Many college scholarships focus on high school seniors, but there are scholarship opportunities for younger students as well.  This week’s Scholarship of the Week is one such opportunity, the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program.  These scholarships are awarded to students in grades 5-12 who have served their communities in a significant way in the last 12 months.

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards were created in 1995 through a partnership between Prudential Financial and the National Association of Secondary School Principals.  These community service scholarships give young people who show an early commitment to helping others a chance at national recognition, as well as up to $6,000 to pay for school and an additional $5,000 to benefit the charity organization of their choice.

Prize:

Five high school and five middle school National Honorees will receive $5,000 scholarship awards and an additional $5,000 donation to a charity of their choice.

102 State Honorees will receive $1,000 awards and will go on to compete in the national contest and participate in an awards ceremony in Washington, DC.

Eligibility:

Students in grades 5-12 who are legal residents of any US State or the District of Columbia who have engaged in a volunteer activity in the last 12 months.  Applications must be certified by a school principal or the local head of one of several officially designated certifying organizations listed on the contest website.

Posted: under Scholarship of the Week, Scholarships.
Tags: community service scholarships, high school student scholarships, Scholarship of the Week, Scholarship Search, Scholarships

Comments (0) Sep 28 2009

Scholarship opportunities abound for students who devote their time and energy to helping those around them.  One such opportunity is this week’s Scholarship of the Week. The Coca-Cola Scholars Program, one of the most generous and well-known community service scholarships, is awarded each year to high school students who have demonstrated academic achievement and community involvement.

Current high school seniors can win up to $20,000 towards their college education through this scholarship program.  By demonstrating the ways they’ve served their communities and made a positive impact on the world, students can earn one of 250 four-year achievement-based scholarships from the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation.  Finalists will also receive a trip to Atlanta for personal interviews and an awards ceremony.

Prize:

50 National Scholars awards of $20,000

200 Regional Scholars awards of $10,000

Eligibility:

Current high school seniors (at the time of application) attending school in the United States with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.  Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents planning to pursue a degree at an accredited college or university in the United States.

Posted: under High School, Scholarship of the Week, Scholarships.
Tags: college scholarships, community service, community service scholarships, High School, high school student scholarships, Scholarship of the Week, Scholarship Search, Scholarships

Comments (0) Aug 31 2009

This week’s Scholarship of the Week is a scholarship essay contest that offers a $10,000 reward to students who are actively engaged in fighting poverty.  The In The River They Swim essay competition asks participants to reflect upon an experience living or working in a poor country or a poor region of a developed nation and tell a story about a personal journey they’ve had doing enterprise solutions to poverty.

What makes this competition unique is that it asks for students to go beyond the traditional response elicited by community service scholarships and other essay scholarships and to reflect on both successes and failures, as well as people encountered and lessons learned along the way.  Rather than simply recounting experiences in a matter-of-fact way, a winning essay will tell a story in an engaging and illuminating manner.  Most importantly, the essay should teach the reader something, and presents an opportunity to think both critically and creatively about your work, your attitudes, and your assumptions for a chance at a substantial cash prize and possible publication.

Prize:

$10,000

Eligibility:

Anyone is eligible to participate, regardless of age, level of education, or area of study.

Posted: under Graduate School, High School, Scholarship of the Week, Scholarships.
Tags: college scholarships, community service scholarships, essay scholarship, graduate student scholarships, high school student scholarships, Scholarship of the Week, Scholarship Search, undergraduate scholarships, writing scholarship

Comments (0) Jul 27 2009

Service-minded students have a variety of ways to fund their college education through community service scholarships and other awards.  Now, students interested in attending Dickinson College in Pennsylvania can participate in a fellowship program that awards $10,000 towards tuition for each year of full-time public service completed.

The Dickinson College Public Service Fellowships are awarded to high school seniors who are interested in deferring enrollment in college to first work in public service in some capacity.  If accepted, students can defer enrollment for up to four years, and receive up to $40,000 in scholarship money through this program.  Qualifying public service work can be independent or done through a national service organization, such as AmeriCorps, and can be paid or unpaid.  Projects must be devoted to some aspect of improving the human condition or the natural environment.

