“Life’s most persistent and urgent question to ask is, what are you doing for others?”
— Martin Luther King Jr.
Many students are interested in participating in community service projects. They recognize that service is an important act to do for others but also a critical component for college admission and scholarship opportunities. With the demands of academic, athletic, family, and job responsibilities on your calendar—not to mention the ongoing pandemic—it can be difficult to find time to engage in community service in ways that are very involved. But here’s a small way you can participate in community service, plus some resources to help get you started.
A low-commitment community service project
Helping others in your community doesn’t have to require a significant amount of time you don’t have. In fact, you could potentially have a tremendous impact with only five minutes of your time. It can also be done while you’re actively pursuing scholarships for yourself.
Since every scholarship has its own criteria, you’ll absolutely stumble upon scholarships that you aren’t eligible for. But what if you took a few minutes to post about that scholarship to your social media platforms? Or what if you messaged it directly to others? Sharing valuable information with your peers is an act of community service. Consider the following:
- Posting to pages that may serve students who fit the criteria
- Tagging local groups, pages, and organizations that fit the criteria
- Tagging your local school or parent associations who can forward to families who may be struggling with the scholarship search
Related: Community Service Can Help Your Application Stand Out
Scholarships to share with the community
In just minutes, you can actively serve others in your community by telling others about great scholarship opportunities. Below are several awards with specific criteria. Consider forwarding these links to friends, your high school counselor, or organizations in your community.
- : This is a $10,000 award with a deadline of October 1 presented through a partnership between BMO Capital Markets and Lime Connect. It’s open to full-time US or Canadian undergraduate or graduate students pursuing business, commerce, computer science, engineering, financial services, math, physics, or statistics who have a visible or invisible disability.
- : This is open to US and Canadian students with dyslexia and/or auditory processing disorder who are enrolled in an undergraduate college program. The award is $1,000 with a deadline of October 31.
- : Open to high school graduates of any age who’ve been diagnosed with ET and have a minimum GPA of 2.5, this award is for $1,000, and has deadlines for both October 31 and May 1.
- : College and university students with a mobile disability must have a minimum GPA of 2.0 to win this $500 scholarship. The deadline is September 1.
- : This scholarship is open to students who suffer from a cardiac disease and are planning to enroll or are currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program. Applicants must have a GPA of 3.0 and apply by the October 1 deadline to win this $6,000 award.
Related: The 3 Easiest Steps to Winning Scholarships
Helping others and making an impact doesn’t need to require extensive time or energy if you already have a lot on your plate. You may also benefit further by building relationships with people in your community who will return the favor by forwarding additional scholarship opportunities that you’re eligible for. So share the wealth, and best of luck!
To find more scholarships you can apply to or share with others in your community, use our Scholarship Search tool.
