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​How to Write a Scholarship Essay (With Examples)

• 6-minute read
• 22nd August 2022

Writing a scholarship essay can seem like a daunting task. For many students , higher education isn’t possible without financial aid, and scholarships are especially valuable because the money awarded doesn’t have to be paid back.

Even though the stakes are high, there are a few manageable steps you can take to ensure you write a great essay to submit with your scholarship applications. We have a few top tips to help you get started, along with writing examples to demonstrate some key points. Check out our guide below to learn more.

A scholarship essay is a great opportunity to present yourself and your accomplishments in an impactful way. It is, therefore, essential to be aware of each scholarship deadline so you can allow sufficient time for the writing process, which typically includes the following:

·   Read the essay prompt and brainstorm ideas.

·   Create an outline covering the key points you want to address.

·   Write a draft and seek feedback from trusted teachers, family, or friends.

·   Make any necessary revisions and proofread before submitting your final draft.

Scholarship review committees will be able to tell if you rushed through your essay, so give yourself the best chance of winning an award by staying organized and on schedule!

Who and What?

Researching the scholarship provider and diligently reviewing the essay prompts can help you write an essay that makes you stand out as a top candidate.

1. Who are you writing to?

Learn more about the organization offering the scholarship and why the scholarship fund was created.

For instance, a scholarship may honor its organization’s founder, and the founder’s qualities (e.g., integrity, good citizenship, and leadership) might be the same values guiding the scholarship program as a way to continue the founder’s legacy.

If you identify with any of the same qualities, you can incorporate those keywords into your essay to demonstrate your shared values. Remember to remain authentic, though!

2. What are you writing about?

You must read the essay prompt carefully to identify precisely what you need to accomplish with your essay.

Some prompts ask about your career goals and how you plan to achieve them or your achievements and the challenges you overcame to reach them.

You’ll write about common topics across multiple scholarship applications – some may even be similar to your college admission essay – so you can repurpose your essays as long as you’re diligent about tailoring each one to its prompt.

Your application will likely require other items such as transcripts and test scores, but the essay is your chance to offer something entirely unique. Write about key experiences that highlight who you are and what you’ve accomplished, or you could mention something you’re passionate about.

Remember to follow any specific instructions regarding length and formatting, and be sure to answer all questions listed in the prompt. It can hurt your chances if you’re unable to show the committee that you’re detail-oriented and can follow directions.

Structuring Your Essay

Your essay should follow a standard format that includes a clear beginning, middle, and end. Typically, you should:

·   Establish your main idea in the introduction.

·   Include a separate body paragraph for each key point that supports your main idea.

·   Draw it all together and revisit your main idea in the conclusion.

Scholarship committees read thousands of essays each year. And often, there are hundreds of applicants for an award that can only go to a select few candidates. Writing a powerful introduction and conclusion gives you a chance to make a lasting impression.

1. Introduction

Write an introduction that hooks the reader and encourages them to stay engaged till the end of your essay. Don’t be afraid to add personal, tangible details and an anecdote .

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For example, if you’re writing about your career goals, demonstrate why you’ve chosen that career:

It was the biggest game of the season, and the stands were packed despite the bitter cold. My heart was beating louder than all of the cheers, and I was filled with the anticipation that one more run into the end zone would give us the championship. Everything went silent during that run when the tackle shattered both my leg and my dreams.

My world has always revolved around being an athlete – until one day it couldn’t. I spent many frustrating months rehabilitating, but I got through it because of my dedicated physical therapist, who helped me recover both physically and mentally after a devastating loss. And it was that profound experience that led me to pursue a career in the exercise sciences.

2. Conclusion

The conclusion is the last thing your reader will see, so it’s another opportunity for you to make your essay memorable.

Rather than summarizing with a general statement such as “this is why you should award me a scholarship,” perhaps explain what the financial assistance will help you achieve:

My parents never had the opportunity to go to college, and neither did their parents. I watched them work hard every day just to make ends meet, and I often questioned whether I could achieve anything more. Nevertheless, I spent four years working as hard as I saw my parents work, and I beat the odds by getting accepted to college. A scholarship could be invaluable for me, as it would allow me to attend and be successful without having to worry about finances.

Persuasive Writing

While you don’t want your scholarship essay to be overly informal, you’re certainly allowed to add some creativity and personal details to help persuade your readers.

One of the best ways to do so is by writing with the modes of persuasion ; that is, ethos, pathos, and logos.

Demonstrate your credibility. Use your real-life experiences and interesting details to establish, for example, how you’ve contributed to your community:

I saw how much bullying was impacting so many students at my school, so I founded my high school’s first anti-bullying club and organized campaigns to bring attention to the harm that people can cause one another.

Evoke an emotional response. The “show, don’t tell ” writing technique, which involves using descriptive words when discussing actions and emotions, can be especially useful here:

During one of our first awareness assemblies, the theater was completely silent as I read aloud anonymous stories from students about the scars bullying had left on their lives. Tears were stinging in my eyes as I described the struggles my classmates were facing, but I persevered to give a voice to those who didn’t have one.

Convey your point with reason and facts. Use statistics to demonstrate what you’ve accomplished:

In the first year alone, our club improved students’ feelings of safety and acceptance at our school by 53%.

Proofreading and Editing

Don’t forget the importance of proofreading your essay, as spelling and grammar mistakes can leave a bad impression on your reader. Our expert editors can help ensure your writing is clear, concise, and error-free. Give yourself a better chance at impressing scholarship committees by submitting a free trial document today!

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How to Write a Scholarship Essay (with Examples)

September 27, 2023

While applying to college, many students are faced with an additional, daunting task: how to write a scholarship essay. Financial need, already a sensitive subject, can become a stressful factor in the process alongside other existential unknowns. Luckily, scholarship essays will not require you to go tiptoeing around the taboo topic of money. Furthermore, most scholarship essay prompts more or less resemble standard supplemental essay questions. The trick then is to make your scholarship essay stand out. The following article and scholarship essay example will offer up pointers for anyone striving to win a college scholarship.

Organizing Scholarship Essays by Prompt

You may feel like melting into a lump of despair when facing a browser full of tabbed scholarships. The best way to avoid getting overwhelmed is to organize and analyze a list of prompts. Why? Because your first goal is not simply to figure out how to write a scholarship essay. Rather, you’ll want to know how to save time while writing complex and relevant scholarship essays.

As you look over the various prompts, you’ll notice that some sound fairly open-ended, while others ask for something quite specific. In response, you should annotate each prompt with thematic keywords. This will help you figure out when you can use the same essay for several prompts.

Your annotated list may look something like the following…

Sample Scholarship Essay Prompts

1) “Explain something that made a big impact in your life.”

