The Benefits of a City Year AmeriCorps Member

Dedicating a year to making a lasting impact in students’ lives, communities and schools is rewarding but challenging. There are days when the hours feel too long, emotional exhaustion sets in, and the city feels foreign. At City Year, we try to acknowledge and support our AmeriCorps members in various ways to make sure the hard days get a little easier. That’s why we’re constantly striving to meet the needs of our AmeriCorps members so that they can make the most of their City Year and bring their best selves to service every day.

Here’s a look at the benefits AmeriCorps members receive during their City Year journey and beyond:

Bi-weekly living stipend

City Year AmeriCorps members receive a modest, bi-weekly living stipend during service.

For the 2021-2022 term of service, the bi-weekly stipend is $890 (pre-tax) in all locations except Los Angeles (where the bi-weekly stipend is $920 pre-tax), Sacramento (where the bi-weekly stipend is $960 bi-weekly pre-tax), Detroit (where the bi-weekly stipend is $1,000 pre-tax), San Jose (where the bi-weekly living stipend amount is $1,222 pre-tax) and New York (where the bi-weekly living stipend amount is $1,222 pre-tax). Every little bit helps when committing to a year of service, and we try to make service financially feasible for all.

Time-off

City Year recognizes ten holidays throughout the year, which all our AmeriCorps members get off. In addition, every AmeriCorps member can request up to 12 days of pre-planned time off during their service year. These days can be utilized as needed for personal reasons such as sick days, doctor’s appointments, religious observances, job or graduate school interviews and more.

During school breaks and teacher prep days, AmeriCorps member responsibilities and work environments will shift. Typically, AmeriCorps members spend these days at the local City Year office for service preparation, training and professional development and team building.

Although time off varies by site and is driven by school districts’ annual schedules, AmeriCorps members can generally anticipate having a break of approximately two weeks around late December to early January.

Segal Education Award

As education costs continue to climb, City Year AmeriCorps members are fortunate to be eligible to receive the Segal Education Award upon completion of their service term. The Segal Education Award is currently valued at $6,895 and can be used toward paying future tuition at qualified institutions or paying off existing, qualified student loans. Colleges and universities nationwide highly value Segal Education Award recipients and often offer additional perks, such as matching the award amount, waiving registration fees, offering course credits and service scholarships. (See the complete list of matching institutions here.)

Exclusive scholarships

City Year partners with more than 110 leading colleges and universities to provide scholarships at the undergraduate and graduate levels to our alumni. City Year alumni have access to exclusive scholarships to a wide range of programs (like law and nonprofit management). Our university partners believe our alumni are strong candidates for programs across all fields of study.

Health and well-being

The health and well-being of our AmeriCorps members is our top priority. We offer health insurance to all of our AmeriCorps members during service.

Serving as a City Year AmeriCorps member is a demanding role that requires working long hours in under-resourced schools, which can be stressful and taxing. Every City Year AmeriCorps member has free access to an Employee Assistance Program:  a confidential, 24/7 intervention and referral resource for dealing with a variety of issues such as stress, conflict, mental and emotional well-being, legal questions and much more.

Localized benefits

City Year has 29 locations nationwide. Each site offers a unique experience and has its own partnerships that offer benefits to AmeriCorps members at the local level. These benefits vary by location but often consist of free transportation passes and discounts at local restaurants and attractions.

Learn more about serving with City Year: