Top Community Service Scholarships in October 2020

Community service scholarships reward students who are active citizens in their communities!

Are you active in your local town, city, or neighborhood? Do you love spending your spare time volunteering with local nonprofits? If so, you may want to apply for community service scholarships that reward students who contribute to their communities. Many private organizations and colleges aim to specifically support students who are going to make a difference in the world.

The other big benefit of community service is that it can serve you well in the admissions process. College admissions officers also are thinking about the type of citizen a student will be on campus and in the world as an alum. This means that community service can help increase your chances of admission at many colleges.

Keep on reading to learn more about:

Top community service scholarships
Tips for students who want to get involved with community service
Summary of community service scholarships

Top Community Service Scholarships

Burger King Scholars

Eligibility: Students who are applying as a full-time freshman to a four-year accredited, college in the US
Amount: Varies
Deadline: December 20

Denny’s Hungry for Education Scholarships

Eligibility: All high school and college students with at least a 2.5 GPA who share their ideas to fight childhood hunger
Amount: $1,000 to 3,000
Deadline: Varies, but most are December 11

Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship

Eligibility: High school seniors with demonstrated financial need
Amount: $40,000
Deadline: November 13

Paradigm Challenge Scholarship

Eligibility: Open to students ages 4 to 18 who want to “develop new ideas to improve personal help”
Amount: Varies
Deadline: May 1, 2021

Prudential Spirit of Community Awards

Eligibility: Student volunteers in grades 5-12 as of November 5 who are legal residents of the US
Amount: $1,000 to $11,000
Deadline: November 10

Reputation Rhino Protection and Preservation of Wildlife and Nature Scholarship

Eligibility: Open to undergraduate college students with a demonstrated interest and career plan in the conservation of endangered species. Essay required.
Amount: $500
Deadline: June 3, 2021

Scholars Helping Collars Scholarship

Eligibility: Graduating high school seniors who volunteer for animal welfare
Amount: $1,500
Deadline: February 28, 2021

Stephen J. Brady Stop Hunger Scholarships

Eligibility: Applicants ages 5-25 who demonstrate an on-going commitment to their community by performing unpaid volunteer services impacting US hunger within the last 12 months
Amount: $1,000 to $5,000 (and an additional $5,000 for charity of winners’ choice)
Deadline: December 5

Union Plus Scholarship

Eligibility: Open to undergraduate and graduate students who are current or retired members of participating unions as well as their spouses and their dependent children.
Amount: $4,000
Deadline: January 31, 2021

Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarships

Eligibility: Open to high school students who are vegetarians or vegans
Amount: $10,000
Deadline: February 21, 2021

“Voice For Cats” Essay Contest

Eligibility: Incoming and current college students who submit an animal rescue essay
Amount: $1,000 to the scholarship winner, and $1,000 to the animal rescue of choice
Deadline: December 31

Women’s Army Corps Veterans’ Association Scholarship

Eligibility: Female high school seniors who are the child, grandchild, niece or nephew of an Army Service Woman.
Amount: $1,500
Deadline: February 2, 2021

Tips for students who want to get involved with community service

When looking for community service opportunities try to start with your own interests! For instance, if you love history, check out your local historical society.
Don’t be shy! Many volunteering opportunities will not be formally advertised so you may need to send out some cold emails to organizations you are interested in working with.
If you can’t find an opportunity, create one! If you have a little bit of an entrepreneurial spirit you can start something to make a positive social impact in your community

Community service in the COVID-19 world

We know that students in the 2020-2021 academic year may not have the same in-person opportunities for community service. Savvy students will adapt community service to the virtual world. Think virtual tutoring, remote internships with nonprofits, and digital activism.