HRCEF Hood River Community Service Scholarship

Funded by Matthew & Sarah Roth

In cooperation with the Hood River County Education Foundation

We believe that volunteering and community service are vital components of healthy communities. By volunteering your time, you connect with people around you and help improve conditions for everyone to flourish. This scholarship is an acknowledgement of the value of community service to bond us to each other as we lift up those around us. 

We are excited to support those students who have given significant time and effort during high school to their communities through service to community groups, non-profits, churches, and volunteer organizations. We imagine recipients of this scholarship will continue to volunteer their time in college and beyond, preparing themselves for a life rich in service to others.

This is two scholarship awards of $5,000. This scholarship is renewable for up to 3 additional years at $5,000 per year for a total of $20,000.

CRITERIA

• You demonstrate exemplary service to your community. In addition to submitting your Activities Chart with individual activities, please calculate your total volunteer hours during high school and notate them in your application.
• You have financial need, but you may not necessarily qualify for a federal Pell Grant.
• You will matriculate to a four-year college or university, where you will continue your commitment to volunteering and community service.
• You have taken at least two dual-credit college courses with a B average, or have taken at least one AP exam and have received a score of 3 or higher. (For students currently enrolled in an AP class who have yet to take the test, submission of the test result once it is received will be required for distribution of scholarship funds.)

SUPPLEMENTAL

1. Essay: Discuss the role that service has played in your life, and how that commitment has shaped your objectives for college and beyond. Please pick a few examples from your volunteer experiences and write about how those influenced your commitment to helping others.
   • A successful essay will accomplish the following:
     • Your main ideas are clearly focused on the prompt
     • You include details that are rich, specific, and related to the main ideas
     • Your essay as a whole persuades the reader that you are a well-qualified candidate
     • Your essay is free of spelling and grammatical errors
2. One Confidential Evaluation Form from someone who can speak to the applicant’s volunteer experience (e.g. a volunteer coordinator at a non-profit, church or community group, or extracurricular adviser.)
3. Submission of the applicant’s college transcript and/or AP test scores. Students who are not dually-enrolled and who submit their AP test score may provide proof of registration for the AP test instead (If you have questions, please contact the ASPIRE coordinator)
4. The FAFSA / ORSAA is required for this scholarship.

SCORING

• Commitment to community service (40%)
• Financial Need (30%)
• Confidential Evaluation Form (15%)
• Essay (15%)