Continuing a campaign of spending cuts in the federal government, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) placed around 85 percent of the AmeriCorps programs federal staff on paid administrative leave in April.

In addition to the staff cuts, DOGE terminated around $400 million in AmeriCorps grants, according to an America’s Service Commissions (ASC) report. This represents around 30 percent of AmeriCorps’ $1.3 billion 2025 budget.

The Trump administration’s cuts toward the program have had a substantial impact on the over 200,000 volunteers the organization enrolls every year and communities across the U.S.

The Corporation for National and Community Service, more commonly known as AmeriCorps, is a federal agency of the government that oversees community volunteer opportunities across the country.

AmeriCorps many services include natural disaster relief, environmental conservation, infrastructure development, k-12 educational tutoring and aid for impoverished communities.

The impact of AmeriCorps is equally as important for its volunteers. Through its many departments, the agency recruits young adults, seniors and veterans who are looking to volunteer.

The National Civilian Community Corps, or AmeriCorps NCCC, is the division of AmeriCorps that is served by young adult volunteers aged 18 to 26. The NCCC division prioritizes assisting young adults in building teamwork in leadership skills while servicing communities in need.

According to the AmeriCorps website, “Teams live in the communities they serve to better understand the culture, participate in service-learning and build leadership life skills.”

In addition to teaching life skills, AmeriCorps acts to provide financial support to students in return for their services.

Alli Lomison, who recently graduated with a master of science in organization development and leadership, is one of many aspiring volunteers who lost their opportunity with AmeriCorps NCCC following the April cuts.

“I liked the idea of not having to jump straight into working but volunteering with AmeriCorps to complete projects and help communities.” Lomison said, “At the end of your service you earn a Segal Education Award equivalent to a maxed-out Pell Grant; roughly $7,300. You can use it toward future higher education or paying back student loans.”

Lomison voiced her concerns on what the Trump administration’s cuts toward AmeriCorps means for young adults who are eager to volunteer and need financial aid.

“I think it sends a message that we aren’t valued. In a time where more and more people are struggling to pay back student loans, an option to be able to do so is being taken away,” she said. “All of it is in the name of cutting wasteful government spending, but is it wasteful when people’s lives are being improved?”

Student volunteers are not the only ones reeling from the recent cuts. Underprivileged communities across the U.S. are facing the loss of AmeriCorps funding and volunteer assistance.

Schools across Pennsylvania are seeing the impact of the cuts. In Philadelphia, AmeriCorps funding and service is vital for k-12 education and home repair. In underprivileged neighborhoods in the city, volunteers helped provide literary programs for children. These programs now face an uncertain future.

Like many other forward actions of the second Trump administration, the AmeriCorps cuts have not gone without legal challenges. With bipartisan support, many AmeriCorps-dependent and Democratic-led states jointly filed a lawsuit, stating that the budget cuts were unconstitutional as they did not go through Congress as mandated.

AmeriCorps is not the end of DOGE’s extensive government cuts. The department has set its sights on evaluating the Peace Corps program. Peace Corps, which provides volunteer aid to foreign countries, is facing a 25 percent staff reduction in the coming weeks.

According to the Peace Corps Chief Executive Officer Allison Greene, volunteers should not be concerned about losing their positions as the agency will remain operational.

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