if you want to attract more diverse, lower income candidates for peace corps, pay them more. the $125/mo reeadjustment allowance is less in buying power than the $75/mo paid to this long-ago PCV (son of immigrants). even then i deducted some for my mom, who was living off social security.
i'm sure a lot of today's children of immigrants would consider joining the peace corps if they were given $500/mo both to help their parents and get started back in the so-called real world. why not a GI-bill-type of support, too.