Frequently Asked Questions - Going Overseas

What about my school loans? Does GoCorps help with student loans and/or future educational expenses?

There are two potential ways to take care of your school loans while you are serving overseas:

  1. You may qualify to postpone your loan payments until you return from your two years service
    OR
  2. You can raise additional funds to cover your loan payments and cover your loans

You may qualify for deferment (postponement) or forbearance during your service. Since educational loans come from hundreds of different banks and institutions, arranging to get your school loan payments deferred or arranging for forbearance should be done directly with your loan institution(s).

In most cases, simply adding your loan payments to your living expenses is how volunteers cover their loan payments while serving overseas.  This process usually involves applying with your loan provider to qualify for an 'income based payement schedule.'  This will make your loan payments to be no more than $200/mo while your are serving overseas.  GoCorps partnering organizations will then help you set your budget to include sufficient funds to cover your loan payments while you are serving overseas.

How does the funding and fundraising work? Do GoCorps volunteers raise support?

Yes. GoCorps volunteers raise their own financial support. GoCorps volunteers receive professional training on how to raise support during the GoCorps Orientation week and coaching throughout the summer as they are raising the funds for their placement overseas. By following the GoCorps fundraising process, most volunteers have their full funding within ten weeks.

What does a typical day look like for a GoCorps volunteer?

While each GoCorps placement is very different, there are also some very common elements to each GoCorps placement. In each place of service, language learning and developing relationships are two of your core activities. All work and ministry is based off of making friends and developing relationships with locals in the area where volunteers are placed.

Other activities of a typical day for a GoCorps volunteer include:

  • Personal devotions
  • Team meetings and planning sessions
  • Work on the specific project of your two year assignment
  • Going to the market to buy some food for dinner
  • Hanging out one on one with a new friend to do a Bible exploration study
  • Prayer and worship time with co-workers
What are the benefits of serving with GoCorps?

You will have the opportunity to serve in some of the least reached places of the world, learn skill sets that include language acquisition, cultural sensitivity, Biblical living among the unreached. Further benefits of GoCorps service include an expedited process to go from application to overseas (less than seven months versus the average of 12-18), a single application that works for all eight partnering organizations, and help with the deferment of student loans payments.

Is there an age requirement?

You must be in your final year of university or a recent university graduate to apply. Most of our applicants are between the ages of 21-30 years old.

What skills do I need to have?

For each of the GoCorps tracks of service, your motivation, commitment to service, passion for Christ and a posture of humility are the primary requirements. Previous missions and cross cultural experience or Christian service is helpful. Teamwork, flexibility, and a positive attitude are all important for success overseas. The GoCorps provides eight different tracks through which you could use your gifts and abilities to serve globally:

  1. Business
  2. Compassion - Justice
  3. Engineering
  4. Media
  5. Sports
  6. Storying Cultures
  7. Teaching English
  8. University Outreach
Will I get training before I start?

Absolutely. All members will participate in GoCorps Orientation (GO) Week as their first step toward going overseas after they've received their overseas placement assignment. This is where you will receive training in raising your funds and your sending team. You willalso receive additional location and track specific training through your sending organization. Once on the field, each GoCorps volunteer will receive ongoing training throughout their two years of service.

Who is eligible to apply for GoCorps?

In order to apply to GoCorps, you must be a Christ-follower with a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university by June 1 of the year that you are planning to go. You must be a U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident. GoCorps accepts applicants from all academic majors, programs, and professional backgrounds and experiences.

What about opportunities in Spanish speaking countries?

There are not any two year service placements listed on the GoCorps website that are in Spanish speaking areas because GoCorps focus is on the least reached peoples.   Although there are great needs among Spanish speaking countries and in Europe, the greatest need is still in thos areas where there is little or no access to the knowing Jesus Christ.  Some of the partnering organizations still send people into these areas, but our united focus with GoCorps is the unreached.

Below are a few organizations that have mid and long term ways to serve among Spanish speaking peoples:

  1. CAM International - http://www.caminternational.org/
  2. CrossWorld - http://www.crossworld.org/home.html
  3. SIM - http://www.sim.org/