Community Service Scholarships and Impacting Ways to Volunteer

Community Service Scholarships and Impacting Ways to Volunteer. There are various types of scholarships like government-based scholarships, need-based scholarships, athletic-based scholarships, and community service scholarships. 

Community service scholarships are scholarships that you can get based on your active contribution and participation in a community. It is a type of scholarship that you can get just from helping out in a community. Examples of community service include hosting a recycling program, planting trees, giving tutorship, community clean-up, and many others. 

Community service scholarships come from diverse sources including charities, religious groups, universities, and the government. Statista (2024) records that universities and degree-granting colleges spend over 25.81 billion Canadian dollars on scholarships and grants in Canada annually.

However, a few community service scholarships include:

1. Morgan Leaine Dolan Community Service Scholarship
2. Bonner Leader Program
3. Dosomething.org Easy Scholarships
4. Equitable Excellence Scholarship
5. Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes
6. Segal Americorps Education Award

You can visit the official websites of these community service scholarship programs to see their qualifications and requirements before applying. In this article, I discuss community service scholarships and impacting ways to volunteer.

What is a Community Service Scholarship?

Community service scholarships are financial aid you can get from helping others. Through your community service, you can help people in need like senior citizens, people with disabilities, and children. Also, you could help in cleaning up a local park or historic building. 

Community service scholarships are scholarships given mostly to high school and college students. There are two major benefits of community service scholarships, which are, to give financial assistance, and encourage students to take part in service activities. 

Other benefits of these scholarships include meeting new friends, personal growth, hands-on experience, and knowledge about different careers. Examples of community service you can carry out include:

1. Tutor children.
2. Plant a school garden.
3. Deliver meals and other things to senior citizens.
4. Plant trees.
5. Host a recycling campaign.
6. Collect school supplies and donate them. 

Categories of Community Service Scholarships

Below here are the major categories of community service scholarship and impacting ways to volunteer:

1. General volunteer scholarships.
2. Financial need.
3. Social activism.
4. Excellent academics.
5. Environmental focus.
6. Leadership.
7. Special affiliation. 
8. Location or college.
9. Minority.
10. Specific field of study.
11. Special circumstances.

1. General volunteer scholarships.

A general volunteer scholarship is a scholarship for students who have used several hours from their study hours for volunteer work. This scholarship requires no specific community service, all you need to show is your commitment and the impact you have created. Examples of general volunteer scholarships are: 

1. Americorps Vista
2. LULAC National Scholarship Fund General Awards
3. Bonner Scholars Program
4. Prudential Emerging Visionaries Awards
5. Equitable Excellences Scholarship

2. Financial need.

These are community service scholarships given to students who show commitment to providing service to their communities and also have financial needs. A few of financial need community service scholarships include:

1. Imagine America High School Scholarship
2. Ronald McDonald House Charities US Scholarships
3. Horatio Alger Association Scholarship Program

3. Social activism.

Social activism community service scholarships are scholarships for students who have shown dedication to bringing change to society. Examples of these scholarships that you should know about include:

1. Davis-Putter Scholarship
2. Princeton Prize in Race Relations
3. Stephen J. Brady Stop Hunger Scholarship
4. Margaret McNamara Education Grants

4. Excellent academics.

You can get community service scholarships based on how you balance your academics with volunteering work. As a student with excellent test scores and grades, this scholarship is for you. An example of an excellent academic community service scholarship is the Coca-Cola Scholars Program Scholarship.

5. Environmental focus.

As a student who has devoted time to helping the environment, you are eligible for the environmental focus community service scholarships. Examples of these scholarships are the Brower Youth Awards and the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes.

6. Leadership.

As a student with excellent leadership skills and a commitment to community service, you can get leadership community service scholarships. Examples of these scholarships include: 

1. Alliant Energy Community Service Scholarship
2. GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship
3. State Farm Good Neighbor Scholarship

7. Special affilliation. 

Special affiliation community service scholarships are scholarships for students in specific groups, for instance, the Red Cross. Examples of these scholarships you should know about include: 

1. Eagle Scout Scholarship
2. Jesse Brown Scholarship
3. Burger King Scholars Program
4. Navin Narayan College Scholarship
5. National Honor Society Scholarship Program

8. Location or college.

As a student who wants to study at a certain location or college, the location community service scholarships are the best option for you. A few of these category of scholarships are:

1. Ford Scholars Program
2. Garrett J. Goodchild Achievement Award
3. Albert Shanker UFT College Scholarship Fund
4. Boettcher Foundation Scholarship
5. Newman Civic Fellows Award.

9. Minority.

A few minority community service scholarships include:

1. Columbus Citizens Foundation College Scholarship Program
2. Japanese American Citizens League Scholarships
3. Ron Brown Scholarships
4. AIGA Worldstudio Scholarships

10. Specific field of study.

These scholarships are for students with a plan to pursue a specific field of study in college. Examples of these scholarships are:

1. James Beard Foundation Scholarship
2. Davidson Fellowships
3. Tylenol Future Care Scholarship

11. Special circumstances.

Examples of special circumstances community service scholarships and impacting ways to volunteer include:

1. LEAGUE Foundation Scholarship
2. National Federations of the Blind Scholarship
3. Live Out Loud Scholarships

How to Find Community Service Scholarships

These are some of the ways to find community service scholarships and impacting ways to volunteer:

1. Government and non-profit organizations.
2. Online websites/platforms.
3. Corporate scholarships.
4. University or colleges.
5. Financial aid counsellors.

Also, you can check places of worship, clubs, and community centres to find community service scholarships. Just check their newsletters, websites, or bulletin board to get information about these scholarships.

How to Apply for Community Service Scholarships

Each community service scholarships have their own requirements and application process. So, depending on the scholarship you are interested in, visit the scholarship’s official website and apply before their deadlines. 

You will need a personal statement and letters of recommendation for your application. Your personal statement should show your previous community service experiences, commitment to impact while studying, and future goals.

Also, your recommendation letters should give the scholarship providers an insight into your character and commitment to community service. These letters can be from your mentors, community service supervisors, or professors.

What Community Service Scholarships Cover

Community service scholarships will cover your tuition, books, and accommodation. However, this coverage depends on the scholarship provider and their criteria. Some of these scholarships may cover your living expenses and other educational needs.

Conclusion

There are so many community service scholarships and impacting ways to volunteer. As a student committed to community service, you can earn a scholarship that can care for your educational needs. Some of these scholarships include the Bonner Scholars Program, the Princeton Prize in Race Relations, the Coca-Cola Scholars Program Scholarship, and many others. Best regards as you apply for these scholarships.