COMMUNITY SERVICE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

Program Description¹

Thank you for your interest in this scholarship opportunity which exists to encourage California State University students to contribute to their communities by volunteering at not-for-profit community agencies and to interest them in potential areas for their future study and work.

To apply, students must be full-time students during Spring 2009 and have completed at least 30 units of academic credit by Spring 2008.  The student’s GPA at time of application must be 3.0 or higher.  Students may apply regardless of financial aid status. 

Students’ volunteer activities are structured to relate to the student’s academic major or future career direction.  Clerical, office, or routine repetitive activities are to consume no more than 20% of the volunteer’s time.  The student volunteers at the community site 170 hours (approximately 9 hours/week during a semester period). Students may apply up to 50 hours from another service learning course taken concurrently with HD 499C or in the preceding Fall semester if approved by the Director of the Office of Community Service Learning (OCSL).

The student receives academic credit for his or her work by participating in an academic course related to the volunteer activity, HD 499C, Serving the Community.  The $1000 award is given after the satisfactory completion of all of the requirements of the Community Service Scholarship program:  the full number of service hours and the academic course with its related assignments.  We do not award partial scholarships.

Community service placements for the Community Service Scholarship program are typically drawn from the Office of Community Service Learning database, available at www.csusm.edu/ocsl, though other agencies can typically be accommodated if necessary.  Participating agencies will be required to appoint a supervisor to assign tasks within the agreed upon job description, to monitor the quality of the student’s work, to verify the completion of the student’s hours, and to complete an evaluation form at the completion of the service experience.

After examining the pool of volunteer service opportunities, students contact the community organizations of interest to them and interview with the organizations.  Hiring decisions rest with the participating organizations.  Once an organization and student reach an agreement, the organization should contact the Office of Community Service Learning at CSUSM immediately.  The hiring process is not completed until the OCSL is informed of the hire and provided with an appropriate job description.

All students interested in being considered for a Community Service Scholarship (regardless of financial aid status) apply at the Financial Aid & Scholarship Office, located at Cougar Central in Craven Hall 3rd Floor.

¹For questions regarding the Community Service Scholarship at CSUSM, please contact Dr. Darci Strother, Director of the CSUSM Office of Community Service Learning (strother@csusm.edu).  This Program Description was originally authored by  Dr. Lynda Gaynor, former Director of the Office of Community Service Learning.