• Keywords: event , personal development, growth, background

2) “We’re committed to diversifying education abroad by providing funding to students who are typically under-represented in study abroad. Please describe how you and/or your plans for study abroad could be viewed as under-represented.”

• Keywords: minority, diversity, identity, study abroad

3) “Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.”

• Keywords: background, identity, interest, talent

Sample Scholarship Essay Prompts, Continued

4) “Please explain a personal hardship or catastrophic life event that you have experienced. How did you manage to overcome this obstacle? What did you learn and how did you grow from it?”

• Keywords: event, personal development, growth, challenge, background

5) Describe a change you would like to make in the world. Tell us about how you would plan to make that change, and what obstacles you might encounter along the way.

• Keywords: world development, challenge, future

6) “Tell us three things that are important to you. How did you arrive at this list? Will these things be important to you in ten years? Why?”

• Keywords: background, values, interest, development, identity, future

Scholarship Essay Prompts ( Continued)

7) “What does it mean to you to be part of a minority community? What challenges has it brought and how have you overcome them? What are the benefits?”

• Keywords: minority, community, challenge, growth

8) “Please explain how your experience volunteering and participating in community service has shaped your perspective on humanity. Elaborate on how these experiences have influenced your future ambitions and career choice.”

• Keywords: community service, humanity, community, background, future, values, career

9) “Discuss in your essay any challenges or obstacles you have dealt with and overcome in life and how this will help you succeed in college and beyond. Describe how volunteer, community service or extra-curricular activities have shaped who you are today and what it has taught you. May also include future educational plans and career goals.”

• Keywords: challenge, future, community service, interests, value, personal growth, career

How to Write a Scholarship Essay through Prompt Analysis

Let’s compare some prompts by keywords. You’ll notice that some prompts have a lot of overlap, such as prompts 1 and 4. Both have event, personal development, growth, and background as keywords . Prompt 4 includes the additional keyword challenge . This prompt explicitly asks you to explain how you have “overcome” a “personal hardship or catastrophic life event.” While prompt 1 is not so specific, it would be easy, even natural, to include this narrative arc in your response. This means depicting how you faced the thing that “made a big impact in your life.” In other words, these two essay prompts, though worded differently, allow you to tell the same story.

Other prompts provide potential overlap. In this case, it’s up to you to find and interpret these moments. You may consider the values, strengths, interests, and experiences you wish to relate. For example, prompts 7, 8, and 9 all mention community through different approaches. While prompt 7 focuses on one’s past involvement in a minority community, prompts 8 and 9 are more future-facing, and don’t mention minorities.

Scholarship Essay Examples (Continued)

Here, your best strategy involves answering prompts 8 and 9 together in a single scholarship essay. To do so, the essay would need to detail “a challenge or obstacle you have dealt with” (9) which has thus “shaped your perspective on humanity” (8). This narrative arc will thus inform your “future” educational and career plans (8 and 9). Note that prompt 9 allows you to mention extra-curriculars. However, I wouldn’t recommend it, since this would make your essay less relevant to prompt 8. After your essay is written, adapt it to align with prompt 7. Consider condensing the part about the future into one final sentence and focusing more on minority aspects of your community.

How to Scholarship Essay Avoid Burnout

The above tactic will allow you to avoid burnout by strategizing your essay approach ahead of time. In turn, you’ll be able to maximize your efforts from the get-go. You’ll also likely find that your essays become more complex and nuanced when you consider several prompts at once.

The next step involves editing. Refer back to the prompt, once you have a draft written. Ask yourself, did I answer the question fully? Do I need to edit this essay further to emphasize a particular point? Do I need to cut the essay down to fit a new word count? Contrarily do I need to bulk it up? If so, are there other essays in my portfolio from which I can borrow material? Strategic editing will allow you to respond to a large number of essays during peak essay-writing season.

Finally, you’ll notice that most essays require a word count between 250 to 600 words. It’s often easier to write a longer essay first. This will allow you to go into greater detail without censoring your ideas. You may find yourself including dialogue, scenery, emotions, and all sorts of other specifics that make an essay personal. As you whittle down this essay to comply with a similar prompt, you’ll want to identify which pieces of the essay do the most work to get your message across. Don’t simply condense everything by eliminating details, for details are often the most memorable aspects of an essay. More on this next.

How to Write a Scholarship Essay Using the Three Fs

The three Fs can be applied to any college essay, though they are particularily useful in scholarship essays. Why? Because the three Fs will enable you to impress readers and beat out other applicants. Ultimately, they’ll help you win financial support. Think of the three Fs as a checklist to go over, once you’ve completed an essay draft. Ask yourself, is my essay fabulous? Flawless? Fearless?

How to Write a Scholarship Essay (Continued)

If your essay is fabulous , it glitters with personality. It is detailed, unique, and does its best to highlight your impressive journey. If your essay lacks a little fab, ask yourself, how can I make this essay more enjoyable and memorable to read? If your essay is flawless , it lacks all spelling, syntactic and grammatical errors. It answers every aspect of the essay prompt, and leaves no room for vagueness or misunderstandings. To avoid flaws, give your essay to several people to proofread. Finally, if your essay is fearless , it is not afraid to get a little vulnerable. This may sound contradictory to the first F. On the contrary, this fearlessness refers to the confidence to tell your own story. A fearless story isn’t afraid to go deep, add complexity, or get emotional. It is unafraid to show why its author deserves a financial boost.

Scholarship Essay Example

Now that we’ve established how to approach the scholarship essay, let’s dive into a scholarship essay example. The scholarship essay below stems from a prompt we saw above: Describe a change you would like to make in the world. Tell us about how you would plan to make that change, and what obstacles you might encounter along the way (500 words).

My generation is growing up in a time of increased global turmoil. We’ve witnessed Brexit, the Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. elections, a series of refugee crises, and the invasion of Ukraine. It’s easy to liken this moment to Europe in the 1930s, which saw a spike in fascism and propaganda (their version of fake news). Only now, my generation must also contend with the hottest summers on record, raging forest fires, and the beginning of the 6 th extinction. It’s no wonder we deal with it all through increased skepticism and existential dread.

While I don’t have a simple solution, I believe most problems stem from ignorance. Xenophobia and racism, offshoots of ignorance, can be overcome by exposing isolated groups of people to greater diversity. This begins in the classroom. While dictators are hard to dispose of, education provides critical thinking skills, which allow citizens to make informed decisions when electing officials. Finally, developing a willingness to learn at an early age creates an instinct to continue learning throughout life. We desperately need intellectual flexibility if we are going to adapt to the planet’s needs as a world population and put a stop to industry-led fossil fuel burning.

