States Are Making It Easier to Serve Local Communities

States are offering incentives to strengthen America’s volunteer tradition – the “golden thread” of U.S. democracy

By Carnegie Corporation of New York July 11, 2024

Carnegie Reporter Summer 2024 Citizenship

Taking part in a national service program isn’t just a great way to contribute to your community — it could also give a big boost to your education and career goals.

A growing list of states are launching new programs that include incentives — from tuition waivers to hiring preferences — to make national service an even more rewarding experience.

When the federal government gives states funding to develop local programs, it requires states to match that funding. This presents opportunities for governors to direct federal funds and develop state-level initiatives to increase volunteering in their states, as detailed in State Innovations in National Service & Volunteering, a report released in January by grantee More Perfect with support from Carnegie Corporation of New York

It’s also an effective way to address important local needs and bridge divides in communities. More Perfect is working to dramatically expand national service and volunteering in the United States over the next decade as part of an overarching movement to strengthen U.S. democracy and advance civic engagement in communities across the country.

Who volunteers and serves in the United States?

America’s volunteer tradition has long been called the “golden thread” of our democracy: it brings together people of all backgrounds to solve problems and strengthen communities, while also reducing political polarization. In recent years, volunteers and service members have worked to improve educational outcomes, fight the opioid epidemic, confront the COVID-19 pandemic, respond to environmental disasters, help military veterans, aid refugees, and much more.

According to AmeriCorps’ most recent Volunteering and Civic Life in America survey, conducted every two years, more than 60 million Americans volunteered for an organization between September 2020 and September 2021. Those volunteers served an estimated 4.1 billion hours, contributing an economic value of $122.9 billion.

Which states are investing in new incentives for national service?

U.S. civilian national service programs date back to 1933, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Civilian Conservation Corps to improve national parks and forests. In 1963, President John F. Kennedy originated the Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) program to tackle poverty and social needs. VISTA has since become part of AmeriCorps, which places around 200,000 members a year in service roles ranging from education to climate change.

AmeriCorps members typically commit to a one-year term, serving as part of a local organization. Members who complete a term of service may receive an education award, typically worth several thousand dollars, that can be used to pay for schooling costs. However, AmeriCorps’ living allowances, which start at $11 per hour, are often not enough to sustain volunteers on their own.

That’s why additional programs and support from states are crucial for making service and civic engagement accessible to everyone.

In recent years, a bipartisan group of state legislators called the State Service Caucus has spearheaded new laws to reward people who serve their communities. These laws have created new programs like Washington state’s Climate Corps Network and Maryland’s Service Year Option, which pays recent high-school graduates to complete a year of public service.

Some states, like Maryland and California, have launched cabinet-level departments devoted to service. Other states are developing partnerships with colleges. The College for Social Innovation offers full academic credit at a growing number of colleges, including the University of Vermont, the University of New Hampshire, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, and Delaware State University, in exchange for a semester of service.

To ease the burden of finding affordable housing for national volunteers, Colorado, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oregon, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin have piloted programs to match service members with affordable home sharing options. Oregon has also introduced legislation that would allow residents to rent an extra room to a service member without paying state taxes on the rental income.

Where does national service help pay for education?

Utah’s One Utah Service Fellowship, signed into law in March 2024 by Governor Spencer Cox, provides select service members with up to $8,500 toward educational expenses after completing an approved term of service. The Corporation recently supported this initiative with a $1.1 million grant along with $1.9 million for other state and national service programs.

California offers the California College Corps and the Civic Action Fellowship, which provide thousands of service members with education awards as high as $10,000. California has also used state funding to increase AmeriCorps’ education award to $10,000 for members completing a year of full-time service in California.

In 2022, West Virginia passed a bipartisan bill that grants AmeriCorps members a full-year tuition waiver at a West Virginia public college or university for every year of service they complete in the state. Virginia’s Compact on National Service, launched in 2016, offers benefits like academic credit and admission preferences to students who complete a year of service.

Some states have enacted laws offering in-state public university tuition rates for people who complete national service in their states, including Arizona and Maryland. Nebraska extends in-state tuition eligibility to all alumni of AmeriCorps, regardless of the state where they served.

Typically, AmeriCorps alumni pay federal and state income tax on their education awards. In 2009, Iowa passed a bill to eliminate state taxes on the value of the award. Since then, the tax credit has saved thousands of Iowa AmeriCorps members an estimated $1 millionplus in taxes.

Since the passage of Iowa’s law, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, and Wisconsin have also exempted the education award from state income tax.

Where can national service help your career?

In 2023, Nevada passed a law allowing anyone who completes at least 900 hours in a service program and meets qualifications to bypass the competitive hiring procedures for certain state jobs. The state governments of Virginia, Montana, and Wisconsin have also committed to hiring national service alumni. California now offers anyone who completes a term of service the opportunity to purchase retirement service credits in the state public retirement system. Colorado and Maryland have created paid service opportunities that provide job training and professional development.

In Utah, Governor Cox issued two executive orders in 2023 to demonstrate his state’s commitment to service. One order encourages state agencies to organize department-wide service projects and give employees leave to participate. The other requires businesses that receive state economic development support to provide 20 hours of service per high-paying job for every year that it receives state support.

Through these strategies, states across the country are making national service a more accessible experience for millions of Americans and building a future where service can truly benefit everyone.

Chloe Cushman is a Toronto-based illustrator. She is a frequent contributor to the New Yorker and the New York Times, among many other international publications.