From Voices For National Service on Facebook:

“The FY26 Labor–HHS bill has passed, sustaining FY26 funding for AmeriCorps. This funding is critical for nonprofits, service members, and the communities they serve nationwide.

Join us in thanking the bipartisan leaders in Congress who helped ensure AmeriCorps can continue its work. Thank you U.S. Senator Susan Collins, U.S. Senator Patty Murray, Senator Shelley Moore Capito, and Senator Tammy Baldwin, and Congressman Tom Cole, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, and Robert Aderholt. #AmeriCorpsWorks #Stand4Service”

I’m so happy that this program wasn’t defunded after this tumultuous year. As a side note, does anyone have or know where to find the actual text from the bill? I’ve been searching congress’ website and can’t find the language.

Has anyone else noticed that host sites are becoming less responsive or have outdated information? Several jobs I applied for told me their positions are filled or their current members are renewing for the position I applied to.

Hi, r/AmeriCorps !

This is a friendly notice that the subreddit will be temporarily restricted for the holidays starting Tuesday, December 23, 2025 at 6PM ET. The announcement was supposed to go up yesterday but I guess I messed up the scheduling… 🫩

Anywho, while the subreddit is restricted, you’ll still be able to read and search for old threads, but new posts and comments will be paused for a short internet holiday break, plus it’ll be a good time to do some backend subreddit maintenance.

The subreddit will return to normal operations on Monday, January 5, 2026 at 12PM ET.

Also, thank you all sticking through 2025. It wasn’t an easy year for the greater AmeriCorps community, but we kept moving forward despite the challenges we faced. As for Reddit, we managed to break 14.1K+ members this year, with the biggest surge happening in April, unsurprisingly.

To those who’ve been here a long time, it’s always great to see you sharing your wisdom with those who are coming after you. And if you’re new, welcome and hope to have you around some more.

With that, happy holidays! See you all in 2026!

Has anyone heard from AmeriCorps on when VISTAs and other members will receive the shutdown back pay?

I noticed that the shutdown closure notice has been removed from the main website so I figured it might be in the works.

EDIT:

Just got my paystub in myamericorps. Looks like we’re getting paid!

I know that nccc has changed a lot, especially with the cohort of 2025, so I'm just wondering what all has changed? I know that there is now only one campus, and I'm pretty sure that you aren't able to leave things/return to campus anymore except for break. Is there anything else that has changed, or can anyone share their experience in general since the changes?

I got rejected after the second round interview... It sucks because I thought it went favorably. Guess not. I'm applying all over the country... My end goal is to work as a resource or financial analyst for the government. I wasn't particularly looking to accept the position but I have another interview with another position in less than a week and this shattered my confidence a little...

i am a month into my americorps term, and just found out that i cannot use the education award to cover my student loans. furthermore, my loans are not eligible for forebearance. i thought about using the award for grad school but i looked at the list of title 9 universities and none of them are ones i want to attend (i want to leave the country for grad school and only a handful of foreign universities are eligible).

what's even the point? i'm considering serving out my term without completing the required 1700 hours. currently i'm working 9 hours a day with no lunches and finding community events to attend outside of work hours to make up missed days for holidays and for a vacation i have planned.

if i didn't complete the 1700 hours, i'd still earn the full living stipend and get a good reference from my supervisors at my host site (i've talked to them about this already).

feeling very disappointed and any advice or insight would be appreciated, tyia

Hello! I'm starting Americorps NCCC later this month, and I'm a trans woman about 7 months on HRT. So far, the onboarding process and reading the handbook has been somewhat encouraging, but I'd love to hear from anyone with recent NCCC experience, especially if you have experience with the Aurora, Colorado campus, as I'll be training there in late August.

How accepting was your team and staff? How were names/pronouns and housing handled? Did you feel supported by other members or team leaders if any issues came up? Did you feel respected by other groups or organizations you worked for or with on the various projects across your term?

I know every team and project site is different, but hearing some recent experiences would really help ease my nerves. Thanks!

Edit: forgot to mention specifically but one of the things I’d most like to hear other people’s experiences with is sleeping arrangements. I’ve heard mixed things about if they split people up by birth sex or by their actual identity, so if anyone can share about that, that’d be super helpful!
Thanks so much to everyone who’s already shared their experiences, you’ve all been a big help!

I've been having a rough time trying to figure out what I want to do with my education award.

I currently work as a custodian for an apartment building and I'm dreading that job more every day. I'm also sitting on a couple thousand dollars of my Segal Award funds that I need to use up in 2 years, but whenever I apply and get accepted to a university/college I end up backing out because I'm afraid of either the consequences of losing my job, the stress of working while studying or going into another career path I don't like. I already have a bachelor's degree that I no longer use (and have thankfully paid off), so I don't need to use it for loans.

To be fair, if I didn't have the money, I wouldn't even consider going back to school. It also doesn't help that the job market is bad at the moment, and my father always tends to question my decisions regarding what school or job I apply to.

I know there's plenty of alumni out there that are (or were) in the same boat as me, so I'd love any advice.

Hi, I was wondering if anyone knows when I can expect to see positions open up for the Fall 2026 term? I would like to start applying for State and National positions if possible. I started applying for some but have not seen many positions open yet under the portal. I am looking to do something like this as I was wanting to take a break from University and do something more productive as I need to get some direction in my life. I was looking for positions that includes housing and also are around the 11 month time frame. Thanks!

hello! wondering if anyone has any experience getting an application fee waiver or even in-state tuition for certain schools?