Scholarship Essay Example (Continued)

The change I’d like to make is free, enhanced education for everyone, at every level, from elementary school to post-doctorate research institutes. To do so, I suggest defunding national militaries and channeling this spending into schools. Imagine if 80% of the 877 billion dollars the U.S. military spends annually went into learning. Combating fascism and climate change would look more feasible. And yet, no leader would agree to making their country more vulnerable by relinquishing arms and armies. Change must come from the people.

As the planet continues to heats up, and conflict over land increases, we must work together. The first step towards increased education is communicating this need for education: through journalism, on social media, in the streets. Next, I suggest lobbying politicians for incremental change. Finally, I believe a global grassroots movement to implement future-focused education, led by activists, educators, and philanthropists, would make this theoretical idea a tangible reality.

Last year, my mother, who never received a college education, decided to offer free gardening courses in our backyard. I quickly joined in. While teaching a handful of neighbors how to provide year-round food for pollinators may seem trivial, I’ve already seen positive repercussions. One conservative neighbor has set up an organization that collects and redistributes leftover produce from the markets to refugees. Another neighbor is now teaching middle schoolers how to cook and compost. These efforts have brought unusual strangers together and given visibility to our movement, #futurefocusededucation. I’ve seen it firsthand. The more we educate, the sooner we can combine our knowledge to create solutions.

Scholarship Essay Example Dissected

This scholarship essay succeeds at answering all parts of the prompt. It includes the change the author wants to make, and inevitable obstacles she’d face at the governmental and international level. These obstacles may sound insurmountable. Yet the essay shows that individuals are not powerless to enact change when they work together towards a common goal. The author provides various thoughtful steps we might take in order to prioritize education and peaceful collaboration.

Finally, the author portrays herself as someone personally invested in the political, humanitarian, and environmental state of the world. She proves that she’s already begun to make the changes she wants to see at the microscopic level. Overall, readers of this scholarship essay can see that this student is invested in bettering the world. This student would make for a proactive participant in her academic environment.

What’s Next?

Now that you have some inkling of how to write a scholarship essay and have reviewed of our scholarship essay examples, you may want to delve into more aid-related articles on the College Transitions Dataverse. You can read up on Need-Based Financial Aid Grants , and learn about Selective Colleges with Generous Scholarships . Furthermore, you may want to create your own Scholarship Timeline , in order to stay on top of the various deadlines. Good luck!

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Kaylen Baker

With a BA in Literary Studies from Middlebury College, an MFA in Fiction from Columbia University, and a Master’s in Translation from Université Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-Denis, Kaylen has been working with students on their writing for over five years. Previously, Kaylen taught a fiction course for high school students as part of Columbia Artists/Teachers, and served as an English Language Assistant for the French National Department of Education. Kaylen is an experienced writer/translator whose work has been featured in Los Angeles Review, Hybrid, San Francisco Bay Guardian, France Today, and Honolulu Weekly, among others.

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How To Write A Winning Scholarship Essay (with example)

Maria Geiger is Director of Content at Scholarships360. She is a former online educational technology instructor and adjunct writing instructor. In addition to education reform, Maria’s interests include viewpoint diversity, blended/flipped learning, digital communication, and integrating media/web tools into the curriculum to better facilitate student engagement. Maria earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from Monmouth University, an M. Ed. in Education from Monmouth University, and a Virtual Online Teaching Certificate (VOLT) from the University of Pennsylvania.

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Bill Jack has over a decade of experience in college admissions and financial aid. Since 2008, he has worked at Colby College, Wesleyan University, University of Maine at Farmington, and Bates College.

Scholarship essays are an inevitable part of most scholarship applications. Sadly, many qualified students see an essay requirement, think, “I’m not a good writer,” and decide not to apply. Don’t fall into that trap! Learn how to write a winning scholarship essay today!

As a former writing instructor, I know firsthand that anyone can write a winning scholarship essay if they devote the time and effort. Follow the steps below to write an excellent scholarship essay and dramatically increase your chances of winning scholarships!

Take your time

For most people, it’s not possible to write a stellar essay ten minutes before the application deadline. We recommend giving yourself a few hours to write the first draft of your scholarship essay. Ask a friend to read it over or just take some time away, then take another hour to proofread your essay, ideally the next day.

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Start with structure.

Remember, the reader is not in your head. A solid essay structure is needed to convey your ideas effectively. Before you begin writing:

Create an outline to map out your idea

Clear topic sentences

Plan for multiple paragraphs, with each paragraph headed by a clear topic sentence for that paragraph’s main point

Transition!

Use a transitional sentence or phrase at the end of each paragraph to connect one idea to the next

Answer the prompt

Nothing will set you back like not responding to the prompt provided. It screams “this person didn’t bother to fully read the directions,” or worse, “this person doesn’t care about what we are asking.”

Read the prompt, and then read it again. This is where giving yourself plenty of time to write comes in handy. Rather than immediately starting to write:

• Let the prompt sit with you awhile so that you come up with the best response
• Think of the prompt as a question to be answered
• Consider your audience while being your authentic self

Related:  How to answer scholarship essay questions about your career goals

Start with a hook

Your writing teachers were not joking about the importance of the introductory hook. There are a number of ways to hook the reader, including:

• Using startling statistics
• Opening with a moving sentence
• Making a strong statement

For an example of an engaging hook, say you are writing an essay about social media distraction. Perhaps you could open with:

It might sound odd, but I love my flip phone. In fact, I feel nothing but disdain for that moment stealing villain, the iPhone .

See how you’re already interested in reading on? Effective writing is all about telling an engaging story, and a strong hook is the first step!

Go Deeper: How to start a scholarship essay (with examples)

Don’t forget formatting

Be mindful of any required formatting. This might include a word count or page limit. The application may also specify single or double sentence spacing, using certain fonts, or using a certain format, such as MLA or APA.

Related: What’s the best scholarship essay format?

Show, don’t tell

Finally, no matter what, do your best to tell an engaging story! If given the opportunity, focus on a specific challenge you’ve faced or goal you’ve achieved. As you tell your story, the qualities that make you a great scholarship applicant–your drive, your passion, and your personality–will shine through!

In conclusion?

Speaking of conclusions, don’t end your scholarship application essay with “in conclusion,” which sounds robotic on the page. Instead, think about why what you wrote matters, and remind the reader of just that.

An effective way to bring cohesion to your essay is to refer back to your hook in the closing. For example, if you used that flip phone introduction, your closing might say:

So while some people have 100s of pictures of “experiences” that they were not truly present for, I have lifelong memories stored in my own mind, no extra cloud space required.

Notice how that ending wows? It wraps up your “story” and leaves the reader with a lasting impression of who you are as a person.

Key Takeaways

• Having to write an essay may feel intimidating, but we promise that you are more than capable of completing this step of your application
• Give yourself plenty of time to sit with the essay prompts and then draft your response
• Once you’ve written your essay, ask friends or family to read your work 
• Most importantly remember to take time to read all the directions about the essay and answer the questions that they are asking you

Final thoughts

For more in-depth instructions on how to conclude your scholarship essay, you can consult our guide on how to end scholarship essays . If you are looking for additional scholarship opportunities, check out our list of top writing & essay scholarships .    

