Anthropic Will Pay You $35,000 To Learn Claude: Inside Claude Corps (No Degree Required)

TL;DR: On June 11, 2026, Anthropic launched Claude Corps, a paid, year-long fellowship that places 1,000 early-career people inside US nonprofits to build AI tools with Claude. Fellows get a $35,000 stipend plus up to $10,000 in education awards. There is no degree requirement and you only need under two years of work experience. Anthropic selects on AI interest, communication, and motivation, not your resume. Applications are open now at anthropic.com/claude-corps.

What is Claude Corps?

Claude Corps is a paid, 12-month fellowship from Anthropic that trains early-career people to use Claude, then embeds them inside a nonprofit for a year to build AI tools and systems. It is fully funded by Anthropic, which is committing $150 million to launch it, and it is run in collaboration with CodePath and Social Finance.

The headline numbers: 1,000 fellows, a $35,000 stipend paid over 11 months, and up to $10,000 in additional education awards on completion. Fellows are employed as CodePath employees for the year. In plain terms, Anthropic pays you to learn Claude and then do real work with it.

Why this matters

Most paths into AI ask for a computer science degree, years of experience, or both. Claude Corps removes both barriers. There is no education requirement, and the experience bar is set low on purpose: it is built for people at the start of their careers and for career changers.

That makes this one of the most accessible on-ramps into AI work that exists right now. You are not paying for a bootcamp. You are getting paid, gaining real experience, and finishing with a full year of applied AI work on your resume.

Who qualifies for Claude Corps?

The eligibility is wider than most people assume:

18 years or older
Under two years of full-time work experience
No education requirement, you do not need a degree
Based in the US and able to commit full-time for the year

Anthropic states that fellows are selected based on their experience with AI, their communication skills, and their motivation to work on societal challenges. A degree and a long resume are explicitly not the filter.

What Anthropic is really screening for

Read the selection criteria again: experience with AI, communication, and motivation. The single most controllable one is AI experience. You do not need a credential, but you do need to show you actually use these tools.

The strongest application is backed by proof. Build a few small things with Claude, document what you made and why, and be ready to talk about them. A scrappy portfolio of real AI projects beats a polished resume with no hands-on work.

What you actually do for a year

The fellowship runs in two phases. First, a training intensive through CodePath to get you strong with Claude and AI tooling. Then you are matched with a host nonprofit and spend 12 months embedded with their team.

Host organizations span social services, museums, mental health, and refugee support, and include names like the International Rescue Committee, Goodwill, Code for America, RAINN, Year Up, YMCAs, and food banks. Throughout the year you get a designated mentor, an Anthropic technical contact, and a national cohort of peers. You build tools that actually ship and help the organization advance its mission.

How to apply to Claude Corps

Applications are open now. The process has three stages:

Apply at anthropic.com/claude-corps.
Match: interview with host organizations based on project fit, geographic proximity, and mutual interest.
Build: start the fellowship, complete the training intensive, then embed with your host for the year.

The practical first move: go to anthropic.com/claude-corps, read the FAQ, and start your application. Then build one small thing with Claude this week so you have something real to point to.

FAQ

Do I need a degree for Claude Corps? No. There is no education requirement. Fellows are selected on AI experience, communication, and motivation.

How much does Claude Corps pay? A $35,000 stipend spread over 11 months, plus up to $10,000 in education awards on completion. It is fully funded by Anthropic.

Who is Claude Corps for? People 18 or older with under two years of full-time work experience, early-career talent and career changers based in the US.

Where do fellows work? Embedded inside US nonprofits for 12 months, including organizations like the IRC, Goodwill, Code for America, RAINN, and Year Up.

How do I apply? At anthropic.com/claude-corps. Applications are open now.

Want the full breakdown of who qualifies and how to stand out? Grab the free Claude Corps Application Guide.