Volunteering is one of the few things in life that many people do without any other ulterior motives. Volunteers give their time and energy to benefit others, animals, or the environment — and expect nothing in return.
However, if you’re a regular volunteer, your hard work might just pay off, as some institutions have scholarships specifically for volunteers. And if you’re not volunteering yet, maybe the promise of a scholarship is the motivation you need to get started. With more than 1.7 million annual U.S. scholarships awarded each year, you need to find a way to stand out, and volunteering could be just that. Either way, this post will share some essential information about volunteering and five national scholarships that volunteers can apply for.
Why Should You Consider Applying for a Scholarship?
Scholarships are amazing, as they often offer people who wouldn’t ordinarily be able to study due to limited finances the chance to pursue further education. Even those who can afford to study but struggle financially can benefit from scholarships, as many scholarships don’t just cover tuition fees but also things like accommodation and living costs.
The average scholarship for a four-year degree is $14,890 per year. That money can go a long way toward helping students continue their education.
How Can Volunteering Help You Get a Scholarship?
Institutions don’t award scholarships to just anyone. Scholarship recipients need to prove themselves somehow, to show that they’re willing to put in the extra effort. Often, scholarships are based on things like academic merit or sports participation.
However, you need more than that to guarantee you a scholarship place. Many tertiary educational institutions want well-rounded scholarship candidates, so they often look at extra-curricular activities, especially ones that benefit others. Volunteering is an excellent way of showing potential universities that you are willing to get involved in the community and serve others. By volunteering, you’re setting yourself apart from the other students applying for the scholarship who don’t volunteer.
5 Volunteer-Based Scholarships
If you’re considering applying for scholarships that value volunteer work, you might wonder which ones to apply to. While there are many options out there, we’ve collected five national volunteer scholarships that should give you a good place to start.
1. Do Something Good’s Easy Scholarship
Do Something Good offers an Easy Scholarship for people committed to community service. This scholarship is unlike most traditional scholarships because it doesn’t require applicants to provide personal essays or have a certain GPA. Americans between the ages of 13 and 25 can apply, and the good news is that people entering for this opportunity don’t need recommendation letters — as long as they can show their impact on the community, they can sign up.
If selected as a scholarship recipient, Do Something Good will pay the funds directly to the student’s chosen school. These fees can then cover tuition, classes, activities, accommodation, and other education-related costs. Volunteers who have performed community service may benefit from this scholarship’s unique approach.
2. The AXA Achievement Scholarship
AXA Achievement scholarships have awarded more than $28 million in scholarships since 2003, making them one of the biggest scholarship providers. The scholarship places a great emphasis on students who show respect and involvement in the community, with one of the requirements being that applicants demonstrate outstanding achievement in their community.
Volunteers are often involved in bettering their communities, which could benefit them if they plan on applying for this scholarship.
3. The DAV Scholarship
The DAV Scholarship is specifically aimed at volunteers, but not all volunteers. Instead, the DAV Scholarship focuses on helping volunteers who have proven their dedication and care to U.S. veterans.
You need to meet the following criteria to be eligible:
- Be under the age of 21
- Volunteer for at least 100 hours through DAV or DAV Auxiliary
- Use your scholarship by the time you’re 25 or within six years of receiving it
Applicants can nominate themselves for this scholarship, but so can others — including friends, family, and people who work at DAV. DAV also assists volunteers with getting more volunteer hours so they can work toward it even if they don’t meet the criteria yet.
4. The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes
The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes aims to uplift and honor young people working on projects that benefit humanity and the environment. Unlike many other scholarships, which are often only awarded to high school students, anyone between the ages of eight and 18 can win this prize.
Young people who have made a significant humanitarian or environmental difference can apply, and 25 winners are selected annually. Aside from a $1,000 prize that they can use for their education or toward their service project, winners of this prize also receive:
- A personalized plaque and certificate
- Books and documentaries
- Networking opportunities and media coverage
5. The Bonner Program
The Bonner Program takes a unique approach to its scholarship, as it doesn’t award scholarships for volunteers based on a student’s past community service but rather their commitment to making a difference in the future. This scholarship aims to provide further academic assistance to low-income students who might not otherwise have the opportunity to study.
Its model is based on the notion that it will provide a scholarship to students who commit to weekly community service acts during their four years as undergraduates. Through this, the Bonner Program hopes to impact not only the students but also the communities where they study.
Tips for Applying for a Scholarship
Once you decide which scholarship you want to apply to, it’s time to start the process. Here are a few tips you can follow when applying for a scholarship:
- Apply for multiple scholarships: Some scholarships won’t grant you the fees if you’ve already accepted another scholarship, but as a general rule, it’s a good idea to apply to different scholarships to increase your chances of getting one.
- Meet the deadlines: Check, double-check, and triple-check when the application deadline is. Apply well before it closes to prevent unnecessary stress.
- Prepare your paperwork beforehand: Look into what paperwork you need to apply. You may need academic records, letters of recommendation, personal essays, and proof of your family’s income. Get these ready ahead of time so you don’t get halfway through the application only to realize you’re missing a vital document.
- Be honest: While this is the time to brag about your achievements, be careful about embellishing too much. Always be honest about your achievements. If you need to write a personal statement, be authentically you, not who you think other people want to see.
Volgistics Makes Volunteering Easy
Volunteering can boost your chances of getting volunteer merit scholarships. Volgistics is a volunteering platform that makes the volunteering process easier for both volunteers and their supervisors. If you need inspiration on where to volunteer to get those community service hours up, check out who we serve. From animal shelters to food banks and other non-profits, there are many opportunities for students to get involved in their community through volunteering.
Our optimized volunteer recruiting system also ensures that volunteers and organizations can efficiently connect thanks to our volunteer application forms and volunteer self-scheduling.