Remember, writing scholarship essays is an opportunity to show who you are in a way that test scores and rankings never can. Don’t miss out on winning scholarship awards that you qualify for. Happy writing, all, and don’t forget to apply for all the scholarships you qualify for!

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How to Write a Scholarship Essay and Win

For a college student, scholarships are the best assistance to financial aid. However, as a college sophomore, I had no desire to write essays that had nothing to do with my school curriculum.

My days of writing essays for enjoyment departed when 5-page minimums became necessary to pass a class. But, I have recognized that scholarships are a resourceful way to boost financial aid IF you dedicate your time to them.

By practicing some or all of these skills I did to win my first scholarship, your college education could be a source of not only financial freedom but also income. Now, when you are writing a personal statement or essay for a scholarship, you should repeat this mantra: 

“This scholarship will pay for my education. I will win this scholarship.”

A big part of receiving my scholarship came from manifestation. When I worked towards my scholarship, I immediately began telling myself I would win the scholarship (I have the TikTok drafts to prove it).

Telling yourself that you already have what you desire pushes the drive to obtain said desire. Affirming your wants only pulls them closer. Setting your mind up mentally for success is key to achieving what you manifest. 

Now that you believe in your ability to win, you have to begin putting in the work. My scholarship required that I 1) Have a 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale, 2) Be African American, 3) Be a college sophomore or junior, 4) major in business or science, and 5) attend two or more NSLS Speaker Broadcasts.

So, when you are applying for a scholarship, make sure you check off ALL boxes of the eligibilities! Be sure to read the rules and policies of each scholarship you apply to, even if they are a page or two long, as it will help you in the long run.

When you have checked off the eligibility requirements, it is time for the longest part of the scholarship: the essay/personal statement. Most scholarships have a word or page count, and this is the time when you shine.

I have learned that essay and personal statement scholarships are gems, as most people avoid these because they have to write. Do not let this dissuade you.

The best part about personal statements/essays is that they give the writing material, and it’s either about where you see yourself in the future, the scholarship company, your interest, or something random.

In the case of my scholarship, I had to write a personal statement on my career interest and goals. So, here are the steps I followed for my personal statement.

• Be honest. As obvious as it sounds, you want to write about something that applies to yourself or your future self. Even though you may never encounter the scholarship committee, write something you would not be ashamed to speak aloud! Not to mention, you’ll have much more conviction and passion if it is something you have done or see yourself doing.
• Outline/write a rough draft. Realistically, we would all love to be able to open our computers and type the perfect essay and submit it. But, it is better to have a rough draft before you compose a final. When I wrote my personal statement, I sectioned it out; 1) my past and current achievements, 2) how my current achievements play into my career goals 3) how my career will influence my future and my community. Treating the personal statement/essay like a memoir helped create a flow for my paper.  Outlining your essay before writing your rough draft will produce a story-like flow, grabbing the attention of the scholarship committee! 
• Get your rough draft revised. Now, you may read your essay and think it is perfect, but there is no shame in getting a fresh set of eyes. Throughout my high school and college freshman career, I was stubborn about going to the writing resource center and only used Grammarly to revise my paper. Having your work checked may feel embarrassing, but you have nothing to fear. Paid professionals and staff in writing centers, schools, and universities work to help you improve your craft. If you want helpful criticism and an elevated chance at winning, have a tutor or teacher review your paper. 
• Rework your rough draft (a.k.a “the final draft”). With your revised rough draft, you will enter the final stages of the winning essay. You can use the same process in step 1, digging deeper for enriching material to help your paper reach the word count. Remember, do not make your personal statement or essay extremely personal. Although the goal is to tell the scholarship committee about yourself, you do not want to sound too eager or revealing. A general rule of thumb is if you would not feel comfortable reading it out loud, it might be too much (of course, still have it revised with resource centers for accuracy). 
• Get your final draft checked. Did you think you only had to get revised once? The more you get your paper checked, the better! While you are getting your paper checked, be sure to engage with the tutors and ask them questions about your essay to ensure you understand their criticisms and resolutions to your work.
• Turn in your paper. You’ve done it! You have completed the scholarship statement, and now you can submit it.

Now that you have the steps to submit a winning personal statement, here are a couple of tips as you write the essay and apply for scholarships in general.

• Start on your essay as soon as it opens! Working on your scholarship far from the deadline is essential for time management and accuracy. Giving yourself enough time to outline, write, and revise your essay will heighten your chances of winning and build your writing skills.
• Indent your paragraphs. Writing in paragraphs helps transition your essay/personal statement and builds character. Not to mention, it shows the scholarship committee that you know how to format a paper!
• Write a general essay/personal statement. A great rule of thumb is that scholarship essays can be reused (it is your work). Your foundation paper can be about yourself and your career goals, academics, why you pursued your major, and how you will prompt change with your education. 
• Apply to “you” specific scholarships. When applying for scholarships, research scholarships that speak to you as an individual. For instance, if you are a junior in high school and you play soccer, research High School Athlete Scholarships or Soccer Scholarships. If you are a college student, research scholarships for your major (Public Health Scholarships). You can also research scholarships that apply to general interests or hobbies. With more individuality in your search, you make it easier to write your paper. 
• Apply to as many scholarships as you can. Winning scholarships is like the lottery; you only win if you play. By applying to multiple scholarships, you steadily increase your chances of winning. Plus, it boosts your writing creativity, but be sure not to overload yourself!
• Never stop applying! As tireless as it is to apply for scholarships, never stop ! Your chances can only improve if you continue applying. Aim to apply for 3-5 scholarships a month, and watch those Congratulations come in. Great scholarship websites are: 
• UNCF (United Negro College Fund)
• Scholarship Owl

Companies such as McDonald’s, Delta, and Amazon offer scholarships for employees, their families, and students.

Scholarships are a wise tool for financial freedom as you pursue higher education. Although they may be uninviting based on word or page count minimum, do not let this intimidate you.

Just think about how relieving it would be to have that money for tuition, books, and housing. If you garner enough scholarships, your university could end up rebating you for the surplus (which is more money for you!).

Anticipating the bigger picture of scholarships and what they can do for you is more splendid than what is holding you back. If I could go back to my sophomore year of high school, I would have begun researching for scholarships immediately.

As a college sophomore, I implore you to take that first step and apply for a scholarship that requires a writing piece. Do not be afraid to go out and search for those scholarships, and remember that you have what it takes to be a winner!

