Empire State University Named a School of National Service

(SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY — April 4, 2025) Empire State University has been named a School of National Service by AmeriCorps, the federal agency dedicated to volunteerism. Focused on making higher education more attractive and affordable for service-minded students, Schools of National Service offer a variety of benefits to the one million-plus AmeriCorp alumni across the United States. There are currently 343 colleges participating in this nationwide network, which—with the addition of Empire State University—now includes 16 SUNY institutions.  

Participating schools choose which benefits they’d like to provide students from the AmeriCorps community. Since summer 2024, SUNY Empire has offered AmeriCorp members, employees, retirees, and family members a one-time Better Together Scholarship of $100 and a reduced individualized Credit for Prior Learning fee. Plus, in addition to waiving the application fee for these students—a benefit bestowed by all SUNY institutions in the Schools of National Service network—Empire will forgo the $50 orientation fee.  

“Our hope is to provide AmeriCorp alumni and their families access to affordable education as a way to maximize their available benefits for service,” says Jason Lloyd, assistant director of community partnerships for Empire’s Office of Enrollment Management and Marketing. “I see this as also saying simply, ‘Thank you for your service—now it’s time for you to be rewarded in a way that allows you to achieve your higher ed goals.’”