7 Community Services Scholarships for High School Seniors
If you’ve done any amount of searching for scholarships, you already know that you can find hundreds and hundreds of scholarships, dedicated to various interests, talents, and topics. And you know that applying to as many suitable scholarships as possible increases your chances of getting money that you can put toward your education.
One popular type of scholarship institutions, organizations, and companies offer is the community service scholarship, which awards students who have shown dedication to contributing positively to their community through volunteerism or leadership.
If you are a student who has spent time volunteering in and contributing to your community, you’re likely eligible to apply for various community service-based scholarships.
Though there are hundreds of possible community service scholarships, some specific to your area, below are 7 great community service scholarships specifically for high school seniors. While this is not an exhaustive list, it can get you started with your scholarship search.
1. AmeriCorps VISTA
This is one best suited for students who are interested in continuing their community service as they earn the scholarship.
As a VISTA, you are required to commit to a year of service at a nonprofit organization or government agency. You will receive a living stipend throughout the time of your service, and at the end of service, you will get a scholarship of about $6,000.
If you end the experience and want cash rather than a scholarship, you can take $1,800 instead.
You must be over the age of 17 to apply for this program. It’s a wonderful opportunity for students who are interested in a program that will allow them to continue to make a positive impact as they earn money toward their future education.
2. Prudential Spirit of Community Awards
This scholarship program is open to students in middle and high school, grades 5-12, including high school seniors, who are known for outstanding service to others at the local, state, and national levels.
State honorees receive a $1,000 scholarship, an engraved silver medallion, and an invitation to the program’s national recognition events.
National honorees receive an additional $5,000 scholarship, an engraved gold medallion, a trophy for their school or nomination organization, and a $5,000 grant from the Prudential Foundation for a nonprofit charitable organization of their choice.
Applications are closed for 2020 but will open up again, likely in the fall of 2021, for the next round of awards.
3. The Princeton Prize in Race Relations
With this award, Princeton recognizes students who have made a positive impact on race relations within their schools or communities. Students who apply must provide information about projects they were involved in, describing their role in the project.
To apply for this award, you must be a high school student in the United States, and you must have a sponsor. Your sponsor can be a teacher, advisor, community or religious leader, or other responsible adult who is not related to you and either oversaw or directly witnessed the outcome of your community service project.
Recipients of the award receive a $1,000 scholarship and paid travel to attend Princeton’s annual Symposium on Race.
4. NSHSS Foundation Earth Day Awards
Sponsored by NSHSS, applications for these prizes will open again sometime soon in 2021. Open for high school U.S. or international students with a minimum GPA of 3.0, this awards program encourages students who have made an impact through environmental volunteerism by awarding 10 (ten) $500 scholarships.
To apply, students must submit details about an environmental project that they are currently working on, or that will be initiated for Earth Day in their home, school, and/or community.
Students who want to apply must write an explanation of the project, including its process, current impact, and proposed future impact. Students must also submit a creative element to the project, like a drawing, video, painting, or collage that highlights the project.
5. DAV Jesse Brown Memorial Youth Scholarship
If you’re a student who has devoted volunteer hours to facilities for veterans, there’s a specific scholarship for you. This college scholarship is open to volunteers age 21 or younger who have contributed a minimum of 100 hours credited through DAV (Disabled American Veterans Charity).
Volunteer scholarships are awarded in varying amounts: $5,000, $7,500, $10,000, $15,000, and $20,000.
6. GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship Program
The GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship Program selects numerous college-bound students who demonstrate exemplary leadership, drive, integrity, and citizenship to receive a $10,000 scholarship renewable for up to an additional three years, so up to $40,000 total per recipient.
Awards must be used for education-related expenses in the pursuit of undergraduate study. Scholars who receive the awards are also invited to participate in a special awards program and receive ongoing leadership-development support.
The 2021 application is closed, but stay tuned for the 2022 application!
7. Equitable Excellence Scholarship
The Equitable Foundation awards $1.8 million in scholarships to hundreds of high school seniors each year.
Students who apply can receive a $2,500, $10,000, or $25,000 scholarship, and the foundation awards a $1,000 grant to each winner’s high school.
Applicants must be high school seniors planning to attend an accredited two- or four-year college or university in the United States and must demonstrate qualities like courage, strength, and wisdom through volunteer service.
The deadline to apply for 2021 was January 28; however, next year’s scholarship application will open again around September.