Author: Harper Cooper

Hi! My name is Harper. I am a rising sophomore at Xavier University of Louisiana, majoring in Biology on a Pre Med track. I live in Atlanta, GA and I enjoy live music, reading, writing, and lifting. I am the founder of Black Women Do STEAM, an organization focused on uplifting and promoting Black Women in the STEAM field. I am also a mental health advocate, with aspirations to open up a sexual and mental health clinic.

More Articles By Niche

As a parent, the thought of college expenses can be overwhelming, but with the right understanding and approach, paying for college can be manageable and less stressful for the whole family.

The FAFSA has undergone several changes this year, causing unexpected delays for both students and colleges.

Luckily, there are several ways to pay for college that’ll lighten the financial burden of your studies. Without further ado, let’s review a few ways to pay for college.

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Articles & Advice > Financial Aid > Blog

10 Tips to Help You Write a Winning Scholarship Essay

It's worth it to put in the extra effort and apply to scholarships that require essays. Learn how to write those essays with ease using these 10 tips.

by Jean O'Toole Scholarship Strategist and Author

Last Updated: Mar 16, 2023

Originally Posted: May 19, 2020

How do you feel about having to write an essay for a scholarship you’re applying for? When students are asked that question, most say they skip those applications. It’s a natural reaction given all your other time constraints with homework assignments, extracurricular activities, volunteering, jobs, and family responsibilities. 

But scholarships that require essay submissions are worth your time. The odds of winning scholarships with extensive applications or essays are greater statistically because fewer students will make the effort to do the work. If you’re the kind of student who takes the time to expedite scholarship applications with essay requirements, you’ll likely have less competition from other students. Here are 10 tips to help you write scholarship essays that’ll help you stand out from other applicants.

1. Customize each essay to each scholarship

Although you may be using an essay for more than one application, it’s essential that you customize your introduction to speak to the question being asked for that specific scholarship. It’s frustrating for any scholarship committee to review an essay and realize that the student didn’t make the effort to answer the application question. First impressions count, so make a good one.

2. Write in your voice

Scholarship committees want to hear from the student and learn about them through their writing sample in an authentic way. It’s not necessary to use flowery language to try to impress the decision makers, so just be yourself. It’s also important that you’re the one who actually writes the essay; never ask someone else to write the essay for you.  

3. Talk about your desired impact

Addressing the impact you plan to have on others in your future is key to a winning scholarship essay. Scholarship committees want to know that their award monies will have a deep impact wherever they go. The key to standing out and impressing committee members is to include a “Why you?” statement. This is a sentence focusing on what type of impact you plan to have on the lives of others once you finish college. Scholarship committees generally prefer for their scholarship monies to impact more than just one individual. 

Related: Secrets to Writing an Amazing Scholarship Essay

4. Be honest

Resist the urge to embellish a story or create a false story to make yourself seem more impressive. Scholarship committees regularly use research tools to verify applicant information, so it’s not likely you’d get away with it even if you tried. The best policy is to just tell the truth! 

5. Spelling and grammar matter

Spelling and grammar check software don’t always catch all errors. After you’ve edited your essay yourself , have someone else read your essay with attention to grammar and spelling. Also, double-check that you’ve spelled any names of committee members or the scholarship you’re applying to correctly; making careless mistakes could automatically put your essay in the “no” pile.  

6. Success is in the details

You’ll most likely be writing about yourself, so include specifics to give decision makers a window into your world. Recognize that they want to know who they’re awarding the money to, and the more they know about you and your goals, the more likely they’ll want to award you the scholarship. 

Related: Scholarship Search Best Practices You Need to Follow

7. Don’t be shy about your accomplishments

Include achievement highlights from inside and outside the classroom in your scholarship essays when possible. Don’t assume that the committee will have thoroughly read any supplemental materials like a résumé where you mentioned your accomplishments. Plus, it will give the committee a better idea of why you feel these accomplishments are important to highlight.

8. Organize your thoughts before writing

Take some time to create an outline before beginning your scholarship essay. Organizing your thoughts will make your writing flow better as you go and help you figure out key points you may want to add or remove from your essay to make it stronger. And as with all writing, make sure that you’re supporting your thesis statement. 

9. Know what wins

Sometimes scholarship committees will post the essay of the previous year’s winner. Review that essay to learn more about what the decision makers seek in a candidate . You could also reach out to the previous year’s award recipient through social media to learn more. They may be able to direct you to additional scholarships they’ve previously applied to.

10. Leave a lasting impression

Conclude your scholarship essay with a passionate and positive tone so that you’re memorable among the other candidates. Nothing turns off a committee more than a lackluster ending that doesn’t wrap up your goals and intentions for succeeding in college with the help of their award.

Related: Admission vs. Scholarship Essays: What's the Difference?

Applying for scholarships can get discouraging when you know there are hundreds (or thousands) of other students applying for the same ones. But with these writing tips, your scholarship essays will boost your chances of winning any award you apply for.

Looking for scholarships that highlight your newfound essay-writing skills? Our Scholarship Search tool is just what you need!

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About Jean O'Toole

Jean O’Toole is an educational consultant and author of the bestselling book  Scholarship Strategies: Finding and Winning the Money You Need . Over the past 15 years, she has helped tens of thousands of students in the United States. Individuals collectively have been awarded millions of dollars by applying Jean’s scholarship strategies. In 2008, Jean co-founded Connections101, a company specializing in providing motivational tools for scholarship searching. It is her goal to empower students to design their paths to their future without college debt. Visit  Connections101.com for more information, and follow Jean on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram .

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10 Winning Scholarship Essay Examples From Real Students

Make your application shine.

Writing a scholarship essay can be intimidating. The competition is fierce and the stakes are high, so students are bound to feel the pressure. It may be helpful, therefore, to look at essays that were successful. What did those students do to impress the committee? These scholarship essay examples will give you a better idea of how to make an application shine! 

Tips for Writing a Scholarship Essay

We’ve put together a whole guide for how to write a scholarship essay , so if you haven’t read it already, definitely give it a look! In addition, here are some quick tips to help students get started. 

Carefully read the rules

The last thing you need is to be disqualified from winning a scholarship because you didn’t do the right thing. 

Start early

Don’t wait until the last minute to start researching and applying for scholarships. Give yourself plenty of time to work through the process. 

Get to know the provider

Think of the scholarship provider as your target audience. You want to tailor your essay to impress them, so do your research. What kinds of candidates are they looking for? What causes do they support? Dig deep for the information you need!

Think about who you are, what you want to say, and how to appeal to the scholarship committee. Write everything down and then choose the best ideas. 

The scholarship committee will be reviewing many applications. How can you make yours unforgettable? Highlight your strongest assets, share hard lessons if they showcase your growth as a person and/or student, and be honest. Never lie in a scholarship essay!

