With the ability to turn volunteer work into a method of paying for school, students who participate in community service can leverage their experience to win community service scholarships.

Studies from the Corporation for National & Community Service have shown that those with community service experience are 27% more likely to secure employment after graduation. With benefits like these, community service becomes more than just an extracurricular activity—it becomes a pathway to success, both academically and professionally.

So, why aren’t more college students engaging in volunteer work? Unlike high school students, who often have more flexibility, college students face the demands of coursework, part-time jobs, and financial pressures like work-study programs. As a result, they may feel they don’t have enough time to dedicate to community service without adding more stress to their already packed schedules. This is why it’s so important to start early, especially in high school, when you may have more time to build a strong record of service.

To help you get started, we’ve compiled a list of the best community service scholarships that you can apply for today, from no-essay scholarships to specific community service work. We reviewed several scholarship platforms and found scholarships on Bold.org to be the most valuable for students who volunteer. Check out the list to begin your scholarship search.

Apply for scholarships today and showcase your community service experience to help you demonstrate your commitment to your community and gain financial support for college.

volunteering in the community

Requirements for Community Service Scholarships

To be eligible for most community service scholarships, students must demonstrate a strong commitment to volunteering and serving their communities. Each scholarship has specific criteria, but some common requirements include:

  • Completion of a set number of community service hours (often 100+ hours)
  • A demonstrated impact on the community through your service
  • Letters of recommendation from volunteer supervisors or community leaders
  • A written essay describing your community service experiences and future goals
  • Proof of enrollment in or acceptance to a college or university

Some scholarships may also have additional requirements, such as a minimum GPA, financial need, or involvement in specific types of service.

Exclusive Community Service Scholarships to Apply for in 2025

The Best Community Service Scholarships with Upcoming Deadlines

$25,000 "Be Bold" No-Essay Scholarship

$25,000 "Be Bold" No-Essay Scholarship

The world will be shaped by the bold—the fighters, the risk-takers, the earnest overachievers who won’t take no for an answer. The $10,000 “Be Bold” Scholarship is a no-essay scholarship that will be awarded to the applicant with the boldest profile.

Award Amount: $25,030
Deadline: August 1, 2025
Winners Announced: December 1, 2025
Sweet Dreams Scholarship

Sweet Dreams Scholarship

This scholarship aims to support students who embody the spirit of community and hope so they can complete their education and become leaders.

Award Amount: $5,000
Deadline: August 12, 2025
Winners Announced: September 12, 2025
Alger Memorial Scholarship

Alger Memorial Scholarship

This scholarship aims to support students who display the qualities of stellar work ethic, dedication to volunteerism, and eagerness to excel academically.

Award Amount: $550
Deadline: October 1, 2025
Winners Announced: November 1, 2025
Slater Miller Memorial Scholarship

Slater Miller Memorial Scholarship

This scholarship seeks to honor the life of Slater Miller by supporting trade school students with financial need.

Award Amount: $3,950
Deadline: October 24, 2025
Winners Announced: November 24, 2025
Matthew E. Minor Memorial Scholarship

Matthew E. Minor Memorial Scholarship

This scholarship aims to encourage the next generation to combat bullying and to protect children and teens on the internet.

Award Amount: $1,000
Deadline: March 1, 2026
Winners Announced: April 1, 2026
Mema and Papa Scholarship

Mema and Papa Scholarship

This scholarship seeks to support students who are preparing to finish high school and embark on their pursuit of higher education.

Award Amount: $600
Deadline: April 12, 2026
Winners Announced: May 12, 2026
Sewing Seeds: Lena B. Davis Memorial Scholarship

Sewing Seeds: Lena B. Davis Memorial Scholarship

This scholarship aims to support underrepresented students.

Award Amount: $1,070
Deadline: July 11, 2025
Winners Announced: August 11, 2025
José Ventura and Margarita Melendez Mexican-American Scholarship Fund

José Ventura and Margarita Melendez Mexican-American Scholarship Fund

This scholarship seeks to honor the memory of José Melendez by supporting students who are currently pursuing or looking to begin an undergraduate degree.

Award Amount: $3,000
Deadline: December 1, 2025
Winners Announced: January 1, 2026
Beacon of Opportunity Scholarship

Beacon of Opportunity Scholarship

This scholarship aims to support underserved students who may not have the resources or guidance they need to reach their full potential.

Award Amount: $1,000
Deadline: August 23, 2025
Winners Announced: September 23, 2025
Reginald "Reggie" Jackson Jr. Scholarship

Reginald "Reggie" Jackson Jr. Scholarship

This scholarship aims to honor the life and legacy of Reginald Jackson Jr. by supporting students who share his devotion to health and wellness.

