On April 10, University of Utah President Taylor Randall announced a new service program called the U Service Corps. The program aims to benefit students and the greater Utah community by offering students paid internships at local organizations. 

The U Service Corps comes off the back of the One Utah Service Fellowship Program, a bill that was recently passed by the Utah legislature. The program gives high school graduates college stipends for performing a year of community service and took effect May 1.

Service-Based Scholarships

Randall said the U Service Corps is unique because it provides scholarships based on service, not need or merit. It will also provide paid internships so students can gain professional experience by serving their community.

“I think it’s going to do two major things for us,” Randall said in an interview with the Chronicle. “It will provide incredible benefits for students getting out in the community doing service. The second thing is that it’s just a different way to give out scholarship aid to a set of students that may not be getting it right now.”

Randall hopes to achieve both goals by partnering with on-campus organizations, funding agencies and nonprofits where students will perform their internships.

“Partner one is the Bennion Center and Hinckley Institute, who will start matching students with nonprofit entities,” Randall said. “The second set of partners will be our funding agencies. So, there will be government grants and philanthropists raising this money to be able to pay both wages and scholarships to students for this service. And then, of course, the third set are the nonprofits where the students will work.”

Randall said he believes that through these partners, the program will be well-structured and successful while benefiting students and the community.

Benefits for Students

Dr. Morgan Lyon Cotti, associate director of the Hinckley Institute, will oversee the program. She currently has over 11 years of experience overseeing state internship programs through the U. The Hinckley Institute itself has a 55-year history of running and establishing internship programs. Lyon Cotti said she was excited about this program and its benefits for U students and the greater communities of Utah.

“We’re not just helping students get these paid internships, get professional development [and] hopefully graduate from college on time with less debt, but we’re also having that community impact,” Lyon Cotti said. “We’re filling those crucial volunteer and internship spots, helping the community and having that societal impact that the University of Utah has.”

Lyon Cotti said the U Service Corps will offer students paid internships for up to $5,000 per semester. $2,000 will go to students’ pockets, while the other $3,000 will be allocated as a scholarship. 

“Students will be hired [and] they’ll be paid $18 an hour working 10 hours a week. That adds up to $2000 by the end of the semester,” Lyon Cotti said. “And then students will also receive a $3,000 scholarship.”

The U Service Corps will launch in the fall 2024 semester, and students can apply for the program until May 15. The program will initially be open to 200 students, but the U hopes it will grow to over 1,000. No official timeline was given, but Randall is hopeful the U will reach this goal “very, very quickly.” 

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@JEmersonHagy