A Reward for Service: The Presidential Freedom Scholarship
by Roxana Hadad

Don't look now, but all those hours you've put in as a volunteer in 
your community haven't gone unnoticed. Thanks to students like you, 
volunteer work has made huge improvements in communities and people's 
lives across the nation. And, it seems, the good deeds will be 
rewarded�with a bonus of financial aid. 

Truly Rewarding Work 

The Presidential Freedom Scholarship is a program dedicated to 
recognizing and rewarding the great job students are doing to improve 
our neighborhoods and towns. 

Through the program, outstanding student volunteers receive awards of 
$1000, provided jointly by the Corporation for National Service and 
the recipient's community. Supporters of the award have included the 
Elks, Lions, Boys and Girls Clubs, Kiwanis, Moose, Rotary, PTAs, the 
Links, Dollars for Scholars and the Miss America Organization. 

But that's not all�recipients also receive an award certificate, a 
letter from the President and a gold President's Student Service 
Award pin. 

Eligibility and Applications 

The Presidential Freedom Scholarship is truly a community effort. 
Educators in each district work with community leaders to decide how 
to administer the award applications. 

Because the program focuses on service, there is no minimum grade 
point average. To be eligible you must: 

Have contributed at least 100 hours of service to your community 
within a 12-month period. 
Be a high school junior or senior. 
Attend a public, private, charter or parochial school within one of 
the 50 states, the District of Columbia, a Native American tribe, a 
U.S. territory or a Department of Defense school. 
Plan to attend an institution of higher learning in the U.S. 
Each high school in the country may select one junior or senior to 
receive the award, based on their service record. The scholarship is 
meant to "reward and encourage activities that have a significant 
impact in meeting the needs of local communities." This includes: 

Volunteerism in a community organization; 
Service with a religious organization; 
Work with a service-learning project; or 
Individual efforts to improve the community. 
Before you can be considered eligible, all volunteer activities must 
be certified by your school principal and one member of the community 
with whom you did volunteer work. Find out how your school will be 
recording and certifying your volunteer hours to make sure you get 
credit for your work. 

With all the stuff you've got going on inside and outside of school, 
you deserve a pat on the back for spending time giving back to your 
community. Good job on your accomplishments and good luck! 









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