University partners

The service experience of City Year alumni can be an incredible asset to their communities, no matter the specific focus of their program.

Our partners

To learn more about our 115+ Partners, explore resources on our alumni website. There are three ways to search programs and partners: alphabetical, by location (including online programs), and by program type (undergrad, social work, education, policy, etc).

What are the benefits offered?

Every partner school is offering a combination of the following exclusive benefits to City Year:

Application fee waiver

In nearly every case, the partner school will waive the application fee for members of the City Year community (current corps, alumni, and staff). The process to obtain a fee waiver can vary by school so you are encouraged to review each school’s partner page. In general, the process is to request a service verification letter with name(s) of schools applying to alumni@cityyear.org. City Year’s Alumni & Career Development Office will either email the letter back to the applicant (to upload to online application) or send directly to the admissions office (and cc City Year applicant) and school will respond with next steps to obtain the fee waiver.

Note: Some schools do not have any application fee at all (therefore no waiver is needed) and a few others will reimburse the fee to an applicant contingent on their acceptance and enrollment.

Deferral for City Year AmeriCorps members accepted to a partner school but decide to serve for additional time with City Year

A deferral request should be made directly to the school’s admissions office. This benefit is the school’s recognition that serving a second year with City Year will make the AmeriCorps member a stronger student when they begin their studies. Note: Sometimes an applicant who is awarded a City Year scholarship cannot defer the scholarship but can defer acceptance and will be re-considered for the scholarship among next year’s City Year applicants.

Exclusive scholarship opportunities

Partner schools offer a range of defined scholarships exclusively for City Year members ranging up to 100% tuition. If accepted to a partner school, applicants either automatically receive the City Year scholarship (some schools guarantee a minimum scholarship to all City Year members), complete a supplementary scholarship application to determine eligibility, or compete with other City Year corps members alumni and staff members for a select number of scholarships. For example, if a partner school offers up to 3 City Year scholarships per year equal to 30% of tuition and 10 City Year members apply that application cycle and are accepted by the program, the school will choose 3 out of 10 City Year members to award the scholarship to.

Note about inability to stack scholarship awards: Like any applicant, a City Year AmeriCorps member, alum or staff member applying to a school is considered for all eligible merit and need-based awards offered by the institution including the City Year scholarship. If awarded an institutional scholarship that is more than or different from the City Year scholarship, that award, unless otherwise stated on our partnership page, is in lieu of, but not in addition to, the City Year scholarship. Similarly, if a school also matches the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award and the City Year scholarship is of higher amount, the school will not then also match the Segal Award, unless stated specifically.

Who is eligible?

City Year AmeriCorps members, alumni and current/former staff are eligible. If you are serving or have served with City Year in any of our 29 U.S. Sites and complete at least one term of service (Mid-Year AmeriCorps members who complete term are eligible); staff members must be employed with City Year for at least two years.

You can apply to a partner school during or after your term(s) of service and be eligible for the application fee waiver. If accepted, applicants either automatically receive a scholarship, complete a supplementary scholarship application to determine eligibility, or compete with other City Year corps members alumni and staff members for a select number of scholarships.

How to apply

To apply for benefits with one of our partners, City Year corps and alumni should do the following:

First, visit the alphabetical list of university—it has most comprehensive list of benefits with links to learn more about the partnership (either on the alumni website or the university’s website).

• If the school has partner page on alumni website: Visit the specific partnership page from one of the lists above, scroll to the bottom of the page and find the “How to Apply” section and follow the specific steps outlined on the partner’s page.
• If the partner requires a service verification letter, please allow for 5 business days to process and send the letter.
• If directed to the school’s website, visit the school’s page to learn more about benefits offered.
• If no specific instructions are included about how to waive the application fee or be considered for the scholarship, please contact the admissions office of the school, identify your City Year affiliation and inquire what is needed to waive fee and be eligible for scholarship consideration.

Corps: If you have questions or need clarification, please connect with your site’s LACY Point or you can email alumni@cityyear.org.

Helpful application tips

• Apply early! Some partners have limited scholarship funds; applying early means you’ll be considered in the first group of City Year applicants interested in the program.
• City Year scholarship funds can be competitive; be sure to reflect your professionalism in all communications and outreach.
• Connect with an admissions counselor from the program! Individual interactions make a significant difference in your likelihood of acceptance and financial aid package.
• Alumni can access their own service verification letter (“My Service Letter”) through their my.americorps.gov account.