Prospective university or college students may want to apply for local or national scholarships to finance their studies.
These students are often required to write scholarship application letters to support their application, and this could potentially make or break their application.
The application letter can be used to share personal experiences, discuss unique skills and abilities any anything that will increase your chances of being selecting for the scholarship programme.
The format of a scholarship application letter is very similar to a standard motivation or CV cover letter, and it serves the same purpose.
The letter should consist of at least 4-5 paragraphs and should have a word count of 500-750 words.
Feel free to use the following steps and format as a guide write your application letter:
- Do some research: Before drafting your letter, it is always advisable to research the organization or company that’s offering the scholarship. You might find useful information about certain requirements and skills that you can include in your letter.
- Greeting: It is advisable to use a generic greeting format, for example: Start with a "Dear Mr/ Ms...", "To whom it may concern", "Dear Sir/Madam", or "Dear (job title/ position)"
- Introduction Paragraph: You can use the first paragraph to introduce yourself to the scholarship review committee. It’s a good idea to state in short why you are applying and what you want to achieve. You can use this first paragraph to highlight your understanding of the organization, its expectations, and the award.
- Body Paragraphs: This section of your letter should comprise of at least 2-3 paragraphs. You can use the first paragraph to expand on why you are deserving of the scholarship and on your skills, abilities, and qualifications. You can use the third and fourth paragraphs to include some of the information that you found during your “scholarship research” and can include what you hope and expect to learn from your schooling and other facilities offered at the institution. It is also advisable to outline your plans and long-term goals for the future.
- Conclusion Paragraph: In the closing paragraph you can start by thanking the scholarship review committee for their time and consideration, and any final thoughts or insights you want to include.
- Ending Signature: You can end your letter with a professional sign-off, such as “Sincerely,” “Thank you,” or “Best regards, followed by your name and surname.
Before submitting your letter make sure to proofread and edit it to avoid any errors or you might want to include additional information.
Read more about the latest funding opportunities and scholarships on the Bursaries Portal.