Award Amount: $1,500
Deadline: July 31, 2025
Winners Announced: August 31, 2025
Servela Theodore Memorial Scholarship

Servela Theodore Memorial Scholarship

This scholarship aims to honor the legacy of Servela Theodore by supporting students who are pursuing careers in human services.

Award Amount: $900
Deadline: November 1, 2025
Winners Announced: December 1, 2025
Lou Marchello Memorial Scholarship

Lou Marchello Memorial Scholarship

This scholarship seeks to honor the life of Lou Marchello by supporting students in his town as they prepare to attend college.

Award Amount: $2,000
Deadline: March 16, 2026
Winners Announced: April 16, 2026
CW4 Savidge Memorial Scholarship

CW4 Savidge Memorial Scholarship

This scholarship seeks to honor the legacy of CW4 Savidge by shining a light on mental health challenges among active-duty service members and veterans.

Award Amount: $755
Deadline: April 5, 2026
Winners Announced: May 5, 2026
Willie Mae Rawls Scholarship

Willie Mae Rawls Scholarship

This scholarship seeks to honor the legacy of Willie Mae Rawls by supporting students pursuing an education at an HBCU who plan to make a positive impact on the world through their studies and future career goals.

Award Amount: $1,500
Deadline: September 16, 2025
Winners Announced: October 16, 2025
Failure Is Art Scholarship

Failure Is Art Scholarship

This scholarship seeks to support students who have faced multiple scholarship rejections but continue to pursue their dreams.

Award Amount: $500
Deadline: July 4, 2025
Winners Announced: August 4, 2025
KC MedBridge Scholarship

KC MedBridge Scholarship

This scholarship aims to support driven students as they take the first steps toward their journeys in medicine.

Award Amount: $1,000
Deadline: July 4, 2025
Winners Announced: August 4, 2025
Gladys Ruth Legacy “Service“ Memorial Scholarship

Gladys Ruth Legacy “Service“ Memorial Scholarship

The Gladys Ruth Legacy “Service” Memorial Scholarship was made to support an African American student who is unapologetically themselves and supports others through acts of service.

Award Amount: $1,000
Deadline: July 4, 2025
Winners Announced: August 4, 2025
McEntee Memorial Scholarship for Lifelong Learning

McEntee Memorial Scholarship for Lifelong Learning

This scholarship seeks to honor the legacy of William McEntee by supporting individuals dedicated to pursuing higher education and personal growth.

Award Amount: $1,000
Deadline: July 7, 2025
Winners Announced: August 7, 2025
Patricia Lindsey Jackson Foundation-Mary Louise Lindsey Service Scholarship

Patricia Lindsey Jackson Foundation-Mary Louise Lindsey Service Scholarship

This scholarship aims to recognize and empower students or community members who embody the spirit of service and compassion that Mary Louise Lindsey exemplified.

Award Amount: $500
Deadline: July 8, 2025
Winners Announced: August 8, 2025
Students with Misophonia Scholarship

Students with Misophonia Scholarship

This scholarship recognizes the challenges faced by living with misophonia and aims to alleviate the financial burdens associated with pursuing higher education.

Award Amount: $1,500
Deadline: July 9, 2025
Winners Announced: August 9, 2025
Patricia Lindsey Jackson Foundation - Eva Mae Jackson Scholarship of Education

Patricia Lindsey Jackson Foundation - Eva Mae Jackson Scholarship of Education

This scholarship aims to help students who embody the values of Patricia Lindsey and Eva Mae Jackson and strive to make a positive impact.

Award Amount: $500
Deadline: July 11, 2025
Winners Announced: August 11, 2025
Holden William Bettis Memorial Scholarship

Holden William Bettis Memorial Scholarship

This scholarship seeks to honor the memory of Holden William Bettis by supporting students in Alaska who are pursuing their dreams of a college education.

Award Amount: $1,000
Deadline: July 11, 2025
Winners Announced: August 11, 2025
Dr. Soronnadi Nnaji Legacy Scholarship

Dr. Soronnadi Nnaji Legacy Scholarship

This scholarship seeks to honor Dr. Soronnadi Nnaji by supporting students who are first or second-generation African immigrants as they pursue higher education.

Award Amount: $5,000
Deadline: July 12, 2025
Winners Announced: August 12, 2025
Sara Jane Memorial Scholarship

Sara Jane Memorial Scholarship

This scholarship will support a high school senior or undergraduate student pursuing a nursing career.

Award Amount: $2,000
Deadline: July 15, 2025
Winners Announced: August 15, 2025
TRAM Purple Phoenix Scholarship

TRAM Purple Phoenix Scholarship

This scholarship aims to empower survivors of intimate partner violence so they can thrive and achieve their dreams.

