A scholarship application letter is a formal letter written by a student to an organization that provides financial assistance to support a student's education. Scholarships are available to students of all levels of education, from high school to postgraduate level.
If you're a student, applying for scholarships is one of the best ways to fund your education and a well written scholarship application letter is required to help you get one.
In a scholarship application letter, you will be expected to provide useful information about your accomplishments as a student and why you think you're a deserving candidate.
Before you start drafting your scholarship letter, review the requirements for the scholarship. This will help you have a better understanding of the ideal candidate the scholarship committee requires. You'll also know the credentials and information to include in your letter.
In this guide, we will discuss how to write a good scholarship application letter, a good application letter format and also provide 12 scholarship letter templates for you to download in pdf format.
What is a Scholarship Application Letter?
A Scholarship Application Letter is a formal letter a student writes to a scholarship committee to persuade them to be considered for a scholarship opportunity.
In a scholarship application letter, students are required to highlight their academic achievements as well as relevant skills and experiences that may not be outlined in their resume.
How to Write a Scholarship Application Letter?
Writing a scholarship application letter requires thorough understanding of the steps to write a good application.
If you want to learn how to write the best scholarship application letter that will guarantee a positive response from the scholarship review community, follow the steps below;
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Always start your scholarship application letter with a professional salutation.
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Keep your letter short, a good scholarship letter typically ranging from 300 to 500 words.
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Ensure you give a clear reason for applying for the scholarship.
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Always introduce yourself properly
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Write about your relevant academic achievements, work experience, extracurricular activities, and any skills you may have.
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Explain why you need the scholarship and how it will help you achieve your academic and career goals.
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Write about your long term goals and close your letter with a strong conclusion summarizing key points in the letter.
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Proofread your letter before submitting. You can give your letter to a friend to proofread for you- good scholarship application letters do not have typos or grammatical errors.
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Always thank the scholarship committee for taking their time to read your letter and consider you for the scholarship.
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Follow the correct scholarship letter format
Application for Scholarship Format
To write a good scholarship application letter, you have to be familiar with its structure.
Following the right scholarship format will help you compose your letter in a better way. A scholarship application letter has six major components which includes; the header, the salutation, introduction, the body, the conclusion and the closing.
The body of the letter contains the most important details required by the scholarship committee and it is usually divided into 2 or 3 paragraphs.
Here, we'll discuss the different components of a scholarship application letter. Keep reading to find out more.
Header: The header is the first part of a scholarship application letter located at the top of the letter. It should include your complete contact information such as your name, address, phone number, and email address.
You can also include the title of the letter typed in a bold font.
Salutation: Next is a professional salutation to begin the scholarship application letter. Examples of salutations you may use include; "Dear Scholarship Committee" “Respected Sir/Ma” or "To Whom It May Concern."
Introduction: After the salutation is the introductory paragraph. This is the official first paragraph of the letter where the scholarship applicant is expected to briefly introduce themselves and state the purpose of the letter.
The introduction can be written in three to five concise sentences.
An important tip to keep in mind when writing your introduction is to keep things as straight to the point as possible.
Body: the body of a scholarship application letter is where the main content lies. In the body of the letter, you'll provide details about your academic achievements, extracurricular activities, and any relevant experiences that will convince the scholarship committee to grant you the scholarship.
As we discussed earlier, the body of a scholarship application letter can be divided into 3 paragraphs. Let's discuss each of the paragraphs.
First Paragraph: in the first paragraph, write about your academic achievement and record. You can outline all the degrees you have gotten and their grades, you can also highlight your future plans for your academics.
Second Paragraph: The second paragraph details your work experience and extracurricular activities that may be relevant to the scholarship.
Third Paragraph: In the third paragraph, you can go a little further to explain how the scholarship will help you achieve your academic goals and why you deserve the scholarship.
Conclusion: The conclusion should be a strong statement summarising why you are a good fit for the scholarship. It should highlight key points you have made in the previous paragraphs and should fit into 2 or 3 sentences.
Lastly, thank the scholarship committee for their time and consideration in one sentence.
Closing: Always end your Scholarship Application Letter with a simple closing remark, like "Yours Sincerely" or "Kind Regards.”
It is important to keep your closing as professional as possible. The scholarship application letter is a formal letter so you want to avoid using any form of informal or casual remark or language.
Scholarship Application Letter Writing Format
A good scholarship application letter is required to follow a simple letter format that is easy to read and understand by the scholarship provider.
Here, we'll share a simple format for your scholarship application letter.
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Always use a professional font like Times New Roman, Calibri or Arial
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Use a font size between 10 and 12 points.
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Your margins should be 1 inch on all sides, this makes your work easy to read.
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Use single-spacing within paragraphs and double-spacing between paragraphs.
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Avoid using a casual or informal tone in your Scholarship Application Letter.Also avoid the use of slangs or cliche words.
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The scholarship application letter should have a formal tone.
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Always include your name and contact information at the top of the scholarship application letter and introduce yourself in the first paragraph
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Ensure you address the letter to the appropriate person or committee. Of you do not know who to address it to, use a generic term like ‘ Dear Sir/Ma’ or ‘Dear Scholarship Committee’
Scholarship Letter Template
Here are 12 scholarship letter template for you.
Application for Fellowship Sample Letter
Fellowship Sample Letter for download
Application Letter for Government Scholarship
Government Scholarship Sample Letter for download
Application Letter for Grant Scholarship
Grant Scholarship Sample Letter for download
Application Letter for Masters Scholarship
Masters Scholarship Sample Letter for download
Application Letter for Nursing Scholarship
Nursing Scholarship Sample Letter for download
Application Letter for PhD Scholarship
PhD Scholarship Sample Letter for download
Application Letter for Undergraduate Scholarship
Undergraduate Scholarship Sample Letter for download
Application Letter for Scholarship Grant
Scholarship Grant Sample Letter for download
Application Letter for Scholarship to Mayor
Scholarship to Mayor Sample Letter for download
Application Letter for Scholarship in University
Scholarship in University Sample Letter for download
Application Letter for Scholarship for Poor Students
Scholarship for Poor Students Sample Letter for download
Application for Scholarship to Principal
Scholarship to Principal Sample Letter for download
Application for Merit Scholarship Sample
Merit Scholarship Sample Letter for download
Do’s and Don'ts your Scholarship Application Letter
Here are some do's and don'ts to guide you as you draft your scholarship application letter.
Don'ts
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Do not use the same application letter for every scholarship application
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Do not paraphrase your CV
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Do not quote others in your letter
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Do not write about your flaws or deficiencies
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Do not use slangs or informal language
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Do not wait until last minute to submit your application letter
Do's
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Do keep a positive tone
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Do be concise
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Do be honest
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Do avoid typos or grammatical blunders
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Do proofread
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Do proper research before drafting your letter
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Do highlight your accomplishments
Conclusion
With these scholarship application letter templates, you stand a chance at getting that scholarship you've always wanted. Download a template today and edit it the way you like.