You’d think the government would absolutely love a nonprofit organization that does the job the government doesn’t want to do: provide for the more unfortunate around the nation. Yet this administration is slashing $400 million in AmeriCorps funding, which not only is putting those in need at a further disadvantage, but also the college students who work with organizations funded by AmeriCorps. Students like me, who don’t get much, if any, financial aid from our universities, benefit greatly from opportunities that AmeriCorps provides so that we can not only help our communities while earning a stipend, but also advance our teaching experience to further our careers.

I want to be a teacher. As such, I’ve worked for two organizations funded by AmeriCorps, Generation Teach (GT) and Teach for America (TFA) in the last year. Both programs hire current or recent undergraduates who are interested in giving back to communities and expanding their resumes in teaching. Some opportunities with AmeriCorps, like GT and TFA, provide living stipends and education grants.

When these programs are cut, fewer college students can afford to pursue higher education, and fewer grade schoolers will be able to reach their potential, especially students of color.

Generation Teach

GT’s benefits are twofold: First, they provide free summer camp for rising third to sixth graders in four states and Washington D.C., which includes free breakfast and lunch, and summer learning materials. GT focuses on science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM), as well as enrichment activities such as games and movement enrichment. In turn, GT participants, who are mostly college students of color, get a living stipend bi-weekly throughout the program and an AmeriCorps grant after the program concludes that college students can use toward school or to pay off student loans.

At first, not every kid was happy to be there. However, it benefited their parents and guardians because not only did they not have to pay for a babysitter or daycare, it also helped their kids get a head start toward their next grade level. GT serves Title I schools, which serve families from low-income backgrounds, who very much appreciated the services we provided. By the end of the summer, the kids enjoyed their time with us, and many tears were shed because the tutors weren’t coming back. And my GT cohort formed a bond we will treasure for years to come.

Now, families who want to continue sending their kids to these programs must scramble to find something affordable or similar so they can work during the day, and it leaves their children without access to the tools to enrich their learning throughout the summer.

Teach for America

Tutoring with TFA is an online program where undergrads, grad students, and TFA alumni work with K-12 students who need help in subjects like math, English/reading, and PSAT/SAT prep. This occurs during the typical semesters of college, which aligns with K-12 hours and fits specifically within the tutor’s schedule. TFA tutors receive a financial award two weeks after their service.

During my semester with TFA, I helped third graders who were below the reading level get back to or above the reading level. TFA is also free to students, as it occurs during their school day, so there’s no extra costs to the school, teachers, or family members. Taking away another free resource would result in more kids’ reading and math skills levels declining and being held back due to not passing federal testing, which, according to recent NAEP scores, has already been happening in a post-pandemic world.

The Consequences of Defunded AmeriCorps

Not only are these programs extremely important to grade schoolers, but it’s beneficial to college students who are currently preparing to be teachers like me. Programs like GT promote teacher diversity by encouraging more young people of color to enter the teaching profession help advance our careers. When my mom told me about the Trump administration slashing AmeriCorps funding, I immediately told my friends at GT, some of whom were planning to return this summer, and they were concerned as well. While GT is still operational this year, who knows what will happen next summer after it’s defunded?

Meanwhile, I got rehired at TFA for this upcoming fall semester. But since it doesn’t start until August, anything could happen to TFA due to the harsh cuts that the administration is making to education. I now have to make a backup plan for an internship, which is unpaid, so it won’t help me pay for college. This couldn’t happen at a worse time because as a rising junior, I’m currently prepping to apply to my university’s accelerated master’s program, which would allow me to get my master’s in education within one year. Not having that extra experience on my resume, could hinder my ability to get into the program. It can be hard to get started in the education field, because many schools, districts, and other jobs in education are strict with their required years of experience. Without programs like GT and TFA, where are students like me supposed to get our educational experience from?

AmeriCorps programs like these are not only important to the communities that they serve but also for the college students who participate. Every working college student has a different reason why — whether they need the experience and opportunity to grow, or maybe it’s their only way of paying for college and/or living expenses. Not everyone has it made like the white and wealthy across the country who can easily afford college for four years without any financial assistance. When these programs are cut, fewer college students can afford to pursue higher education, and fewer grade schoolers will be able to reach their potential, especially students of color. America is supposed to be about equal opportunity and access. Teaching is supposed to be a noble profession. Yet the more harm this government does to our country, it shows who they truly favor.

Jay M. is a junior at University of Maryland

Photo by CDC from Unsplash