Scholarships & Service

How to Apply for a Learning to Serve Scholarship

Students interested in applying for a scholarship should follow these steps:

Be accepted to a qualified private school (grades K-12), which is defined as:

• Accredited or in the process of becoming accredited by one or more accreditation agencies:
  • Southern Association of Colleges and Schools; or
  • Georgia Accrediting Commission; or
  • Georgia Association of Christian Schools; or
  • Association of Christian Schools International; or
  • Georgia Private School Accreditation Council; or
  • Accrediting Commission for Independent Study; or
  • Southern Association of Independent Schools.
• Physically located in Georgia, adheres to the provisions of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964; and satisfies the private school requirements prescribed in Georgia state law.

 Meet the following state-mandated student eligibility requirements:

• Be enrolled for six weeks or more in a public primary or secondary school prior to first receiving an SSO scholarship, or:
• Be enrolled in a qualified first grade, kindergarten, or pre-kindergarten program.
• The attendance requirement can be waived under certain conditions related to low-performing schools (see below), documented physical violence or threats at school, or home-schooled students.
• Need to determine if your local school has been designated as a low-performing school? Follow these steps:
  1. Visit the GA DOE website. Type in your school district, select the elementary, middle or high tab, scroll down to find your school and look at the Overall Score for your school (not the district score).
  2. Visit the GOSA Criteria for Low-Performing Schools webpage. Scroll down until you see the latest CCRPI score information. If your school’s Overall Score is lower than this criteria, it is considered a low-performing school.

Complete the Online Student Application and Essay.

Students will be asked to submit an essay detailing their service experience, including a description of service, hours served, and lessons learned. Scholarships awarded by Learning to Serve based on merit (namely, community service). Our Scholarship Committee will be responsible for reviewing applications and distributing funds. 

Please complete the Online Student Application and Essay. Essays must be written in the student’s own words. We are not looking for perfection or a lengthy essay; rather, we prefer a heartfelt assessment by the student. We also wish to see the student’s growth in leadership and service for each subsequent year of application.

About the Essay

Please include the following content in the essay:

• A full description of the service provided
• A description of the benefits provided
• A description of the individuals who benefited from the service
• A narrative description, in the student’s own words, of what benefits they personally experienced in providing the service and what benefits they believe the recipient of the service enjoyed.
• A description of anecdotes and personal experiences that demonstrate the impact the service had on the student. How did the experience affect the student and develop the student’s character?
• You’ll have the opportunity to upload photographs which will aid in telling the story of your service project. Show us the impact of your service!