Be professional

Consider this the most important academic paper you’ve ever written. Don’t use slang or casual language. Submit a properly formatted essay that’s been well-edited and proofread by multiple people.

One last tip

Don’t reuse scholarship essays! Yes, it’s time-consuming, but students need to put the same effort into every application. Use the same process and it will get faster and easier every time!

Scholarship Essay Examples

Afc visionary scholarship essay by nicole kuznetsov.

Award Amount: $5,000

Essay prompt: Why do you want to go to college? Why is it important to you?

Why it was successful: The  beauty of this essay is that it’s well-organized and simple. Nicole Kuznetsov chose to outline her story by using chronology and provided a clean, concise story following a linear path.

North Coast Section Foundation Scholarship Essay by Christine Fung

Award Amount: $1,000

Why it was successful: Christine Fung masterfully shared how her upbringing instilled strong values, a love for education, and a passion for medicine .

The Bill Browning Scholarship Essay by Gabby DeMott

Award Amount: $10,000

Essay prompt: Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Why it was successful: Gabby DeMott shared her experiences with personal growth and overcoming fears in Germany. She also appealed to the very human feeling of wanting to belong in a way that was inspiring. 

Life Happens Scholarship Essay by Emily Trader

Award Amount: $15,000

Essay prompt: How has the death of a parent or guardian impacted your life financially and emotionally? Be sure to describe how the loss of your parent/guardian impacted your college plans, and explain how the lack of adequate (or any) life insurance coverage has impacted your family’s financial situation.

Why it was successful: Emily Trader fully addressed the prompt in honest, beautiful detail. She knew her audience and tailored her essay to appeal to them while telling her compelling story. 

Change a Life Foundation Scholarship Essay by Isabella Mendez-Figueroa

Essay prompt: Please explain how your experience volunteering and participating in community service has shaped your perspective on humanity. Elaborate on how these experiences have influenced your future ambitions and career choice.

Why it was successful: Isabella Mendez-Figueroa shared an empowering story about her parents overcoming financial adversity so that she and her sister could be the first in their family to go to college. 

Giva Scholarship Essay by Joseph Lee

Essay prompt: Who is (or what makes) a good doctor?

Why it was successful: Joseph Lee offered a captivating , personal story that was essentially a list of things that make someone a good doctor without it feeling boring or calculated. 

New York University College of Arts and Science Scholarship by Ana

Award amount: $39,500 

Essay prompt: Explain something that made a big impact in your life.

Why it was successful: Ana discussed how early experiences w ith learning difficult things has contributed to her passion for teaching and supporting students. 

The Fund for Education Abroad Rainbow Scholarship Essay  by Steven Fisher

Award amount: $7,500

Essay prompt: The Fund for Education Abroad is committed to diversifying education abroad by providing funding to students who are typically under-represented in study abroad. Please describe how you and/or your plans for study abroad could be viewed as under-represented.

Why it was successful: Steven Fisher’s powerful essay   connected his realizations about his own sexual identity with embracing the beautiful diversity found all around the world. 

Women’s World Banking Founder’s Scholarship Essay by Rosaisha Ozoria

Essay prompt: Write about your hopes for the future of women and girls worldwide.

Why it was successful: Rosaisha Ozoria   focused on a very specific topic , financial literacy for Hispanic women, and emphasized its importance and relevance to her own life. 

The Millennium Gates Last Dollar Scholarship Essay by Famyrah Lafortune

Award amount: $3,500

Essay prompt: Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” —Nelson Mandela Describe a change you would like to make in the world. Tell us about how you would plan to make that change, and what obstacles you might encounter along the way.

Why it was successful: Famyrah Lafortune starts with a strong statement about ending racial inequality and then details the steps she’ll take to make it happen. 

Do you have any great scholarship essay examples? Share them below!

Plus, check out  the ultimate guide to college scholarships, want more suggestions be sure to subscribe to our newsletters ..

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How to write a financial need statement for your scholarship application (with examples!)

So you’re applying for a scholarship that asks you about your financial need. What do you say? How honest or specific should you be? What is TMI? In this article, we break down how to pen an awesome financial need scholarship essay or statement.

What to include in a financial need scholarship essay

Template to structure your financial need scholarship essay, introduction: your basic profile, body: your financial situation and hardships, conclusion: how you would benefit from this scholarship, was this financial need essay for a college financial aid application , now, reuse that same essay to apply for more scholarships, additional resources to help you write your financial need scholarship essay.

Many scholarships and college financial aid awards are “need-based,” given to students whose financial situation requires additional support. That’s why one of the most common college scholarship essays is a statement of financial need. This might be very explicit (“Explain your financial need”), somewhat explicit (“Describe your financial situation”), or quite open-ended (“Explain why you need this scholarship”).

In all cases, scholarship providers want to get a sense of your family’s financial picture: what your family income is, if you personally contribute to it (do you have a job?), and how much additional money you need to attend your target college (your “financial gap”).

If the essay prompt is a bit more open-ended (“Explain how this scholarship would help you”), your essay should probably be a combination of a financial need statement and a career goals / academic goals essay.  That’s because you want to show how the award will help you financially and in your academic or career goals.

Usually this statement of financial need is a pretty short scholarship essay (150-300 words), so unlike a college essay or personal statement where you have ample word count to tell anecdotes, you’ll likely need to get right to the point. 

Be sure to include: 

• If you are an underrepresented group at college, for instance, part of an ethnic minority or the first in your family to go to college
• Any relevant family circumstances, like if your parents are immigrants or refugees, as well as your parents’ occupation and how many children/family members they support financially
• How you are currently paying for college, including what you personally are doing to contribute financially (like working student jobs)
• What financial challenges/difficulties your family is facing, for instance, if a parent recently lost their job
• How you would benefit from the scholarship–including your academic and career goals (if word count allows)

Also remember to write in an optimistic tone. Writing about your financial situation or hardships might not be the most positive thing to share. But you can turn it around with an optimistic tone by writing about how these challenges have taught you resiliency and grit.

Give a short introduction to who you are, highlighting any family characteristics that might make you part of an underrepresented group at college. 

“I am a first-generation American and the first in my family to go to college. My family moved from El Salvador to New York when I was seven years old, to escape the violence there.”

Example 2: 

“I am from a working-class family in Minnesota. My family never had a lot, but we pooled our efforts together to make ends meet. My parents both worked full-time (my father as a mechanic, my mother as a receptionist at the local gym), while my siblings and I all worked weekend jobs to contribute to the family income.”

Dive into the details. How are you currently planning to pay for college? The idea here is to show that you and your family have made a good-faith effort to earn enough money to pay your tuition, but that it has simply not been enough. 

Make sure you describe your parents’ occupation, any savings (like a 529 College Savings Account), and any student jobs. You might also discuss any sudden changes in fortune (e.g. parent fell ill or lost their job) that have ruined your original financial plans. 

