After all your hard work, sleepless nights and anxiety, you have finally received a scholarship that will help to propel you to the next stage in your education and bring you one step closer to your dream career.
It is now time to express your gratitude towards the scholarship founder, but you need to make sure your thoughts are organized and your message is sincere in the scholarship thank you letter.
Tips for Writing a Scholarship Thank You Letter
Here are a few tips that will help you to show your donor(s) how grateful you are for their confidence in choosing you for the scholarship:
Handwritten Letters
Photo by Aaron Burden – under unsplash license
Sending a handwritten thank you letter shows you have truly spent time considering and crafting your response. They are more intimate, and some donors will appreciate the fact that you took your time to write it yourself.
If you choose to handwrite your letter:
• Do a rough draft of the letter before you begin writing on the actual paper you intend to send. This way, you will know exactly what to write so that your letter will be error free.
• Use quality paper
• Ensure your writing is legible
• Ensure there are no ink blots, messy pencil marks or any other stains that will make the letter appear messy
• Proofread your letter to make sure it flows, and that there are no grammatical errors
• Do not make the letter too long
Typed Letters and Emails
Image from Startup Stock Photos – under CC0 license
If you know your penmanship skills are not the best, do not attempt to handwrite the letter. An untidy scholarship ‘thank you’ letter is a poor reflection on you, and it can even be seen as a sign of disrespect.
If your donor is located close to you, print and mail the letter via post, or email your scholarship thank you letter if the donor is far away.
For typed letters:
• Limit your letter to a few paragraphs. Being considerate towards the readers time is a sign of professionalism. Be concise.
• Check the spelling and grammar
• Sign the letter yourself, versus using e-signature.
• Be sure to put the letter in an envelope even if you are dropping it off yourself
• Ensure the address on the envelope is correctly addressed to avoid it being delivered to the wrong address
For emails:
• Include the name of the scholarship in the subject line of the email and write a concise message in the body stating who you are and the contents of the attachment.
• Send the letter in docx or PDF format
• Double check the email address to make sure you are sending the scholarship thank you letter to the right person
NB: If you have more than one donor, be sure to send a scholarship thank you letter for each scholarship you receive. Prepare unique letters for each donor.
Format of a Scholarship Thank You Letter
Scholarship ‘thank you’ letters should follow a simple structure. Here is an outline of the standard thank you letter:
+ Date
+ Your Name
+ Your Address
+ Scholarship Name
+ Donor/Organization Name
+ Donor/Organization Address
+ Dear [Donor/Organization Name]
+ The Body
− Purpose of the letter
− Talk about yourself, your goals and how the scholarship will impact your life
− Thank the donor and conclude the letter
+ Complimentary Close
− Signature Line
− Your Name
− ID Number (optional)
Scholarship Thank You Letter Samples
Now that you have some guidelines and a template for writing a standard scholarship thank you letter, it is time to look at a few samples to further help you compose your scholarship thank you letter.
I am truly honored to be this year’s recipient of the [Scholarship name]. I would like to formally thank you for your generosity which has allowed me to further my education.
My only professional aspiration, for as long as I can remember, is to become a pathologist. However, due to financial challenges, I had many doubts that I would ever be able to accomplish this.
One day, my guidance counselor pulled me aside and informed me about this scholarship and I knew this was my opportunity.
When my application was approved, I was overjoyed and immediately informed my family who are equally as grateful. With this scholarship, I will now be able to afford housing, tuition, and all my school supplies.
You have changed my life and I will forever be grateful for the financial aid you have provided. I will continue to work hard and make you and my family proud.
When I have succeeded, I promise to give back to the community, in order to give another youth an opportunity similar to the one you have provided me. Thank you for everything!
I would have much preferred to thank you in person for awarding me with the [Scholarship name], but hopefully, this letter will express my sincerest gratitude for this life-changing opportunity.
My name is [Your Name] and I had applied for this scholarship on [insert application date] in hopes of being able to enroll in a Mechanical Engineering program at [Name of University].
Now that I have gotten this chance, my dreams will become a reality. The best part is that I will be able to focus on my studies without having to worry about where my tuition for next semester will come from.
This is a huge weight off my shoulders and nothing should be able to stop me from successfully completing this degree.
Once again, thank you for this opportunity. I will do my very best at all times and prove to you that I am a worthy investment.
Firstly, thank you very much for awarding me with the [Scholarship name]. This means so much to my family and me and we are eternally grateful.
Secondly, I would like to tell you a bit more about what this scholarship means to me. I come from a family of seven. We are all supported by our parents, who somehow manage to make ends meet. However, there is rarely any money left over after all essential costs are covered so attending university was not guaranteed for me.
Now, with this scholarship, I will be able to complete my degree in Aeronautical Science so that I may pursue a career in the field of Aeronautics.
I will remember your kindness every single day that I am able to attend classes and hopefully in the future, I will be able to do someone a similar kindness.
I would like to express my gratitude for being awarded the [Scholarship name]. With this donation, I will continue to excel in my studies and graduate with the highest honors.
This donation will not only pay for my tuition, but it will also cover my housing costs, transport, stationery costs, and food.
After graduating from college, I plan to attend Duke University in order to obtain my Law degree to pursue a career in Criminal Law. I have many dreams, and your donation made reaching them possible.
Your kind donation has been a well-needed blessing. Thank you again for this opportunity!
Best Regards,
_________________
[Your Name]
[ID number]
Photo by Giammarco Boscaro – under unsplash license
[Thank you for selecting me as the recipient of the [Scholarship name]. It really means to world to my family and me.
When I first started college, my family tried their best to pay my tuition out of their own pockets to spare me a future of debt repayment. However, after my second year, this was no longer possible as my father had lost his job. We were all worried that I would have to drop out because of how little I earn at my part-time job.
My mother’s salary would not be enough to support the family. Luckily, a friend of mine sent me the link to this scholarship and to my surprise, my application was accepted.
With this scholarship, I can attend university and obtain a degree in Computer Science. I am the first one in my family to attend university so I will ensure that I make both you and my family very proud.
Thanks again for this opportunity and may blessings flow your way.
Yours respectfully,
Best Regards,
_________________
[Your Name]
[ID number]
Image from Negative Space – under CC0 license
Conclusion
Generally, the tone of your scholarship thank you letter should be sincere and thankful. After all, your donors have given you a wonderful opportunity and would like to know that their generosity has been well received.
If you follow these tips, you should have no problem composing your letter. Good luck!
