Anthropic just launched Claude Corps, a national fellowship that pays people early in their careers to spend a year learning AI and putting it to work at a nonprofit. The company is committing an initial $150 million to the program. Read the original announcement here: anthropic.com/claude-corps.
The short version: Anthropic trains you on Claude, places you full-time with a nonprofit for 12 months, and pays you $85,000 a year plus benefits to do it. There is no education requirement. If you are early in your career and want a paid on-ramp into AI, this is one of the strongest offers going right now.
What you actually get
- $85,000 salary plus benefits for the full 12 months.
- Intensive training on Claude for nonprofit work, then five hours of ongoing training every week during your placement.
- A CodePath mentor, plus office hours with Anthropic for technical questions.
- An expansive Claude token budget to actually build with.
- A manager at your host organization for day-to-day guidance.
The structure is simple. Five hours a week goes to training. The rest of your time goes to real work at the nonprofit you are placed with. Anthropic plans to train 1,000 fellows in total.
Who can apply
The bar is deliberately low:
- 18 or older
- Fewer than two years of full-time work experience
- Comfortable working with Claude
- No degree or specific educational background required
The catch the short videos skip
Two requirements do the real filtering, and most of the hype clips leave them out. You need to be authorized to work in the United States, and the role is full-time and in-person, so you have to be willing to relocate. Anthropic offers relocation support, but if you are outside the US without work authorization, this one is not for you. Worth knowing before you spend time on the application.
Cohorts and deadlines
- First cohort (100 fellows): applications close July 17, starts October 2026.
- Second cohort: rolling applications, starts January 2027.
- Third cohort: rolling applications, starts August 2027.
The first cohort is the smallest and the closest, which makes it the most competitive. If October is your target, July 17 is the date that matters.
How to apply
Fellowship and host-organization applications both live at anthropic.com/claude-corps. If you fit the bar, apply early. The rolling cohorts fill as they go.