While these scholarship awards are only offered through one college at present, at least one other school is seeking to encourage students to become engaged in public service before they start actively pursuing their college degrees.  According to The Christian Science Monitor, Princeton University has also launched a program to pay for admitted students to first engage in a year-long service project abroad before beginning classes.

Several colleges have recently announced campus-based scholarships for community service.  Many other schools also match AmeriCorps tuition awards, and over 1,100 private colleges have also pledged to assist veterans with tuition to acknowledge their service to the country.  If you are a high school student hoping to get involved in a large-scale service project, there’s more incentive than ever as colleges and scholarship providers continue expanding financial aid awards for locally and globally engaged individuals.

Posted: under College News, Fellowships, High School, Scholarships.
Tags: college and society, college news, community service scholarships, Fellowships, Scholarships, service

Comments (0) Jul 17 2009

Students who are passionate about public health and also have a creative side may be interested in applying for this week’s Scholarship of the Week, the Dr. Alma Adams Scholarship.  Adams Scholarships are awarded to students for their outstanding community service and use of artistic abilities to increase awareness about the toll of tobacco within underserved communities.  The awards recognize Alma Adams, a professional artist, educator, North Carolina state legislator and former board member of the American Legacy Foundation.

Up to two scholarships will be awarded each year to students who are pursuing a career related to public health and who have placed an emphasis on working with disadvantaged communities or groups that have been particularly targeted by tobacco advertising campaigns.  Adams Scholarships are awarded to students who have shown a commitment to educate members of these communities about tobacco and drug use, especially through creative campaigns.

Prize:

$10,000

Eligibility:

High school seniors and current undergraduate or graduate students planning to pursue a career in public health, health communications, social work, education, or a related field.  Applicants must demonstrate financial need and must have received a GPA of at least 3.0 in the most recent academic year.  Applicants should also have previous experience working with an underserved community, particularly working to prevent tobacco or drug use.

Posted: under Graduate School, Scholarship of the Week, Scholarships.
Tags: college scholarships, community service scholarships, graduate student scholarships, Scholarship of the Week, Scholarship Search, Scholarships, undergraduate scholarships

Comments (0) Apr 20 2009

Environmental issues are becoming increasingly important to people and governments worldwide.  Not surprisingly, many scholarship opportunities exist for students committed to improving their environments and the lives of those around them.  One such scholarship is this week’s Scholarship of the Week, The Brower Youth Awards.

Since 2000, the Earth Island Institute has been sponsoring the Brower Youth Awards, which recognize young activists for environmental and social justice with $3,000 monetary awards and other resources to further their education and activism.  The awards were created in memory of David Brower, an environmental activist and the founder of the Earth Island Institute.  Students interested in applying should be between the ages of 13 and 22, and should be able to show previous leadership in an activist or community service campaign that has had a demonstrable impact on environmental or social welfare.

Prize:

$3,000 plus a trip to California for the awards ceremony and a wilderness camping trip, and the opportunity to continue working with the Earth Island Institute on future projects

Eligibility:

Students ages 13-22 who reside in North America and are current youth activist leaders

Posted: under High School, Scholarship of the Week, Scholarships.
Tags: college scholarships, community service scholarships, high school student scholarships, Scholarship of the Week, Scholarship Search, Scholarships

Comments (0) Apr 06 2009

Community service projects benefit those around you, provide valuable learning experiences, and add an impressive dimension to your resume.  They also provide numerous opportunities for community service scholarships, such as this week’s Scholarship of the Week.  The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes seeks to award young people who initiate significant service projects as elementary or high school students.

The Barron Prize is awarded to young people who have created a service project that has positively affected other people, animals, or the planet. The project should go beyond fulfilling a school requirement or overcoming a personal challenge and should touch the lives of others and be capable of inspiring others to also make a difference.  Students interested in applying will have to write a scholarship essay describing their project, and will also need three letters of recommendation and a letter from an adult nominator who is familiar with their work.