Example 

As immigrants with limited English, my parents have had to accept low-paying jobs. My father is an Uber driver, and my mother is a housekeeper. They earn just enough to pay our rent and put food on the table, so I’ve always known they could not help me pay for college.  So I’ve been proactive about earning and saving my own money. Since age 11, I’ve worked odd jobs (like mowing my neighbors’ lawns). At age 16, I started working at the mall after school and on weekends. Through all these jobs, I’ve saved about $3000. But even with my financial aid grants, I need to pay $8000 more per year to go to college. 

Bring it home by wrapping up your story.  Explain how you plan to use the financial aid if you’re awarded this scholarship. How will you benefit from this award? What will you put the money toward, and how will it help you achieve your academic and/or career goals?

Scholarship review boards want to know that their money will be put to good use, supporting a student who has clear plans for the future, and the motivation and determination to make those plans a reality. This is like a shortened, one-paragraph version of the “Why do you deserve this scholarship?” essay . 

Winning $5000 would help me close the financial gap and take less in student loans. This is particularly important for me because I plan to study social work and eventually work in a role to support my community. However, since these jobs are not well paid, repaying significant student loans would be difficult. Your scholarship would allow me to continue down this path, to eventually support my community, without incurring debt I can’t afford.

My plan is to study human biology at UC San Diego, where I have been admitted, and eventually pursue a career as a Nurse-Practitioner. I know that being pre-med will be a real academic challenge, and this scholarship would help me focus on those tough classes, rather than worrying about how to pay for them. The $2000 award would be equivalent to about 150 hours of working at a student job. That’s 150 hours I can instead focus on studying, graduating, and achieving my goals. 

Sometimes this financial need statement isn’t for an external scholarship. Instead, it’s for your college financial aid office.

In that case, you’re usually writing this statement for one of two reasons:

• You’re writing an appeal letter , to request additional financial aid, after your original financial aid offer wasn’t enough. In this case, you’ll want to make sure you’re being extra specific about your finances.
• You’re applying for a specific endowed scholarship that considers financial need. In this case, your financial need essay can be quite similar to what we’ve outlined above.

Now that you’ve written a killer financial need scholarship essay, you have one of the most common scholarship essays ready on hand, to submit to other scholarships too.

You can sign up for a free Going Merry account today to get a personalized list of hundreds of scholarships matched to your profile. You can even save essays (like this one!) to reuse in more than one application.  

You might also be interested in these other blog posts related to essay writing:

• What’s the right scholarship essay format and structure?
• How to write a winning scholarship essay about your academic goals
• How to write an awesome essay about your career goals
• Recent Posts

• Scholarships for Students in Pennsylvania for 2021 - November 11, 2020
• Counselor Starter Guide: How to Use Going Merry’s Scholarship Platform - September 9, 2020
• How to write a financial need statement for your scholarship application (with examples!) - August 13, 2020

Ready to find scholarships that are a match for you?

Scholarship Renewal

Congratulations! You did a great job and won a scholarship. Your hard work has paid off.   The final step is to be sure that you keep your scholarship in succeeding years.

Renew-ability

Be sure you understand whether or not your scholarship is renewable. In some cases, scholarships can be renewed yearly for the entire four years. However, the renewal may not be automatic. You may need to apply again, demonstrate financial need again, provide tuition bill copies and/or meet other criteria to receive a renewed award. Most colleges have the policies for the renewal of different scholarships that can be downloaded from their websites. Make sure to check the deadlines for renewal beforehand. Keep in mind that a number of scholarships are for the first year only.

Ongoing Eligibility

You must also understand the terms of your scholarship. Otherwise you could inadvertently lose funding by failing to provide a progress report or not carrying the necessary course load.

Here are some of the issues to fully understand.

Athletic participation

Athletic scholarships usually require that you play the sport for which the award was granted. Be sure you understand what will happen if an injury takes you out of play for a season or you are barred from playing due to academic probation.

Field of Study

If you received an award based upon study in a particular field and you made a decision to change majors, you may lose the award. Be sure you understand the ramification of decisions about course of study so that you can prepare for any loss of funding.

GPA/Academic Progress

Your scholarship may require that you maintain a minimum GPA and/or make satisfactory progress toward a degree. Be sure you understand the consequences of taking a lighter course load, skipping a semester or failing to maintain a satisfactory GPA.

Choice of College

If the award is tied to attendance at a specific school, you will lose the scholarship if you choose to transfer.

Useful links

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• Cause and Effect Essay
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• Definition Essay
• Exploratory Essay
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• Informal Essay
• Literature Essay
• Narrative Essay
• Personal Essay
• Persuasive Essay
• Research Essay
• Response Essay
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• Applying For Scholarships

How to Write a Scholarship Appeal Letter (w/Example)

David Aug 15, 2019

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If you’ve won a scholarship, having it revoked is the worst possible scenario. Before diving into panic mode, there’s good news. You may be able to salvage the situation. By writing a well-worded appeal letter, you might be able to turn the committee’s decision around. 

In this post, we’ll talk about when to write an appeal letter and what it should include. We’ll also include a sample appeal letter that can be used as a template, in a worst-case scenario.  

When to Write an Appeal Letter 

There are a few situations when it would be appropriate to write an appeal letter. 

For example, if there was a change in your financial situation since applying for the scholarship. In this case, writing an appeal letter could help you get more assistance. 

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A second reason that warrants writing an appeal is if your scholarship has been revoked.

Scholarships can be taken away for a variety of reasons. If you have a good reason for not meeting a scholarship requirement, then an appeal letter can help you get it back.

For example, a scholarship may be taken away if a student’s GPA falls below the minimum requirement. If this happens for a valid reason, like an illness or the death of an immediate family member, then expressing this in an appeal letter could help you get your scholarship back. 

A final reason for writing an appeal letter would be if you made a mistake on the FAFSA. If you believe that this had an impact on your award, you could address this in a letter.

What Should Your Letter Include? 

In your letter, you need to ask for help without getting overly emotional to the scholarship committee. 

Instead, you should make a good argument as to why you deserve the scholarship. A successful letter does this without complaining or demanding, or being overly defensive.  

Don’t beat around the bush in your letter; be upfront. There’s a reason why you’re appealing the committee’s decision. Not being clear about your reasons won’t help your case. 

Attach Documents

If you have documents that you can attach to your letter, they will help to validate your case. The more supporting information you can give to the committee, the more it will help the scholarship committee reconsider your case.

Find the right person

Finally, try and find a direct contact of a person in the scholarship committee or aid office. Make sure to address them by name: Mr. Davis, Mrs. Stevenson, etc. At the end of your letter, thank the person you’re writing for considering your appeal.