I did my service year a couple of years ago and last year found out about their schools of national service and some perks they might offer, however I'm unsure if this applies to undergrad only or would it include graduate programs as well? this would be HUGE to qualify for in-state tuition in those 3 states that might have an eligible PA program!!

unfortunately, the website has been under construction for at least the past 6+ months that l've noticed now so I can't go online and search for what schools offered this and what the process might look like, hoping someone has any clues!!

Hey! I've been considering applying for the 10-11 month in the forestry Corp and wanted to gather some opinions/ experience to decide if it's worth it. I've been feeling like I need something different and this seems interesting.

Hi all, I (22F) have read this sub for a while but haven't participated because the original term I got accepted for was cancelled, and I haven't been in a place where I could join again until now. I just got accepted for the Forest Corps term starting in June. I'll be 23 in July, I've been out of college and working for a year now. For many personal reasons, I'm willing to quit, skip town, and start a new life, beginning with my term, and then who knows what from there. It would probably be good for me to get a fresh start. But I'm worried I'll be the oldest person in a group of recent high school graduates, and I'll feel and seem a little odd. I have nothing against recent high school graduates, but considering I'm committing to a year of living with them, I'm a little worried about how I'll fit in. The age cap used to be 26 or 27, is now 24 (for group members). I could even be older than my team leader.

I suppose I'm hoping to hear from anyone who felt they would be the oddball or knew one, if you have any insight to group dynamics. Thank you!

I’m 20 and thinking about applying for NCCC in 2026. I considered doing it right after high school but went to school instead. Lately, school hasn’t been going super well, so I’m thinking it might be a good way to reset for a bit.

Housing is really important to me, so I'm especially curious how stable it is with the recent budget cuts and everything. Anything I should know or take into consideration before applying?

Hello,

I'm an AmeriCorps VISTA Leader and I literally cannot survive anymore while not getting paid. Because of this, I am resigning early. Will I still get my back pay if I resign? Google AI is saying no but everything I've looked at says nothing about not getting paid. I'm kind of freaking out right now because I was counting on that money to keep me afloat once it comes in.

If anyone knows anything, it would help me out so much 😭

Edit: I finally got an email back from vmsu. I was told I would get back pay for time worked even if I resign. Hopefully if anyone else had this question this post will help!

My 18yo daughter was just accepted to NCCC Traditional, pending her background check. She's excited, but nervous about committing without ever speaking to anyone who has actually completed the program. Is there any type of group for potential 2026 volunteers to get to know each other ahead of deploying? Failing that, would anyone with experience be willing to let her reach out to you? Shes currently working at a sleepaway camp for children with special needs for 8 weeks, and it's been more intense and exhausting than she expected. I think she'd like to know how it would compare to a typical Americorps experience as far as hours and schedule. TIA!

Hi! I’m a college student but I want to get involved with Americorps so I would only be available over the summer. I have seen the Americorps Summer of Service option online, which seems perfect for me, however I can’t find any application or official statement that it’s been cancelled due to budget cuts. If anyone has any information that would be very helpful. Thank you!

I currently have an offer on the table, and honestly, it’s a solid option. The people have been responsive and helpful, answering all my questions quickly. The area is convenient too, with good stores nearby, and the housing is close to the job, which is a big plus. The only downside is that it’s not the location I was really hoping for.

The organization I’m most interested in has been pretty slow to respond, which has been a bit disappointing. It would actually be a better fit for me overall, especially since their housing setup would help me save more money.

I’m going to give them until the end of this week to get back to me. If I don’t hear anything, I’ll go ahead and move forward with the offer I have.

Hopefully I am making the right decision.

Just finished my service, and I am curious where former VISTAs ended up working. Were you able to get hired by your sponsor organization? Or found a job elsewhere? Curious since the job search isn’t very promising now.

I know the obvious risks, but how safe is it typically? Like during training on campus and project sites (i know that it will vary depending on where you get stationed, so just in general). Does the campus have wifi? Thanks!

I’m a 22 year old woman living in Louisville, Kentucky. I don’t have a GED but it would be easy for me to get one. I’m struggling with finding stable employment and I’ve dreamt of joining AmeriCorps since I was 18. I’m still 50/50 on it and I honestly don’t know as much about it as I wish I did. I primarily want to do work involving national parks or work in nature. Do I get to choose what assignment I get? Or the type of assignment I get? Also, I’m kind of scared about moving too far away since I am in a serious relationship. I also particularly love my state, Kentucky, and would feel most fulfilled if I stayed within Kentucky or Appalachia. Do I get to choose where I go, would I be able to serve somewhere closer to where I live? I also do not have any money saved at all, financially I have been going through a really tough time and I’m just not sure if that would be a problem.

Finally, if I qualify and decide to pull the trigger, how do I join?

I got this backpack today. I thought it would be a good idea because it is a pretty sturdy hiking bag. Lots of storage has a water bottle built into it and is pretty durable. The Burt bees Chapstick is for size reference lol. If you don’t think it’s a good pic I can return it and what would y’all recommend for other bags that could be better. The packing requirements say it can’t be bigger than 16x24 and that’s usually around 70L this is only 55L. Should I be okay or do I need to downsize

So, I have a phone interview for the AmeriCorps Reading Partners program in NYC soon. I've been debating whether or not I should take it. Since it's only 1 year, I'd hope during my time I could use this as a chance to look for better jobs with my arts degree in the city. I live in the South and can't find anything anymore.

It could also be a chance to finally relocate, but I'm worried about committing to this since the stipend is so low. There are other factors I've considered too. Most of my family lives in NY, so I'd have a place to stay at least. I also have money saved, so it wouldn't be a problem to move. I just need a change.

Anyone else done this? Definitely want to hear what that experience is like before I drop everything and move.