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

Community service scholarships reward students who are active citizens in their communities! Keep on reading to learn more about award amount, eligibility requirements, and deadlines!

Top Community Service Scholarships

$1,000 WayUp Diversity & Inclusion Scholarship

• Eligibility: Open to undergraduate students who share passion and vision for diversity and inclusion 
• Amount: $1,000
• Deadline: June 1, 2021

$500 Act Locally Scholarship 

• Eligibility: High school and undergraduates with an interest in volunteering or working to better their local community through social, environmental, or economic change
• Amount: $500
• Deadline: July 1, 2021

$500 Misha Brahmbhatt Help Your Community Scholarship

• Eligibility: Open to students at all educational levels who are involved in community engagement and advocacy
• Amount: $500
• Deadline: June 2, 2021

BBB Students of Integrity Scholarship

• Eligibility: Open to high school juniors and seniors who live in Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana/ W. Wyoming, Oregon, and Washington
• Amount: $2,500
• Deadline: May 1, 2021

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

 Brower Youth Awards

• Eligibility: Students ages 13 to 22 who are environmental change leaders. Open to students living in North America (including Mexico, Canada, and some Caribbean Islands) and U.S. territories
• Amount: $3,000 cash prize, a short film about their work created by an Emmy Award-winning film crew, and a 100% paid for weeklong trip to the San Francisco Bay Area (including airfare and lodging)
• Deadline: May 14, 2021 by 11:59PM PST

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

Cameron Impact Scholarship

• Eligibility: High school seniors with a strong academic and volunteering record 
• Amount: $20,000 to $50,000 per year
• Deadline: Early Application Deadline: May 21, 2021 – 12pm (NOON) PT FINAL Application Deadline: September 10, 2021 – 12pm (NOON) PT

Horatio Alger Career & Technical Scholarships

• Eligibility: Students with demonstrated who are attending technical school
• Amount: $2,500
• Deadline: August 15, 2021 (Opens May 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, 2021

DAV Jesse Brown Memorial Youth Scholarship

• Eligibility: Student volunteers ages 21 or younger who have volunteered for a minimum of 100 hours in service to veterans
• Amount: $75,000 per years as follows: $20,000; $15,000; $10,000; $7,500 (2); and $5,000 (3)
• Deadline: February 28, 2022

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.

Summary of community service scholarships

1. $1,000 WayUp Diversity & Inclusion ScholarshipAct Locally Scholarship
2. $500 Act Locally Scholarship
3. $500 Misha Brahmbhatt Help Your Community Scholarship
4. BBB Embody Integrity Video Scholarship
5. Paradigm Challenge Scholarship
6.  Brower Youth Awards
7. Reputation Rhino Protection and Preservation of Wildlife and Nature Scholarship
8. Cameron Impact Scholarship
9. Horatio Alger Career & Technical Scholarships
10. A “Voice For Cats” Essay Contest 
11. DAV Jesse Brown Memorial Youth Scholarship

Expired 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, 2020

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, 2020

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, 2020

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, 2020

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 (Opens December 2021)

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