you'll do.
Application Process and Timeline
3/6/2026Extended to 3/29/2026- Apply on Handshake- Submit a resume, unofficial transcript, and application on UCSB Handshake (Job #10705352 "College Corps Fellowship" (More on accessing Handshake:https://career.ucsb.edu/handshake-help-center)
- We are now reviewing applications on a rolling basis so apply early for the best consideration.
- 4/10/2026 (If invited for an interview) - Submit Interest & Needs Forms
- This is a follow up form with additional information needed to best match you to a local non-profit.
- April - Financial Aid and Residency Review
- No additional information needed from applicants, Financial Aid will complete this review based on your application.
- April - Interviews
- We anticipate inviting the top candidates from the Handshake applications for interviews. Not all applicants will be offered an interview.
- 5/01/2026 12pm -2pm Fellow and CHP Speed Dating Event
- This will be a speed-dating event where fellows and CHPs can meet and then share their preferences for placements.
- May - Placements
- During May we will work to match you to a Community Host Partner (CHP). This could be a non-profit, government agency, or school. We will take into account your preferences and those of the CHPs. Feedback from speed dating event will be used during the placements.
- August 24 - September 11: Summer Session G Onboarding Course
- 2 unit academic course where you will get initial training and your onboarding
- September 2026 - Launch of your Fellowship
- Fall 2026 - early June 2027 - Fellowship
How do I learn more?
- Attend an optional information session:
- Slides from previously offered information sessions Recording from previous info session.
- Application Pop Up Workshop: Thursday, February 26th 11am-12:30pm Student Resource Building Multipurpose Room RSVP here
- Email Program Director Katie Maynard kcmaynard@ucsb.edu with specific questions