Prize:

$2,500 to be applied towards the winner’s higher education or continuing their service project

Eligibility:

Applicants must be between the ages of 8 and 18 by April 30, 2009 and must be legal residents of the United States or Canada.  Students must be nominated by an adult who is familiar with their project and must be nominated as individuals, not as groups.

Posted: under High School, Scholarship of the Week, Scholarships.
Tags: community service scholarships, high school student scholarships, high school students, Scholarship of the Week, Scholarships

Comments (0) Mar 16 2009

February is a short month, but it’s jam-packed with celebrations.  I’m not just talking about Valentine’s Day and Mardi Gras.  February is Black History Month, a reminder that long before President Obama took office, African Americans were doing some pretty amazing things.  Black History Month is a great opportunity to learn about and commemorate important people and events that often go overlooked in American history.  It’s also a great time to seek out new scholarship opportunities.

Several local scholarships have Black History Month themes, and we’ve featured a small sampling of them on our Black History Month Scholarships resource page.

If you’re an African American student looking to make your own contribution to Black history, and history in general, a great place to start is with our list of African American scholarships.  After all, there’s nothing like a college education to help you achieve your goals and change the world.

In addition to raising awareness of the important roles African Americans have played throughout American history, two of the major goals of Black History Month are combating injustice and promoting equality–after all, its original dates were chosen to celebrate two key players in the early civil rights movement, Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.  Students who have taken part in efforts with similar goals may want to take some time this month to commemorate their own achievements by applying for community service scholarships.

To apply for the scholarship awards mentioned above or to learn about other sources of money for college, conduct a free college scholarship search.

Posted: under Scholarships.
Tags: African American scholarships, community service scholarships, local scholarships, Scholarships

Comments (0) Feb 05 2009

This week’s Scholarship of the Week is one of many scholarship opportunities available to students engaged in community service activities that help make the world a better place.  Hunger remains a serious issue in America, especially in times of economic trouble, and the Sodexo Foundation is interested in rewarding students who are engaged in continuing efforts to make difference in this area.  Through the Sodexo Foundation STOP Hunger Scholarship, students have the opportunity to not only win $5,000 in scholarship money, but to also earn a $5,000 grant for the anti-hunger charity to which they’ve dedicated their time.

Prize:

Up to five national scholarship winners will receive a $5,000 college scholarship and a $5,000 grant given in their name to a local charity of their choice.  Regional winners will receive a $1,000 grant for a local charity of their choice.

Eligibility:

Students of any level, kindergarteners through graduate students, currently enrolled in accredited educational institution in the United States are encouraged to apply.  To qualify, applicants must have engaged in a volunteer program combating hunger in the United States in the last 12 months.

Posted: under Graduate School, High School, Scholarship of the Week, Scholarships.
Tags: community service scholarships, graduate student scholarships, graduate students, high school student scholarships, high school students, Scholarship of the Week, Scholarships, undergraduate scholarships

Comments (0) Jan 26 2009

Many businesses give back to the communities that support them by offering scholarship opportunities for local students.  Similarly, a number of prominent companies with a national scope offer generous corporate scholarships, such as this week’s Scholarship of the Week.  The Lowe’s Scholarship is a national scholarship program for high school seniors with annual prizes of up to $15,000 awarded based on academics, involvement, and leadership qualities.

Prize:

A total of 375 scholarship awards:

• 352 $1,000 scholarships given to students across the country
• 22 $5,000 scholarships awarded to the most qualified applicant from each region
• 1 $15,000 scholarship to the most qualified applicant nationally

Eligibility:

The Lowe’s Scholarship is open to all high school seniors who plan to attend any accredited 2-year or 4-year college or university within the United States. Winners are selected based on leadership qualities, community involvement and academic performance.

Posted: under High School, Scholarship of the Week, Scholarships.
Tags: academic scholarships, community service scholarships, high school student scholarships, high school students, leadership scholarships, Scholarship of the Week, Scholarships

Comments (0) Jan 12 2009