Applications for the City of West Hollywood’s Youth Scholarship Program are due at 5 p.m. on Friday, April 29, 2011 on the 3rd Floor of West Hollywood City Hall, 8300 Santa Monica Boulevard. In an effort to help support West Hollywood youth pay for college, the City established a first-of-its-kind West Hollywood Youth Scholarship Program (Youth Scholarship Program) that awards $1,500 to students who complete 150 hours of community service.

The Youth Scholarship Program is a unique scholarship program that places a heavy emphasis on community service. The scholarship money can be used for any expense incurred in pursuing education at an accredited college, university or trade or vocational school. The Youth Scholarship Program is one of the first municipal government-sponsored scholarship programs in the country.

Each eligible participant in the program will be awarded $1,500 within six months of graduation from high school or the receipt of their General Educational Development (GED) certificate.

All West Hollywood residents graduating from high school or students receiving their GED who perform a minimum of 150 approved community service hours are eligible for the Youth Scholarship Program. Community service may include involvement in the West Hollywood Youth Leadership/Advisory Program at Plummer Park, volunteer service at City Hall and/or volunteer service at a non-profit organization.

The West Hollywood Youth Scholarship Program was created to help offset the rising costs of post-secondary education for students and their families while encouraging young people to perform community service. Applications are available online here.

For more information about the West Hollywood Youth Scholarship Program, contact Craig Rhea in the City’s Social Services Division at (323) 848-6430. For the deaf and hard of hearing, please call (323) 848-6496.