Individual volunteers have an unprecedented opportunity to complete an undergraduate or master's degree program on full scholarship, thanks to an educational partnership between HandsOn Network and University of Phoenix.

The University's Serve It Forward program will provide full scholarships covering tuition and fees at any University of Phoenix campus or online, to 20 deserving volunteers. The scholarships are part of University of Phoenix's commitment to help develop leaders in local communities.

The competitive scholarships are open to volunteers and staff of HandsOn Action Centers across the country. Applicants must have performed at least 36 hours of verifiable volunteer work in 2009 and must continue to do so during their scholarship years. Additionally, applicants must meet all University of Phoenix admission requirements. The program is not open to students currently enrolled or in the process of enrolling at any University of Phoenix campus or online prior to the scholarship award date.

Volunteers must apply for scholarships through their local HandsOn Action Center. Action Centers will complete a local review process and nominate no more than two volunteers from their local community to compete for the scholarship nationally. To locate the nearest HandsOn Network action center or to search for a local HandsOn Network affiliate, please visit: http://www.handsonnetwork.org/actioncenters/find.

Applicants can download scholarship applications by visiting http://www.handsonnetwork.org/files/ServeItForward_apply.pdf beginning Monday, February 22, 2010. A complete application must be received on or before Thursday, April 15, 2010. Applicants will be notified by Friday, June 11, 2010 regarding the status of the scholarship.

For additional information about the Serve It Forward scholarship, please feel free to contact Jeannie Blocton Bell - jbell@handsonnetwork.org or University of Phoenix Scholarships - Scholarships@phoenix.edu.

HandsOn Network, the volunteer-focused arm of Points of Light Institute, is the largest volunteer network in the nation and includes more than 250 HandsOn Action Centers that reach more than 83% of the nation's population and extend to ten countries. HandsOn includes a powerful network of more than 70,000 corporate, faith and nonprofit organizations that are answering the call to serve and creating scaled impact. In 2008, the network delivered approximately 30 million hours of volunteer service valued at $615 million.

University of Phoenix is constantly innovating to help students balance education and life in a rapidly changing world. Through flexible schedules, challenging courses and interactive learning, students achieve personal and career aspirations without putting their lives on hold. During the quarter ending November 30, 2009, 455,600 students were enrolled at University of Phoenix, the largest private university in North America. University of Phoenix serves a diverse student population, offering associate's, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs from campuses and learning centers across the U.S. as well as online throughout the world.

Points of Light

Points of Light

Points of Light is a global nonprofit organization that inspires, equips and mobilizes millions of people to take action that changes the world. We envision a world in which every individual discovers the power to make a difference, creating healthy communities in vibrant, participatory societies. Through 145 affiliates across 39 countries, and in partnership with thousands of nonprofits and corporations, Points of Light engages 3.7 million volunteers in 16.7 million hours of service each year, contributing $498.7 million of value in people power into communities around the world. We bring the power of people to bear where it’s needed most. To learn more about Points of Light visit pointsoflight.org. 

Partnering with Points of Light means you’ll have the expertise and support you need to mobilize your colleagues and create community impact using all aspects of civic engagement. We've helped companies with a variety of needs including implementing large-scale employee volunteer events, tackling your larger social impact vision, expanding how you engage communities and consumers, infusing new ideas to your annual employee engagement programs, connecting with peers to bring the latest and greatest ideas on impact measurement, and getting company leadership investment and buy-in. Learn more today.

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