Unlock Your Potential: A Guide to Volunteer Hours Scholarships

Volunteering is a great way to make a difference in your community, and it can also help you pay for college. Community service scholarships are a type of financial aid award offered to students based on their involvement in volunteering, organization, public action, and other kinds of community service. These scholarships reward students who contribute to their communities. If you are one of those volunteers, you can win scholarship awards for your efforts- and if you aren’t, it isn’t too late to start.

What are Community Service Scholarships?

A community service scholarship is a kind of financial aid award offered to students based on their involvement in volunteering, organization, public action, and other kinds of community service. These scholarships seek to reward students that take the time to give back to their communities, providing exclusive scholarships open only to students that volunteer. Donors of these scholarships want to reward students involved in public service by creating scholarships that give to students who are making a significant positive difference in their communities.

These scholarships may be solely merit-based, or they may be judged with additional consideration to applicants’ financial need. Scholarships in this group may have different guidelines as to the types of community service involvement applicants must demonstrate. For instance, some community service scholarships may be politically-driven, encouraging students to participate in local legislature and activism, while others may take a humanitarian approach, recognizing students based on their efforts as volunteers for charities. No matter what type of community service you participate in, there are scholarships out there for you.

Why Community Service Matters

Public service is critical for local and national communities to be able to open opportunities for significant growth for the youth and less fortunate people in those areas. Volunteering not only helps improve your community and the lives of those around you but has also been linked to mental and physical health benefits! Community service can improve your resume and increase your chances of getting hired, as employers are nearly 80% more likely to hire candidates with volunteer experience.

Many students engage in community service. This work can have significant impacts on communities, as college students alone contribute approximately $6 billion of service! Additionally, more students than ever want to be involved in their communities, with nearly half of college freshmen wanting to become community leaders and 80% wanting to help others.

Read also: Your Guide to Volunteer Hours

Census Bureau data indicates that between 2022 and 2023, more than 28% of Americans age 16 and over participated in formal volunteer service.

Types of Community Service Scholarships

Bold.org offers many different types of community service scholarships. Some scholarships are open to students of any education level. Others are catered to more specific education levels. There are other specifications for community service scholarships aside from education level. Some scholarships require a certain major, leadership skills, or location. There are many factors that set various community service scholarships apart from others, which gives you the chance to find the scholarships most suited to you.

How to Find and Qualify for Community Service Scholarships

1. Creating a Profile:

In order to start applying for Bold.org's community service scholarships, you must start by creating a free Bold.org profile. Click on any of the community service scholarships above, and you will be redirected to create an account. Once you've created a profile, you can begin searching for scholarships, using filters to find scholarships you are most suited for.

2. Participate in Community Service:

The main qualification to apply for community service scholarships is having volunteer experience. Volunteer scholarships look for students that have put in time giving back to their local community and have done various volunteer work. Most community service scholarships don't need a particular type of public service, for they are primarily looking to see that you have been involved in volunteer service.

3. Education Level:

Community service scholarships are given to students that have done volunteer service. High school students, undergraduate and graduate students are all able to find scholarships that fit their education and community service requirements. There are general eligibility requirements in order to apply for scholarships on Bold.org. In addition to the education requirement, applicants must be fourteen years of age or older and enrolled in a United States school.

4. Check Other Eligibility Requirements:

Community awards are given to a wide variety of students. Different scholarships have different specifications to apply, so make sure to check the eligibility requirements before applying. Different requirements can include factors such as specific education levels, interests, experiences, and locations.

5. Utilize Scholarship Search Engines:

The best way to find these scholarships is by creating a free account on Scholarships.com. In the case of students looking for community service scholarships, that specificity is crucial. There are countless kinds of community service scholarships out there for all types of volunteer involvement; Scholarships.com can search and find the best ones for you in just 5 minutes.

6. Religious Affiliation:

One of the most common ways students get involved with community service is through their religious practice. If you have worked as a volunteer with your local church, temple, or other religious institution, you are likely eligible to apply for related scholarships. The Words of Comfort (WOC) Ministries scholarships, for instance, are awarded with specific consideration to religious community service.

