Winning a scholarship can be life-changing. It can be the difference between going into student loan debt and graduating from college with no debt weighing you down.
It is important that scholarship recipients thank the selection for awarding them the scholarship, but most people don’t know where to start when writing their thank you letter.
Why Should You Write a Thank You Letter?
Before getting into how to properly write a scholarship thank you letter, it is important to understand why people should write them in the first place.
A scholarship thank you letter serves three purposes:
- Shows the selection committee that they made a good choice, and the recipient is grateful to receive the award.
- Helps the recipient make important connections and network with people who may be helpful once they’ve graduated college and are looking for a job.
- A thank you letter can help the organization stay committed to providing scholarships because they better understand how the scholarship helps the recipient.
Writing a thank you letter after receiving a scholarship may seem like a trivial task, but it can have lifelong positive benefits for both you and the organization providing the scholarship.
What to Include in a Scholarship Thank You Letter
This is the part where most people get stuck, as it can be challenging to write a thank you letter to people you’ve never met before.
Luckily, there is a basic format people can follow to make this easier.
The following five sections should be included:
- Greeting
- Expression of gratitude
- Explanation of how the scholarship impacts you
- Your future plans
- Signature
Greeting
The greeting of your letter sets the tone.
It should be formal and short. Something along the lines of “Dear Scholarship Selection Committee” is a perfect greeting and start to your letter.
Expression of Gratitude
This is the section where you thank the selection committee for awarding you the scholarship.
Just like the greeting, it should be short and sweet, yet sincere. This portion of the letter can be 1 or 2 sentences. The important thing is that people show they’re sincerely grateful to be awarded the scholarship.
How the scholarship will Help You
This is the most impactful portion of your letter. The selection committee needs to hear how the scholarship positively impacts people’s lives.
It helps them stay committed to the scholarship in the future and helps them choose deserving recipients.
In this section of the letter, scholarship recipients should outline how the money will help them in their studies and future.
Even just a few sentences in this section can be impactful to the people reading the letter.
Your Future Plans
It is okay if you don’t have a clear idea of what your future holds quite yet, but if you have an idea of what you want to do after graduating, you should include it in your letter.
This will give the selection committee an idea of how their organization is helping people.
It can also serve as a networking tool.
If someone on the selection committee is in the same field the writer is trying to break into, they can potentially become a mentor.
Signature
Last but not least is the signature line. Just like the greeting, this should be short and formal.
Ending your letter with “sincerely” or “kind regards” and your full name is the best and easiest way to end your scholarship thank you letter.
Tips for Writing a Scholarship Thank You Letter
- Keep it short and sweet- under one page is preferable
- Use formal language
- Proofread for grammar and spelling mistakes
- Make sure the letter sounds sincere
Conclusion
Writing a scholarship thank you letter doesn’t take long, so every scholarship recipient should do it.
A scholarship thank you letter can help people build valuable business connections. More importantly, it shows the selection committee they made a good choice, and the funds are being used in a positive way.
Scholar’s App is one of the best tools not only for students but parents and counselors as well. We match students with local, state, and national scholarships while keeping track of their application process.
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