Service-minded students have new scholarships

MSN / The Associated Press ^ | January 1, 2009

[2ndDivisionVet]

With the hospice care volunteer work she's done in Belize, Kara Pennino is one of those millions of youngsters challenging the myth of the selfish teenager.

But while the Rochester, N.Y., high school senior always figured her service work might impress a college, she never imagined it could help make college more affordable.

So she was stunned earlier this month when she got her acceptance letter from Drew University in New Jersey. She stopped reading after "Congratulations" to celebrate with her teary-eyed mom. It was mom who noticed the second letter — telling Kara she'd won a new community service scholarship Drew was offering that would cover her full tuition, which runs just under $36,000 this year.

"With the economy and the stock market, they're very happy," Pennino recalled of her parents, still giddy herself two days after getting the news. They started joking Kara deserved a new car, and she's hoping they weren't kidding.

Ask college administrators about what sets this generation of current and aspiring college students apart and they'll quickly bring up their volunteer spirit. An estimated three-quarters of high school students do some volunteering, and the rapidly growing number of college students who volunteer is estimated at around 3.3 million.

But while college admissions offices like to see service work from applicants, they've rarely rewarded it with financial aid — or at least not the way they do for star athletes and students with high SAT scores. Of the $29 billion U.S. colleges and universities awarded in institutional grants last year, only a tiny fraction goes to service scholarships.

In the short-term that may not change much, with colleges squeezing their aid budgets to help students in sudden financial need because of the economy.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Here we go...

[Soothesayer]

I get the feeling that this is going to attract a lot of very selfish teenagers...

[DesertRhino]

Now it begins,,, “isn’t that sweet”, turns into “everybody really should”,,,,which turns into “you are now required”,,,

[peggybac]

Webster will soon be coming out with a new definition of the word, “Volunteer.”

[Chode]

Volunteers for America, Volunteers for America...

[SuziQ]

I get the feeling that this is going to attract a lot of very selfish teenagers...

If they're doing work for OTHERS while trying to get scholarships, they're not selfish, they're just playing the system. Maybe this will help some of those not very athletically, or academically, talented kids get access to scholarship money.