Community Service Bursary (CSB) - Students

The Government of PEI is dedicated to providing supports for students who want to get a post-secondary education. As such, students can earn a Community Service Bursary through volunteering in their community. The bursary is awarded to students who lend a helping hand to non-profit organizations within Prince Edward Island. In do so, students can learn new skills, strengthen their community, and make a difference.

What is the Community Service Bursary?

The Community Service Bursary is awarded to students who volunteer their time at registered volunteer organizations during their high school years. The bursary is based on the number of volunteer hours students accumulate between July 1 before they begin their grade 10 year and June 30 following the completion of their grade 12 year. The bursary is calculated at a rate of $10 per volunteer hour. Students must complete a minimum of 30 hours to receive the bursary and the bursary is capped at a maximum of 150 hours. The award ranges from a minimum of $300 to a maximum of $1,500. The bursary is sent directly to the post-secondary institution of choice and is not sent directly to the student.

Who is eligible for the Community Service Bursary?

All PEI residents in grade 10, 11, and 12 who are a Canadian or a Permanent Resident are eligible for the Community Service Bursary.

What kind of volunteer work is eligible for the Community Service Bursary?

Our program aims to provide students with an opportunity to develop new skills and make meaningful contributions to registered volunteer organizations and their goals. Acceptable volunteer activities would include the following examples (but are not limited to):

• Coaching, tutoring, or mentoring children in sports, at a library, at a camp, or at an after-school program;
• Labour assistance (packing, stocking, organizing, serving, or moving items for a food program, for special events, or for festivals);
• Office assistance (filing, photocopying, typing, creating or editing social media);
• Providing information and answering questions at an information desk;
• Conservation (making trails, planting trees, beach clean-up, restore wildlife habitat, removing invasive species, carrying equipment, water collection);
• Holding a youth position on a board or council.

All volunteer work must occur with a registered volunteer organization(s). Students have the option to volunteer with one registered organization or multiple registered organizations. Their volunteer hours will be added together to determine their total volunteer hours for the bursary. A complete list of our registered volunteer organizations can be found here - List of Registered Organizations.

What kind of volunteer work is not acceptable?

• Direct fund-raising activities (canvassing door to door);
• Cleaning/janitorial duties;
• Volunteering during school hours (for example, peer tutoring and library work must be done after school hours);
• The International Baccalaureate Program's community service requirements;
• Volunteering related to academic studies (for example, part of a school class project);
• Core operational duties for member-based organizations;
• Volunteering at for-profit organizations;
• Volunteering which displaces paid employees;
• Volunteering as a trainee or an associate of the organization;
• Volunteering for political organizations or elections;
• Volunteering for organizations not registered with the Community Service Bursary program.

If students would prefer to volunteer with an organization that is not registered with our program, their preferred organization can apply to become a registered volunteer organization here – CSB Volunteer Organizations.

When should my volunteer organization(s) report my volunteer hours?

Volunteer hours can be reported once per year or collectively in the student’s grade 12 year. The final deadline submission for volunteer hours is July 31 following grade 12 graduation.

Instructions to report volunteer hours can be found here– CSB Volunteer Organizations.

When a volunteer organization submits volunteer hours to our office, the hours are recorded, and a confirmation email is sent to the volunteer organization. Students are responsible to track their own volunteer hours. Prior to awarding the bursary, students will be contacted and asked to confirm the number of hours they have volunteered.

How do I apply for the Community Service Bursary?

Step 1 – Complete our student registration web form here -  Student Registration form

• Students can register online at any time after they complete grade 9. Generally, students register prior to beginning their volunteer work.
• Please ensure all requested information is provided. Social insurance numbers and mailing addresses are required for tax purposes. The Community Service Bursary is reported on Income Tax forms using a T4A form. Our office will mail T4A forms to students in February following the year they receive the bursary.
• Students should not use their high school (.edu) email on the registration form because this email expires after their graduation from high school. Our office continues to contact students for information up until the bursary is issued in November.

Step 2 – Find a Volunteer Opportunity with a Registered Volunteer Organization and start volunteering

• Students are responsible to find their own volunteer opportunities with volunteer organizations.
• After high school graduation, students should contact their volunteer organization(s) to ensure they have submitted their volunteer hours. Volunteer organizations can find submission information here – CSB Volunteer Organizations.

Step 3 – When you are accepted to post-secondary, complete our Post-Secondary Information form

• Once students decide which post-secondary institution they will be attending, they should complete the Post-Secondary Information form. The name of their post-secondary institution and their student ID numbers are required to ensure the bursary is deposited into the correct student account. Without this information, we cannot award the bursary.

What if I don't go to college/university after high school?

For students who do not attend a post-secondary institution after high school, they can defer their Community Service Bursary for up to a maximum of 1 year.

To defer the Community Service Bursary, please email our office at communityservicebursary@gov.pe.ca.

How is the Community Service Bursary awarded?

The bursary is sent to post-secondary institutions in November following a student's grade 12 graduation. To ensure the award is sent to the correct post-secondary institution, students must complete the Post-Secondary Information form before they start college/university.

The minimum value of the bursary is $300, and the maximum value is $1,500. Students can calculate their bursary amount by multiplying their total number of volunteer hours by a rate of $10 per volunteer hour. (For example, 150 total volunteer hours x $10 per volunteer hour = $1,500). 

Where can I get more information about the Community Service Bursary?

Student Financial Services

Mailing Address:

P.O. Box 2000
Charlottetown, PE
C1A 7N8

Office Location:
176 Great George St., Suite 212
Charlottetown, PE
Telephone: (902) 368-4604
Email: communityservicebursary@gov.pe.ca