Community Service Scholarships

Can You Get a Scholarship for Community Service?

If you volunteer in your community, it may help you get a college scholarship. Community service scholarships often reward students with a record of service and leadership.

Some providers want to see you volunteered to support their cause. But others look at general accomplishments within your community.

One example is the AXA Achievement Scholarship. Students from all 50 states, Washington DC and Puerto Rico may receive a $2,500, $10,000 or $25,000 scholarship. Applicants need to show how they helped their community through service.

Yet other scholarship committees look at volunteer hours plus other credentials. Things like good grades, solid SAT or ACT scores or financial need.

For instance, take the Comcast Leaders and Achievers Scholarship Program. Applicants need at least a 3.0 GPA. Plus, community service, outstanding qualities in character, integrity, and leadership.

There are also community service scholarships that are more like contests. You enter to win by doing community service. There are no essays to write, no GPA requirements, no recommendations, no applications.

DoSomething.org is one such provider. You can apply to multiple scholarships at once. All you need to do is show your interest in volunteering to make a difference. Recent campaigns include spreading positive messages to stop bullying and Do Something About Gun Violence.

How Many Community Service Hours Do You Need for a Scholarship?

The number of community service hours needed for a scholarship varies. In some cases, a scholarship committee may stipulate how many hours you need.

One example is the Jesse Brown Scholarship listed below. The scholarship is open to volunteers who have contributed at least 100 hours. The DAV or DAV Auxiliary credits these hours.

While in others, the awards go to people who contributed through a project (not hours). The Brower Youth Awards are one example. These go to people who played a major leadership role. This exemplified by creating, organizing and implementing their project or campaign(s).

What are Community Service Scholarships?

Community service scholarships reward students for any unpaid work that helps others. It might involve raising funds or awareness through campaigns and projects.

One example is the Davis-Putter Scholarship. It funds people active in movements for social and economic justice.

Many service projects also entail giving your time. Such as volunteering to work with a specific group. Like children, the elderly, people with disabilities, veterans or the environment.

Apart from giving back, community service may help you gain skills and experience. Both useful on a college application and resume.

What is Community Service?

Here are 10 examples of community service projects:

1. Organizing a local blood drive
2. Registering voters in your neighborhood
3. Holding a bake sale and donating the profits
4. Being a reading coach
5. Run in a charity marathon
6. Clean local parks
7. Donate your stuffed animals to a children’s hospital
8. Gathering clothing for the homeless
9. Working in a soup kitchen during holiday season
10. Greening a college campus

Is Community Service Volunteer Work?

For scholarships, many providers look at leadership experience, community service or volunteer activities. But community service and volunteer work are not always the same thing.

People often take part in community service because they enjoy giving or want to see change. It is usually something one does to improve the lives of people in a community.

Community service is not always voluntary though. In some cases, students have to do community service to graduate high school. Or to receive certain honors. Some adults are also ordered by a judge to perform a certain number of community service hours.

Depending on who you ask, volunteering is a part of community service. It is an act of giving your time to support a cause. Some people volunteer on a regular basis, while others do it from time to time.

Still, volunteering is an important activity for millions of Americans. In 2017, one in three adults (30.3%) volunteered through an organization.

The number of volunteers is on the rise too. By 2018, there were 6% more volunteers. In fact, almost 77.4 million Americans volunteered 6.9 billion hours last year.

Top Community Service Scholarships

Do you often volunteer at your school, religious organization or in your community? If so, there are many sources of scholarships. Both from local and national providers. Check out these upcoming community service scholarships to help you pay for a college degree!