7. Specific Organizations:

Organizations like the National Honor Society often measure a student’s commitment to community service with the number of hours they have logged participating in community service initiatives. Though it’s good to strive to volunteer as much as you can, you don’t always need to have an extremely large number of volunteer hours in order to apply for and win community service scholarships.

How to Apply for Community Service Scholarships

Applying for Bold.org scholarships takes only a few easy steps. To start, create your free Bold.org profile. Click on any of the listed scholarships, and you will be led through how to create an account. Then, you can begin browsing the hundreds of exclusive scholarships you have access to through Bold.org.

Use features, such as filters for category, education, and deadline, to help you sift through the unique scholarship categories. If there is a scholarship you want to revisit later, use the bookmark feature to set aside various scholarships you are interested in for later use. From there, decide on the scholarships that are best for you, and begin applying. The scholarship application process is set up specifically to ensure an easy process. This way, you can maximize your Bold.org account, applying for many more scholarships.

Tips for Winning Community Service Scholarships

Apply to as Many Scholarships as You Can: You will not win every scholarship that you apply to, so in order to increase your chances of winning scholarships, apply to as many as you're able. The more scholarships you apply to, the more chances you have to be selected than if you only applied to two or three. Apply to plenty, and you will have better odds of securing scholarships.
The Earlier You Apply, the Better: Bold.org posts new scholarships frequently, opening up new scholarship opportunities all the time. Some scholarships have a quick turnaround, being posted quickly and having a deadline only a few weeks later. The early you start applying, the more scholarships will be available to you, since they inevitably close, making applying time-sensitive. Applying sooner will give you more opportunities, giving you a chance you space out when you apply to scholarships so that you won't have to stress all at once about submissions.
Apply to Scholarships with More Specific Eligibility Requirements: The more eligibility requirements there are for a scholarship, the fewer students will apply. Since there are fewer eligible students, there is a greater chance for your application to be chosen. Be on the lookout for scholarships with several requirements, for this will narrow the submission pool and give you a better chance of winning.
Make Your Bold.org Profile Strong: Make sure that you fill out your Bold.org profile thoroughly, giving information about yourself that could help donors decide if you are the right candidate for a scholarship. This is especially helpful for scholarships without essays, for donors will be more likely to select students will a complete profile. Filling in your profile will also give you more Bold points, opening up exclusive scholarships that you can then apply to.
Put Effort into Your Essay Submissions: A well-written essay can help you stand out from other applicants. Many of the scholarships presented above have essay questions associated with them, so make sure to put your best foot forward when writing your application essay. This means taking the time to plan your essay, write thoughtfully, and edit it once you have finished. The essays are not always required to be long, but you can be impactful with few words.

