It consumed my thoughts more than the leggy redheaded cheerleader with the permanent smile. It caused me far more worry than the steroidal thugs on the hunt for fresh victims. It slowly devoured my insides. It was my biggest nemesis: where to find money for college.
I obsessed over how to pay for my higher education. My family could not afford it. And I wanted so badly to avoid taking on student loans, knowing as I did how difficult it might be to repay them. I was determined to find a better way.
I worked hard—academically and extracurricularly—to make myself attractive to those who awarded scholarships. But as I got further and further into the search for award money, I soon discovered that my chances of receiving enough for “a full ride” were extremely slim. (Admittedly, working at a job to fund college was not an idea that I entertained much at the age of 16.)
Then, one of my high school counselors suggested I look into the U.S. military service academies. As a top student, I stood a decent chance of gaining admission to one. It would mean receiving a free four-year college education, including meals and housing, in exchange for at least eight years of service as a military officer upon graduation.
The first part sounded terrific. So I went for it.
As I slogged through my remaining time in high school, I made sure to achieve all the right things—good grades, good fitness, good “leadership potential.” I feared the whole time that it would all be for naught, that I’d end up without a way to pay for college.
But my hard work paid off; I received a nomination to the U.S. Air Force Academy. When I realized that I didn’t actually want to become fodder for war, however, I backed out of the process. Yet, the Air Force then decided to award me a full-ride scholarship to a university of my choice. There was a catch, of course: I’d be part of the ROTC (Reserve Officers’ Training Corps) and subject to the same eight-year service commitment that could land me in a war zone.
The thought of my mother getting word that her only son had been killed in the service of somebody else’s political gamble turned me off the idea for good. “Thanks, but no thanks.”
So, I resigned myself to the fact that I would have to take out student loans. I felt as though I’d let myself down. It pained me to say no. (The idea of national service seemed so heroic. For a short time, I’d been able to imagine the pride of doing something with a grand purpose.)
Looking back, I now kick myself for not being aware of other options. The military was not the only way to get money for school while serving my community. I missed out on alternatives that would have enabled me to make positive, meaningful differences in the lives of others in exchange for significant college funding.
I don’t want you to make the same mistake. I allowed great community service opportunities to fall off my radar, but you don’t have to. Here are four government-funded service programs that provide many benefits, including help in paying for your college education.
1. AmeriCorps
This program was just getting off the ground when I entered college in 1993. Since then, it has grown to become one of the best ways to contribute to the efforts at building a better America while also receiving money for school.
AmeriCorps is designed to give people over the age of 18 the opportunity to help address any of a number of pressing community needs across the United States. Upon completion of their service, volunteers can receive the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award, which can be used to pay higher education costs or to repay existing student loans.
The amount you can be awarded for one year of service is tied to the maximum amount of a Federal Pell Grant when you sign up. In 2010, that was $5,350. You can receive up to two education awards (for two years of service). Based on the 2010 amount, that could equal $10,700 for school. The funds are accessible for up to seven years after service.
AmeriCorps is broken down into a few main sub-programs, each with a different structure and focus.
AmeriCorps State and AmeriCorps National recruit volunteers for a variety of local programs that address a broad range of unmet community needs. You could help build homes, restore parks, revitalize a neighborhood, mentor disadvantaged youth, provide community outreach, enhance public safety, clean up the environment, aid in disaster relief, or provide assistance with any number of other community service activities in a location you can often choose.
AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) requires that you commit to working full time for at least one year in the service of helping to bring people or whole communities out of poverty. You can receive a modest living allowance for the location you serve as well as healthcare benefits during the time of your service.
AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) is for people between the ages of 18 and 24 who want to make a 10-month commitment to working full time in direct, team-based community service. Volunteers in this residential program receive meals, a living allowance, medical benefits, and housing on one of five campuses across the country: Sacramento, California; Denver, Colorado; Vinton, Iowa; Vicksburg, Mississippi; or Perry Point, Maryland.
2. Teach for America
The U.S. contains many communities with underserved primary and secondary school students. There is a huge need for teachers to help expand educational opportunity in such disadvantaged communities.
Teach for America recruits recent college graduates from all backgrounds to teach for two years in rural or urban schools of need. You don’t have to major in education in order to be accepted; almost any undergraduate major will do. Rather, the organization looks for people with a good record of achievement and strong leadership potential as demonstrated through school activities or work experience.
In exchange for your service as a teacher, you can receive ongoing training, a salary, health insurance, retirement benefits, assistance with relocation, and other exclusive benefits. Plus, if you have student loans, you can have them deferred or put into forbearance for the time of your service—with the interest paid.
In addition, because Teach for America is a member of AmeriCorps, you can receive the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award, which can help you pay off any student loans you accumulate while in college.
Should you decide to continue your teaching career in a position of need after your term of service, and you still have an outstanding Federal Perkins Loan, you could qualify to have up to 100 percent of your loan cancelled.
3. National Health Service Corps
Educational opportunity isn’t the only kind of shortage that many rural and urban communities face. Access to healthcare can also be scarce.
The National Health Service Corps was set up in 1972 to provide big incentives to health professionals who are willing to work in locations of major need. Members of this corps work to deliver healthcare services to poor and uninsured patients in areas with few other qualified professionals.
If you are eyeing a career as a primary care physician, family nurse practitioner, physician assistant, certified nurse midwife, dentist, or dental hygienist, then this is a program you need to know about.
By committing to serve between two to four years as a primary healthcare provider in a high-need community, you could be awarded a scholarship that will cover your tuition and other educational fees, as well as provide you with a living stipend.
Alternatively, you might decide not to commit right away and just go ahead with your schooling, accumulating a few student loans. After graduation, or as a seasoned healthcare professional, you could receive $60,000 to help repay your loans in exchange for serving two years in a high-need area.
4. Peace Corps
This is perhaps the most well-known program on the list. Since 1961, volunteers have lived and worked in developing countries to promote peace and provide assistance with initiatives related to issues like education, environmental preservation, AIDS prevention, agricultural development, and information and communications technology.
College graduates with Federal Perkins Loans who serve in the Peace Corps are eligible for deferment of their loans while serving and partial cancellation of those loans when they return home. By serving four years in the corps, for instance, you could qualify to have 70 percent of your loan cancelled.
It’s win-win
I’m the first to acknowledge how daunting a task it is to figure out where to find money for college. It’s the kind of challenge that can make attaining a good life feel impossible. But by expanding your radar a bit, you might discover opportunities that can lead to a more enriching life than you currently imagine.
Community service can provide you with a sense of connection and purpose, leadership skills, new friends, and a way to help pay for your education. Those are big wins for you.
Of course, you can also receive great satisfaction from knowing that your efforts enable important community programs and organizations to carry on providing much-needed services to people and communities that require the helpful boost. That’s another big win.
Do you have the courage and compassion to commit to community service?
Can you afford not to?
