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City Year AmeriCorps Members Gain Access to College Credit for Prior Learning Achieved Through Service, Expanding Pathways to Higher Education
Announcement coincides with launch of New York Student Success Coach Learning Network pilot to further strengthen education and workforce pathways
Boston, May 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a milestone move to expand pathways to higher education and career readiness for young adults, City Year, in partnership with State University of New York Chancellor John B. King, Jr., announced that the learning achieved through service as a student success coach is now recognized and recommended for college credit through the National College Credit Recommendation Service (NCCRS). AmeriCorps members serving as student success coaches can gain access to up to 10 academic credits for 1,700-hour service roles and 9 credits for 1,200-hour roles.
NCCRS, a nationally recognized third-party evaluator, assessed City Year’s AmeriCorps learning and development experience and determined it meets college-level standards. The recommendation affirms the depth and rigor of City Year’s model, including structured coursework in public service, education and youth development, as well as competency-based training and portfolio-based assessments.
Student success coaches partner with classroom teachers and provide students with tutoring, mentoring and skill coaching, gaining practical experience that supports both student outcomes and their own career growth.
Combined with existing benefits such as the AmeriCorps Segal Education Award, the opportunity to access college credit through service could significantly reduce the cost of higher education and shorten time to degree completion, strengthening pathways to career readiness and economic mobility. The State University of New York will serve as the inaugural partner to grow this opportunity from a statewide pilot to national scale.
“National service is evolving, and City Year is excited to be a part of innovation that prepares young people for meaningful post-service career and education opportunities,” said City Year CEO Jim Balfanz. “By translating the learning that happens through AmeriCorps service into academic credit, we are reimagining how service, education, and workforce pathways connect. This innovative approach recognizes that the skills developed through service—working on diverse teams, supporting students in classrooms, and tackling complex challenges—are real, rigorous, and worthy of formal recognition. We are grateful to our partners at SUNY for advancing a model that can help shape the future of national service.”
City Year also announced the launch of the New York Student Success Coach Learning Network. In its first year as a pilot, this statewide coalition is made up of seven programs from throughout New York state that are implementing student success coaching and engaging in a community of practice to share expertise and learn from peer organizations.
The model builds on results in California, where the network, funded by a state investment through California Volunteers, has deployed more than 1,000 student success coaches across 30 communities, supporting more than 75,000 students through 14 partner organizations. Participating programs have demonstrated measurable gains in attendance, academic performance and graduation outcomes.
"The launch of the SSC Learning Network in New York is about connecting the dots between proven programs, shared learning, and now with college credit access attached to service, a career pathway,” said City Year Chief Transformation Officer Stephanie Wu. “Scaling in this way is good for everyone.”
In partnership with SUNY and through multi-year investments from Einhorn Collaborative and Carnegie Corporation of New York, City Year has been building a statewide strategy over the last two years in New York to serve as a proof point that elevates the value of service for young people as a pathway to higher education and careers. Now with investments from multiple private funders as well as public support in the New York City and Buffalo regions, this strategy is gaining increased interest from corporate partners and employers who seek the skills that service experiences provide.
Both announcements on college credit for prior learning and the launch of the New York Student Success Coach Learning Network were made yesterday during City Year Buffalo’s annual gala, where SUNY Chancellor King was honored for his leadership and commitment to expanding access to higher education and economic mobility.
For more information, visit www.cityyear.org.
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“Part of a well-rounded public higher education is participating in service and civic engagement, and providing academic credit for civic service experience recognizes the knowledge and skills students gain from these experiences,” said SUNY Chancellor John King. “SUNY is proud to work with City Year to support students who have undertaken service-based activities and to establish academic credits for those students as they attend the SUNY campus of their choice. SUNY will continue to serve as a model for how public higher education can prepare future leaders and invested citizens.”
“We are honored to collaborate with City Year in recognizing the depth and rigor of their service programs," said NCCRS Director Lisa Sax Mahoney. "This work reflects a shared commitment to ensuring the knowledge and skills gained through service are valued by higher education partners like SUNY and can support participants on their path to college admission and completion.”
“Whether it’s through the expansion of the Student Success Coach Learning Network in New York or through the new model that provides credit for prior learning through service with SUNY as an inaugural partner — City Year is at the forefront of innovation in national service, so that more young people can have more high quality experiences to live into their full potential and address the societal challenges of our time,” said Jennifer Hoos Rothberg, Executive Director of Einhorn Collaborative. “City Year’s concerted effort in New York to improve the quality of service across the state, widening the pathway to college and a career for more students, and equipping them with the skills and mindsets to build relationships and collaborate across lines of difference will set a blueprint for other states to follow.”
"Carnegie Corporation of New York is delighted to support City Year's work as it receives this recognition from the National College Credit Recommendation Service — affirming that serving as a student success coach represents meaningful, credit-worthy learning that helps expand pathways to higher education and careers in education across New York State." - Saskia Levy Thompson, Carnegie Corporation of New York
NY State Senator Patricia Fahy said, “Nonprofit partnerships with SUNY, like City Year, represent an important step forward in recognizing the sheer value in experiential learning. Programs that strengthen civic engagement and build workforce development will develop more opportunities for students to excel academically while giving back to their communities and gaining important work experience. With the help of the Empire State Service Corps and the National College Credit Recommendation Service, SUNY is ensuring a pathway to create a more immersive and student-focused higher education system. As a longtime advocate of internships and experiential learning opportunities, I'm grateful to Chancellor John B. King Jr., SUNY, and all of the partners involved for their dedication and commitment to this program.”
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About City Year
City Year works to advance academic outcomes for all students and develop the next generation of leaders through national service. Research shows the more time a student spends with a City Year AmeriCorps member serving as a student success coach, the better the student outcomes—academically, interpersonally and in terms of attendance. A public-private partnership, City Year is a proud member of AmeriCorps, operating in 29 U.S. cities with international affiliates in the U.K. and South Africa. Today, 40,000 alums continue to lead and serve where they live and work. Learn more about City Year’s impact: www.cityyear.org, Facebook, X and LinkedIn.
About the Student Success Coach Learning Network (SSCLN)
The Student Success Coach Learning Network is a collaborative network of organizations working to elevate awareness of student success coaching as a scalable solution to improve student achievement and provide opportunities for service and workforce skills development while strengthening the educator pipeline.
About National College Credit Recommendation Service (NCCRS)
Founded in 1973 by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York, the National College Credit Recommendation Service (NCCRS) evaluates learning experiences offered outside traditional college and university settings and provides college credit recommendations based on rigorous academic standards. For more than five decades, NCCRS has partnered with organizations across diverse sectors, including workforce training providers, corporations, government agencies, and nonprofits, to help align their courses and programs with college-level expectations. Through a comprehensive review process led by subject matter experts, NCCRS ensures evaluated learning experiences meet established academic criteria.
Joe Zappala City Year 617.927.2313 joseph.zappala@cityyear.org
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