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Top 115 Community Service Scholarships in September 2022
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.
Jump ahead to…
- Top community service scholarships
- How to win community service scholarships
- Tips for getting involved in community service
- Frequently asked questions about community service scholarships
- Explore these additional scholarship categories
Top 115 Community Service Scholarships in September 2022
The Scholarships360 Research Team reviews all scholarships individually and strives to exclude any scholarship where any of the below applies:
- The scholarship requires a fee to apply
- The scholarship provider’s privacy policy allows for the misuse of student data
- The scholarship requires paid membership in an organization (with certain exceptions for reputable trade organizations and others)
- Student are required to sign up for a site or service to apply*
- The scholarship seems primarily used for lead generation** or idea harvesting purposes***
- The scholarship website has many grammatical errors and/or advertisements
- The scholarship or scholarship providing organization seem untrustworthy
- There is no evidence the scholarship was previously awarded
- The scholarship has not been awarded in the past 12 months
- There is no available contact information
If you believe a scholarship has been published in error, please reach out to [email protected] and we’ll take a look!
* There are certain exceptions to this, for example if the sponsoring organization is a major corporation or nonprofit with its own scholarship application system.
** Lead generation scholarships will require students to sign up for an app or website and require minimal (if any) application requirements.
***Idea harvesting scholarships will require students to submit blog posts or other materials that companies may use for marketing purposes.
Heisman High School Scholarship
Offered by Wendy’s & The Heisman Trophy Trust
Open to high school senior athletes who excel in the classroom, on the field, and in the community.
Coca Cola Scholars Program Scholarship
Offered by Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation
Open to graduating high school seniors in the U.S. with plans of attending postsecondary U.S. institutions.
Sam Carbis Scholarship
Offered by South Carolina State Firefighters Association
Open to members of the South Carolina State Firefighters Association who are training to be volunteer firefighters in the state.
ACFEF Scholarships
Offered by The American Culinary Federation Education Foundation
Open to high school seniors accepted to college majoring in culinary education.
ENF Emergency Educational Grants
Offered by Elks National Foundation
Open to the children of deceased or disabled Elks members who are enrolled full-time in a U.S. university.
Greenhouse Scholars Program
Offered by Greenhouse Scholars
Open to college-bound, graduating high school seniors from select states who are passionate about helping their communities.
Prudential Emerging Visionaries
Offered by Changemakers
Open to 14-18 year-old young leaders working towards solutions for financial barriers and social issues.
Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship
Offered by Jack Kent Cooke Foundation
Open to academically excellent high school seniors who demonstrate financial need and want to attend highly competitive universities.
$2,000 Nitro College Scholarship – No Essay
Sponsored
Easy scholarship open to all high school, college, community and graduate students.
Niche $50,000 “No Essay” College Scholarship
Sponsored
Open to high school and college students, as well as anyone looking to attend college or graduate school in the next year.
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How to win community service scholarships
Now that you’ve got a list of great community service scholarships, it’s time to get to work on your applications. Most of these scholarships receive a huge number of impressive applications, so it’s important to use your essays as an opportunity to stand out from the crowd.
To help you put together the best possible essay, we’ve created a collection of resources, including articles on how to start a scholarship essay, how to write a winning scholarship essay, and how to “Show, Not Tell” in your writing. Here are a few other resources you’ll find helpful as you work through your applications:
- How to write a 250 word essay
- How to write a 500 word essay
- Assembling a scholarship resume
- How to respond to “Why do you deserve this scholarship?” prompts
Also, remember as you write your essays to tie your past experiences into what you want to do in the future! As you’re applying to community service-oriented opportunities, it’s a good idea to emphasize how you hope to use your past experiences to continue to improve the communities you work with.
Tips for getting involved in 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
- Remember, in today’s increasingly digital world, there’s no need to limit your volunteering to in-person experiences! Online tutoring, administrative assistance, or other remote work can help you fit volunteering into a busy schedule and open up your possibilities for who you can work with.
- For more pointers on finding volunteer opportunities, check out our articles on the top virtual volunteer opportunities.
Frequently asked questions about community service scholarships
How many hours of community service do I need for community service scholarships?
There is no set number of hours of community service needed to earn these scholarships. Each scholarship has its own criteria; some may require a set number of hours, while others may be more concerned with what you’ve accomplished in your positions and how you reflect on your experiences.
So, even if you don’t have a substantial number of logged community service hours, some of these scholarships may be a good fit for you. Many students volunteer without keeping track of their hours (though it’s always a good idea to keep a log just in case) and some of these opportunities will take that into account.
Can I use virtual volunteer experience to apply for community service scholarships?
Yes! Virtual volunteer opportunities are just as valuable as in-person ones, and you should make sure to get a written record of the hours you put in so you can use them in applications later on.
I volunteered at an organization but did not obtain a record of my service. What should I do now?
The first step you should take is to find the contact information for whoever supervised your volunteer work and reach out to them to explain your situation. Chances are, they will be thankful for the work you put in and willing to help you out in determining how many hours you worked and certifying said hours.
That being said, many organizations that offer volunteer positions have a rapidly changing staff and it may be difficult to track down your supervisor. Your best bet is to continue to reach out to people at the organization until you find someone who seems willing to help out. Getting those hours in writing can be key for scholarships, college applications, job applications, and more. Even though it may be a hassle, don’t let it fall by the wayside!
