Students must earn either the required community service, paid work, or a combination of both.  Service hours/paid work hours must be completed with an agency, company, organization or business.

Steps for documentation:

1. Contact the agency, company, organization or business of interest and develop a plan of action.

2. Complete page 1 and 2 of the  Bright Futures Community Service/Paid Work Proposal Form after developing a plan of action making certain to include all necessary signatures. Click here for fillable form.

3. Submit the BF Community Service/Paid Work Proposal Form to the High School Counselor for approval before starting.

4. Log the community service/paid work hours on the included log form. The agency, company, organization or business contact person or supervisor must sign this documentation after each logged entry. 

5. Submit the completed Community Service/Paid Work Hours Log along with a written reflection to the High School Counselor.

6. The community service and/or paid work hours will be documented on the student’s official high school transcript and all documentation will be filed by the school counselor.

7. It is suggested students keep copies of completed Community Service/Paid Work Hours Logs for their own records. Students should also update their resume to reflect service hours.

Helpful Tips

1. Aim to complete 25 hours of community service each year of high school to have the 100 hours needed for the Bright Futures Academic Scholarship. Students can begin accruing Bright Futures Community Service hours the summer before 9th grade begins.  Here is a list of example community service organizations.
2. Students can report paid work hours starting on June 27, 2022 and after.
3. Paid work hours require a pay stub for verification in addition to the log.  
4. Fewer community service hours are required for the Bright Futures Medallion and Gold Seal CAPE and Vocational Scholarships.
5. Community service hours are not a requirement to graduate high school but can be helpful to students in discovering careers of interest, demonstrating leadership skills for resumes and scholarships, and most importantly, giving back to their community.
6. Complete the Community Service/Paid Work Hours Plan and wait for approval prior to volunteering. These guidelines apply to community service hours reported on student transcripts used to verify Bright Futures eligibility.
7. Turn in your hours per the guidelines listed above to your high school counselor.
8. Community service/paid work hours are only one of the requirements for Bright Futures.  To find out how to qualify for a Bright Futures Scholarship, go to their website to review the requirements.