Specific Scholarship Examples

Good Tidings Community Service Scholarship: This scholarship, worth $10,000 for high school seniors in the Bay Area, has a minimum requirement of just 2 to 4 volunteer hours. The Good Tidings Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) children's charity, is dedicated to uplifting marginalized children in the Bay Area. Their mission is to create spaces for athletics, artistic activities, education, and wonder, offering opportunities for growth that transcend financial status, ethnic origin, or religion. Deadline November 3, 2026.
JLR Outstanding Community Service Scholarship: This scholarship is only available to female high school seniors in the Rockford, Illinois area; because its qualifications are so specific, those who apply have a high chance to win.
Princeton Prize in Race Relations (PPRR): High school students of any age can apply for this $2,500 award for students committed to public service in the field of racial equality. Once applicants have an adult sponsor to recommend them for the award, they just need to submit a written record of their community service endeavors to apply.
National Parent Volunteer Association (NPVA): This organization awards scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students who are dedicated to volunteering in their communities. These awards are completely merit-based.
DAV Scholarship Program: Each year, DAV honors student volunteers age 21 or younger who demonstrate outstanding dedication and service to America’s veterans. Volunteer service is at the heart of the DAV mission of helping empower more veterans to lead high-quality and fulfilling lives. This college scholarship is open to volunteers age 21 or younger who have contributed a minimum of 100 hours credited through DAV or DAV Auxiliary. Students may apply with the inclusion of an essay on what volunteering for veterans means for them. Volunteer hours can be accumulated at a VA medical center, and/or the Local Veterans Assistance Program (LVAP). Hours must be credited to Disabled American Veterans. The deadline to apply for 2026 scholarships is Feb.
Youth Serve Montana Scholarship: The Governor’s Office of Community Service, Reach Higher Montana, and Montana Campus Network for Civic Engagement offer scholarships for graduating high school seniors! Scholarship funds have been made available through support from Reach Higher Montana, a nonprofit dedicated to helping students pursue and fund post secondary education; Montana Campus Network for Civic Engagement, who's mission is to educate students for civic responsibility; and the Governor’s Office of Community Service, a state agency tasked with expanding and promoting service in Montana.
Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes: This prize awards $10,000 to multiple elementary, middle, and high schoolers who have made great contributions to communities, either local or far. In order to apply, you must submit a completed application, project summary and essay, three letters of recommendation, and a color photo of yourself.
Herbert Lehman Education Fund Scholarship: Each year, the scholarship awards $3,000 a year (renewable for up to $12,000) to current and incoming undergraduate underclassmen who demonstrate financial need.

Other Scholarship Opportunities

Skechers Foundation Scholarship: Offers exclusive scholarships.
Scholarships360 $10,000 “No Essay” Scholarship: Open to all students. This scholarship has rolling monthly application deadlines. Students applying earlier will have a greater chance of winning.
Horatio Alger National Scholarships: Awarding low-income students for overcoming and persevering through the challenges in their lives, the Horatio Alger National Scholarships grant $25,000 and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington D.C. to 105 students each year.
Rise Up Scholarship: Awards up to $1,000 to multiple LGBTQIA+ students and their allies who submit an essay or video explaining their role in the LGBTQIA+ community and how this scholarship would benefit their education.
Niche $25,000 No Essay Scholarship: The winner will be selected by random drawing by April 15th.
Paradigm Challenge: The top 100 entries win between $200 and $100,000 per team, in addition to an all-expenses-paid trip to attend the award ceremony in Los Angeles, California.
REC Community Scholarship: Open to high school seniors or current undergraduates whose parent or guardian is a member-owner of Rappahannock Electric Cooperative. Applicants may also be enrolled or be planning to enroll in a career and technical school.
Easy $2,500 scholarship from CollegeXpress: Open to high school freshmen, sophomores, and juniors! To apply, simply fill out the CollegeXpress registration page.

Scholarships Specific to Location

Illinois Valley High School Scholarship: This $2,000 scholarship is awarded to graduating seniors from Illinois Valley High School in Cave Junction, Oregon. To apply, applicants must submit an essay and the FAFSA.
Stacy Morgan Memorial Scholarship: Available to graduating seniors from Grants Pass High School in Oregon.
Caveman Kiwanis Club Scholarship: Awarded to graduating seniors from Grants Pass, Hidden Valley, Illinois Valley, or North Valley high schools in Oregon.
Williams Scholar Athlete Award: Recognizes graduating seniors from Grants Pass High School in Oregon.
Buck Rogers Memorial Scholarship: For Missouri residents interested in pursuing a career in outdoor communications.
Crain Scholarship Program: Available to college-bound high school seniors or graduates of a public or private high school in San Mateo County or Santa Clara County, California.
Hazel Reed Baumeister Scholarship Program: Open to students showing academic excellence, extracurricular activities and a commitment to the community. To be eligible applicants must be graduating high school seniors or graduates of a public or private high school in San Mateo County or Santa Clara County or planning to enroll or currently enrolled in a four-year college or university as full-time students.

Other Avenues for Financial Aid

Federal Work Study Program: Includes a community service component. Schools are required to use 7% of their Federal Work Study program funds to pay for students employed in community service jobs.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program: Provides for forgiveness of federal education loans after ten years of full-time employment in public service.

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