What do College Advisers do as part of AdviseMI?
Serving alongside high school counselors and other school professionals, advisers support low-income students, first-generation college-going students, and students of color as they make the transition from high school to a postsecondary institution. Advisers serve full time and focus on advising students through the steps toward college enrollment. They provide students and their families with relevant information regarding the benefits of a postsecondary education, preparing for college attendance, and the admission and financial aid processes. In other words, advisers help make a huge difference in the lives of students, families, and communities!

“I would say the biggest aspect of what the adviser does is those one-on-one conversations with our students, whether it’s the formal one-on-ones where you’re strictly talking about what the postsecondary plans are, or it’s the more informal conversations… the better the relationship that the adviser has with the students, the more likely it is we are able to move them along the college metric steps.” - AdviseMI site supervisor

Who is eligible to apply for a College Adviser position?
Applicants must be college graduates and a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or legal permanent resident alien of the United States. Candidates must be available for full-time service beginning Aug. 1, 2024, and must be able to pass a federal background check.

Do I need any advising experience or do I need to have a certain major to apply for AdviseMI?
AdviseMI does not require any specific experience or major, and no experience is necessary! We are proud of the training we provide to our members to help prepare them to enter their service sites. We do require enthusiasm for helping students and an eagerness to learn!

Is this a full-time job?
This is a service position that requires full-time hours. College advisers generally serve the same hours expected of other school employees at their placement sites, along with some additional hours. Advisers must serve 1,700 hours throughout the service term (August-June).

What is AmeriCorps?
AmeriCorps is an opportunity for individuals of all ages and backgrounds to give their time and talent to strengthen communities. Every year, 270,000 AmeriCorps members serve at thousands of partner sites across the country helping in areas of education, disaster response, environmental sustainability, health, and financial opportunity. Individuals who serve with AmeriCorps build new skills that they can take with them wherever they go. AmeriCorps members join a network of more than 1 million alums who have served with AmeriCorps since 1994. MCAN is proud to host two AmeriCorps programs, AdviseMI and College Completion Corps.

When is the application deadline?
AdviseMI will continue to hire until all placements are filled; however, we recommend submitting an application as soon as possible to ensure applicants are able to interview at as many high schools as they would like. Applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis.

What is a living stipend?
A living stipend is the amount you are paid during your year of service. AmeriCorps members with AdviseMI are paid bi-weekly, and their living stipend of $30,000/year is divided between the pay periods of their service year.

What is the education award?
After successfully completing your AmeriCorps term of service and enrolling in the National Service Trust, you are eligible to receive the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award. You can use the award to repay qualified student loans and to pay current educational expenses at eligible institutions of higher education and training programs. Members have up to seven years to use this award. For the 2023-24 program year, the amount of the award is $7,395. Individuals may only earn the equivalent of two full-time education awards during their lifetime.

How do the grad school benefits work?
Saginaw Valley State University: 15% tuition discount and waiving of mandatory fees

Western Michigan University: guaranteed admission and scholarship of up to $500 for the Higher Education and Student Affairs Program

Baker College: scholarship of up to $6,000/year for graduate studies

Central Michigan University: MCAN employees, local college access networks, MCAN AmeriCorps program members, along with spouses and dependents all qualify for a 15% tuition reduction on diverse programs available through CMU Online.

Grand Valley State University: coming soon!

Also, check out these Michigan institutions of higher ed that are part of Schools of National Service, offering benefits to the country’s AmeriCorps network and alumni.

For AdviseMI alums who are interested in working at MCAN, please review this Educational Policy Memo which details financial support offered to MCAN staff to continue their education or reduce their student loan debt, and how AmeriCorps service factors in.

Can I defer student loans during my service with AmeriCorps?
AmeriCorps members may qualify for loan repayment forbearance during their service term. You may also qualify to have the interest accrued on your student loans during service paid for by the National Service Trust. Contact your lender for more specific information or to confirm your loan status during AmeriCorps service.

How are high school placements determined? Do I get to choose where I serve?
During the application process, applicants are asked where they would like to serve. AdviseMI staff then set up interviews with those schools. We do require that advisers live within 45 minutes of their service site, as we believe it is important for an adviser to live in or near the community they are serving.

What is the interview process like?
Advisers will interview with both program staff at MCAN as well as the host site high school(s) at which they are interested in serving. MCAN will conduct a screening interview that dives into the program benefits, expectations, timeline, and some general assessment of skills and interests. The interview with the host site and MCAN (second round) is more specific to the expectations of the site, going into details about scheduling, supervision, and the adviser role at that school. It is likely that both interviews will be virtual, though the school interview may be in-person. In both interviews, the candidate is encouraged to come with questions! Reasonable accommodations are available for interviews upon candidate request.

Why is AdviseMI interested in recruiting graduates of partner institutions?
AdviseMI is fortunate to have multiple funding partners that directly contribute to the success and impact of our program, and our higher education institution partners are some of our biggest supporters and champions. Each of our higher education partners agrees to sponsor a certain number of alumni slots for AdviseMI, and they contribute a cost-share that allows us to hire graduates from their institution. By hiring a graduate of one of our partner campuses, we ensure advisers have gone through the process of applying to and attending a Michigan higher education institution — this is invaluable experience to share with the high school students they serve.

What is summer training?
In August we host summer training for our entire cohort of advisers. This year’s 4-week College Adviser Institute will be a combination of in-person and online sessions. Training topics include FAFSA completion, cultural humility, institutional match and fit, Michigan’s climate of higher education, working with special populations, and many other topics. Expert speakers are brought in from across the state to offer essential information. We also train advisers on what it means to be an adviser, how to have conversations with students and parents, and how to navigate a school culture. This time is also used to facilitate relationships between advisers and our higher ed partner campuses.

What other training is offered throughout the year?
AdviseMI and our partners in the College Advising Corps coordinate a robust professional development schedule throughout the year for advisers. This includes monthly all-group professional development, regional team time, 1-1 coaching, and exploration of Life After AmeriCorps. Advisers can also take advantage of a full range of trainings offered by the Michigan College Access Network, including our annual conference, and they will become members of the National College Attainment Network, able to take advantage of any trainings offered through NCAN.