Award Amount: $5,000
Deadline: July 15, 2025
Winners Announced: August 15, 2025
Stevens Family Scholarship

Stevens Family Scholarship

This scholarship aims to give back to the Broadview community by helping newly graduated high school students pursue their dreams.

Award Amount: $1,500
Deadline: July 19, 2025
Winners Announced: August 19, 2025
Marcello Rosino Memorial Scholarship

Marcello Rosino Memorial Scholarship

This scholarship is designed to empower and support deserving students of Italian American heritage who share a passion for education, fostering the language language and culture, and embody the values of diligence and determination, and aspire to contribute positively to their communities, just as Marcello Rosino did.

Award Amount: $1,000
Deadline: July 19, 2025
Winners Announced: August 19, 2025
Zavalla Students Scholarship

Zavalla Students Scholarship

This scholarship aims to support students from Zavalla so they can overcome the barriers they face, accomplish their goals, and uplift their community.

Award Amount: $2,000
Deadline: July 20, 2025
Winners Announced: August 20, 2025
Bruce Tucker Scholarship

Bruce Tucker Scholarship

This scholarship seeks to honor students who exemplify exceptional work ethic, toughness, and service in their daily lives.

Award Amount: $945
Deadline: July 20, 2025
Winners Announced: August 20, 2025
Camari Hunt 4x Foundation Independent Living Expenses Scholarship

Camari Hunt 4x Foundation Independent Living Expenses Scholarship

This scholarship aims to support and empower African-American and Black men who are striving to achieve their educational and personal goals while managing the challenges of independent living.

Award Amount: $1,500
Deadline: July 21, 2025
Winners Announced: August 21, 2025
community service

A Community Service Scholarship vs. Loan Debt

The major benefit of receiving a community service scholarship is that it doesn’t need to be paid back. Unlike student loans, scholarships are essentially free money, which can significantly reduce or eliminate the need to take on student loan debt.

When students rely on loans to pay for college, they are essentially borrowing money that will need to be repaid with interest over time, often resulting in thousands of dollars of debt by graduation. This debt can take years, sometimes decades, to pay off, impacting a student’s financial stability long after college is over.

That’s why scholarships are so important. They can help students graduate debt-free. Student loans, on the other hand, typically add significant financial stress. Scholarships also offer a sense of financial freedom in that they don’t need to be repaid, whereas loans create a long-term financial obligation.

How to Find Scholarships for Community Service

High school and college students can look for community service scholarships and community service projects by going through multiple college sites and scholarship platforms and researching the type of scholarships they have and the specific amount of community service hours they may require.

Finding the right scholarships can take some time, but it’s worth it. Here are some ways to locate community service scholarships:

  1. Scholarship Search Engines: Websites like Bold.org allow you to search for scholarships based on your interests, including community service.
  2. Nonprofit Organizations: Many nonprofits and community organizations offer scholarships to volunteers who have worked with them, like Bold.org.
  3. Your School’s Guidance Office: Your high school or college may have information on local or regional community service scholarships.
  4. Corporations and Foundations: Large companies, like Coca-Cola and Comcast, often offer scholarships to students who are active in their communities.
  5. Local Community Foundations: Many local foundations and businesses offer scholarships specifically for students from certain geographic areas who are involved in community service.

Types of Community Service Scholarships

There are several types of community service scholarships, depending on your area of interest or involvement:

  • General Community Service Scholarships: Open to students who have participated in any form of volunteering.
  • Leadership-Based Community Service Scholarships: For students who have taken a leadership role in organizing or managing community projects.
  • Service-Specific Scholarships: Awarded to students who have volunteered in a specific field, such as environmental service, healthcare, or education.
  • Scholarships for Students with Financial Need: These scholarships help those who have demonstrated both a commitment to community service and a financial need for assistance with college costs.
community service clean up

Other Community Service Scholarships for High School and College Students

In addition to the scholarships mentioned above, here are a few more to consider:

Community college students looking for college scholarships should apply for community service scholarship awards to help them pay for their degrees. Apply today!

Tips for Winning

When it comes to scholarships that apply to community service, a tip to winning these scholarships is being able to share experiences working in community service. Writing about these experiences in an essay that varies between 200 and 1000 words is a great way to win a scholarship.

1. Start Early

Begin accumulating community service hours as early as possible, ideally during your freshman year of high school or earlier. The earlier you start, the more consistent your involvement will appear to scholarship committees. Rather than participating in short-term or one-off events, try to find long-term volunteer opportunities that align with your passions or career interests. Create a service log or journal, and if possible, take photos of your work to help you remember specific details for essays or interviews.

Bonus Tip: Aim for a variety of service experiences, but make sure there’s a core focus—whether it’s tutoring, environmental work, or helping the elderly.

