What is a service year?

After High School.

High school graduates often do a service year as a “gap year” to gain experience and receive a modest living stipend before starting college. 

A service year is a great way to gain independence and real world experience and learn what it takes to have a full-time job and the responsibility that comes with college or career.

During College.

Countless college students get part of the way through school and realize they don’t love their major, want to study something completely different, or consider transferring to another school.

That’s totally normal, and a service year can help you find your way to the right major or career path. It allows you to hit “pause”, do something amazing for a year, come back refreshed and with a better sense of purpose and direction.

After College.

Many college graduates choose to do a service year in order to gain real world and professional experience before starting their careers. 

A service year can help you find your passion while developing experience that will help you stand out to graduate and professional degree programs and to future employers. For example, maybe you are considering going to medical school, but aren’t totally sure if this is the right path for you. Many medical schools like to see applicants who understand the diverse populations they will eventually work with. You can do a service year with a program like Health Corps after graduation and spend a paid year learning about health and nutrition while providing students with information they need to live a healthy life. You’ll make a huge impact on the people and community you serve, and — at the same time — you’ll get to experience working in the healthcare field which can help strengthen your medical school application and help you decide if going to medical school is still the right path for you. Additionally, individuals who do a service year in an approved AmeriCorps program may be eligible to temporarily postpone temporarily repaying their student loans while they are serving. This is called loan forbearance. While an individual’s loan is in forbearance, they are not required to make payments. Learn more about loan forbearance and deferring your student loans here.

While Working in a Job.

Sometimes you find yourself questioning your career path, or are in a job that you just don’t enjoy or feel like is a dead end.  Maybe taking a break to explore something entirely new is appealing.

Or maybe you’re realizing that now is the best time to try something new before other responsibilities tie you down.  Whatever the reason, a service year is a life-changing experience that provides a strong bridge to your next step – whether to a new path or to accelerate on your current one.

As a Way to Find Your Path.

Sometimes things don’t go as planned, and you find yourself on a path that you never intended or you know you want to make a change.

It can often be challenging to move forward and forge a new path, but a service year can be a great solution. Whether you are looking to transform your life, get back to school, finish your degree, or find the right job for you — a service year is a life-changing experience that allows you to develop the confidence, grit, leadership and professional skills you need to find your path. You can stand out to colleges and employers, setting you apart from others and giving you a leg up as you plan for your future

Get Paid.

Most service years offer a $1,200—2,500 monthly living allowance, though the level of financial support varies depending on the specific opportunity and length of the service period.

Some opportunities come with additional benefits, including: health insurance, dental and vision insurance, housing assistance, childcare, and more. For questions about benefits associated with a specific service year opportunity, please check out the listing, or reach out to the organization directly.

Develop Valuable Skills.

Every service year is different, but each opportunity, allows you to develop leadership and professional skills that you can take with you after your year of service. 

Whether it’s leading a team, managing volunteers, managing a major project, working with youth, rebuilding a home after a natural disaster, or even building a home — the skills you develop during your service year can be valuable skills to apply toward utilized for any future education or employment career.

Career Benefits.

Service year alums have gone on to successful careers in a variety of fields, including technology, consulting, education, government, and even the arts. 

That’s because employers view service year alums as motivated, flexible, and outcome-oriented leaders who have developed valuable skills and training. The employers that are leading the charge to hire service year alums are designated as Employers of National Service. What is Employers of National Service?Employers of National Service connects alums from AmeriCorps and Peace Corps with employers from the private, public, and nonprofit sectors, including Disney, Comcast, Delta Airlines, the National Park Service, and many more. 

Educational Benefits.

Many service year alums have used their service year experience as a stepping stone to their next level of education. 

Just like employers, higher education institutions and graduate programs value the skills and experiences developed by service year alums. Even better, many service year participants are eligible for an education award that can be used for future tuition or to pay back student loans. One cool thing to keep in mind is that over 100 colleges and universities double - and sometimes triple - the education award, waive registration fees, provide course credit, and even have service-based scholarships!  Service year corps members are eligible to receive an education award if they do a service year with an AmeriCorps program. The amount of a full-time education award is the same as the maximum value of the Pell Grant for the award year in which the service year is approved.  In other words, as of January 2021, you can earn $6,345 if you do a full-time service year or serve the equivalent of 1700 hours. For part-time or 900 hour terms, the education award is prorated. Since the amount of the Pell Grant changes every year, the education award amount changes every year as well. You can read more about the education award here.