2. Tailor Your Application

One size does not fit all when applying for community service scholarships. Tailor each application to align with the specific mission and values of the scholarship organization. For example, if the scholarship is focused on environmental work, emphasize your experiences related to environmental conservation.

Bonus Tip: Research the organization offering the scholarship.

community services

3. Get Strong Recommendations

Choose people who can genuinely speak to your commitment to service, such as volunteer coordinators, nonprofit leaders, or teachers who have witnessed your efforts firsthand. Avoid generic letters by making sure your recommender knows exactly what the scholarship is looking for and can speak to your specific strengths in relation to those qualities. Provide them with a list of your key service activities and achievements to help them write a detailed and compelling letter.

Bonus Tip: Ask for recommendations well in advance to give your writers plenty of time.

4. Focus on Impact, Not Just Hours

Many students make the mistake of only listing the number of hours they’ve completed. While the amount of time you’ve spent volunteering is important, the impact of your service is what truly sets you apart. Scholarship committees are looking for students who not only participate in service but also have a meaningful, measurable impact.

Bonus Tip: Include quantifiable results whenever possible (e.g., “Raised $1,000 for a local food bank,” or “Planted 150 trees in a community park”).

5. Craft a Compelling Essay

 Be authentic and personal. Scholarship committees want to see how your service has impacted you as a person, not just what you’ve done for others.

Bonus Tip: Highlight moments that changed your perspective or taught you valuable lessons.

6. Build Relationships with the Organizations You Serve

One of the most overlooked aspects of community service is the value of building relationships. Engage deeply with the organizations you volunteer for. The more invested you are, the more likely you’ll be able to point to significant contributions in your scholarship application.

Bonus Tip: Demonstrating that you’re eager to improve and grow in your service efforts will reflect well on you in both recommendation letters and scholarship interviews.

7. Proofread and Polish Your Application

Once your application is complete, take the time to carefully proofread it. This includes not only the essay but also every part of the application, from your personal information to your volunteer hours log. Errors or sloppiness can make a negative impression on scholarship committees, no matter how impressive your service record is. Ask a teacher, counselor, or family member to review your application for grammar, spelling, and clarity. Make sure every part of your submission is professional and polished.

Bonus Tip: Double-check deadlines and ensure all materials—such as recommendation letters, transcripts, and essays—are submitted on time. Missing a deadline could mean missing out on an opportunity.

Frequently Asked Questions About Community Service Scholarships.

How Many Community Service Hours Do I Need for a Scholarship?

Requirements vary, but many scholarships expect at least 100 hours of documented service. However, some scholarships may require more, while others may be more flexible. Always check the specific requirements of each scholarship, as some may focus on long-term service, while others may accept a wide range of community involvement.

Do Community Service Scholarships Have GPA Requirements?

Some community service scholarships do have GPA requirements, often looking for a minimum of 3.0 or higher. Still, it’s always best to review the scholarship guidelines carefully, as some scholarships may balance GPA and service as part of their selection criteria, or some may not require a GPA at all.

Can I Use Volunteer Work From My Church or Religious Organization?

Yes, volunteer work from any organization, including religious ones, often counts toward your service hours. Many scholarships value community involvement in any form, whether it’s through a local nonprofit, religious institution, or school group. Whether you’re volunteering for charity events, teaching youth groups, or organizing food drives, your work through a church or other faith-based organization can showcase your commitment to helping others.

Is Financial Need Required for Community Service Scholarships?

Some community service scholarships are need-based, meaning they prioritize applicants who demonstrate financial need in addition to their volunteer work.  On the other hand, many community service scholarships focus solely on your commitment to service, leadership abilities, and overall merit, regardless of your financial background. Always check the specific requirements of each scholarship to see if financial need is a consideration.

Can I Apply for More Than One Community Service Scholarship?

Students who are passionate about involvement within their communities can explore all sorts of community service scholarships. Volunteering in your community or school gives you unique experiences that help you grow and develop valuable skills such as leadership, teamwork, and empathy while also making a positive impact on those around you.

Applying for multiple scholarships increases your chances of winning financial aid. High school seniors, undergraduate, and graduate students can all find scholarships that recognize outstanding community service. From volunteer scholarships to community involvement awards, there are many opportunities to apply for today.

How Do You Find Community Service Activities?

You can find community service activities by checking with local organizations like food banks, animal shelters, and community centers, or other community service organizations. Schools often have service clubs or programs, and websites like VolunteerMatch or Idealist to help you find opportunities in your area. You can also volunteer through religious groups, local government projects, or events like charity runs and festivals. Just reach out and ask how you can help.

Are you attending college soon? Apply for scholarships to help you reduce your college costs.

Paulla James
Paulla Jenne

Paulla showcases her expertise in writing and communication through her influential articles for Scholarship Institute. She focuses on creating review articles and recommendations that guide students in exploring educational funding.

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