Find and follow guidelines

Many scholarships already have guidelines for appealing. If you can’t find where they are written, contact the scholarship committee and ask.

If you have a good case, you could end up winning the scholarship and reversing their decision. 

Remember, be polite and respectful in your letter, even if you’re angry. Finally, make sure to review your letter. It should be free of grammar and spelling mistakes. 

Example Scholarship Appeal Letter

July 27th, 2019  Mr. Joe Walker  Office of Financial Aid  University of Michigan 515 E Jefferson St Ann Arbor, MI 48109 

Dear Mr. Walker, 

My name is Carl Smith, I am in my junior year at the University of Michigan where I major in electrical engineering. I am so grateful for the scholarship I have received from your institution for the last two years of college. I wouldn’t have been able to attend college without it. 

Unfortunately, I have just been notified that my scholarship is ending because my GPA has fallen below a 3.0. This year, my family has been in a very difficult situation. My mother was diagnosed with cancer. As a result of her condition, I have spent a lot of time going back and forth to California, where my family lives. Of course, this has taken precious time away from the time I can dedicate to school. This hasn’t allowed me to study as much as I would like, and certainly not as much as I studied during the first two years of my degree.

If you take a look at my transcripts that I have attached to this letter, you will see that up until my junior year, I maintained a GPA of 3.5. I take my studies very seriously and am passionate about my degree. 

Fortunately, my teachers have been very understanding of my situation. They are allowing me to do some make-up assignments and retake some tests. This will hopefully raise my GPA. 

A college education means the world to me. Without your help, financing my degree won’t be possible. I’m requesting that you review my case and reconsider me for this award. I am under very pressing circumstances, and could use your help greatly. Thank you very much for taking the time to go over my appeal.

You will find my transcripts attached to this letter. You will also see the appeal form from your organization. If you need any other information, please contact me by phone or email and I will provide you with it.  

1082 Northwood Shore San Diego, CA  92071 810-320-8942 [email protected]

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David Tabachnikov is the CEO of ScholarshipOwl. Formerly at Waze and Google, David is an experienced CTO/R&D manager with over 10 years of experience of leading tech teams. David fervently believes that students should have greater access to education, and is passionate about using technology to help them achieve that goal.

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Scholarship Renewal Form

Ai generator.

As one would expect, having a scholarship is going to be tough work, the grades you have to keep up as well as the money you were given from the scholarship. How well did you spend your resources throughout the school year?  At this point in your college life, you wish to renew your scholarship. To continue with the support that was given to you for the duration of your first school year.  But here comes the big question. How are you going to renew your scholarship ? You did good this year and wish to continue with the support. What should you do? Here are some amazing examples you can use for a scholarship renewal. 12+ scholarship renewal form examples in PDF. Check them out!

12+ Scholarship Renewal Form Examples

1. scholarship renewal form.

Size: 62 KB

2. Educational Scholarship Renewal Form

Size: 47 KB

3. Scholarship Renewal Form Example

Size: 18 KB

4. Student Scholarship Renewal Form

Size: 28 KB

5. Academic Year Scholarship Renewal Form

Size: 145 KB

6. Scholarship Renewal Form Sample

Size: 20 KB

7. Renewal Scholarship Application Form

Size: 440 KB

8. Basic Scholarship Renewal Form

Size: 91 KB

9. Foundation Scholarship Renewal Form

Size: 53 KB

10. Printable Scholarship Renewal Form

Size: 100 KB

11. Basic Scholarship Renewal Form Example

Size: 184 KB

12. Scholarship Renewal Form in DOC

Size: 12 KB

13. Sample Scholarship Renewal Form Example

Size: 93 KB

What Is Renewal?

A renewal  is an instance of continuing something that you have been doing but was interrupted due to unseen circumstances.

What Is a Renewal Form?

A renewal form consists of details needed to renew something that has long been expired. It could be any document that needs renewed, in this case a scholarship.

What Is a Scholarship Renewal Form?

A scholarship renewal form is a type of document that is given to the applicant to renew his or her scholarship. As a few schools require their applicants to renew their scholarships every year, they are given the form to do this, so they need not lose the opportunity to continue with the scholarship. 

How Can I Renew My Scholarship?

There are some simple steps to follow to renew your scholarship.

• From your scholarship letter, read the following requirements .

Go back to your scholarship letter, and reread the requirements that came with your scholarship. In the scholarship letter, you will find the money you used for the scholarship.

• Construct a summary of each of the subjects you want to talk about. 

This way it is easier for you to rearrange what you wish to discuss when renewing your scholarship.

• Jot down an introductory paragraph

In this paragraph, thank the school or the company who gave you the scholarship during the previous year. Thanking them for the help is also showing how grateful you are for the help you were given to succeed.

• In detail state how the money was used.

Explain what you did with the allowance you received and if there is anything left, state that you will continue to use it for the benefit of your studies.

• Point out why you wish to continue.

Give out details as to how the scholarship has helped you with your studies as well as how it has helped you personally and financially.

What Happens If I Forget to Renew My Scholarship but Wish to Continue For until I Graduate?

In some cases, the school or the company/foundation you applied for the scholarship would remind you of it. Unfortunately, not all schools do this, as this is your responsibility as a student and applicant of the scholarship.

I Wish to Continue My Scholarship but I Only Lack One of the Requirements Needed for It, May I Still Be Able to Renew?

Depending on what you signed during your application. The most important thing to remember is that to continue with your scholarship, you must be able to pass all the requirements they asked from you.

Do I need to renew my scholarship even if it is not stated?

If it was not stated on the letter, ask. Since some scholarships need to be renewed even if its not a yearly basis.

Renewing scholarships can be very tricky especially when you have no idea what to expect or what to write if you ever need to renew one. Are they the kind that needs to be renewed monthly, yearly or every two years or none at all? As long as you follow the steps above and be as creative in explaining your reasons in continuing the scholarship, you will surely achieve it. Also, remember to ask the school or the company/foundation about your scholarship renewal or simply look at the scholarship letter to find the requirements for it. Good luck to you!

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Scholarships

Your grades, achievements, and activities during high school typically determine the scholarships for which you are eligible. Often, the organization or individual donor providing the scholarship wishes to reward or encourage certain characteristics or behaviors such as strong academic credentials, leadership or community service activities, or plans to enter a certain profession.

ISAC Programs  

Programs that are offered through the Illinois Student Assistance Commissions

Understand the Timeline and Process

Most scholarships are awarded on an annual basis. Usually that means applications are accepted in the fall or spring, winners are notified a few weeks to a few months later, and the actual awards are made the next fall. Unfortunately, because of this timing, if you are trying to cover an outstanding bill you have right now, scholarships are unlikely to help.

Find out how the process works when you receive a scholarship

Search for Scholarships

Scholarships come from a variety of sources. Some are available through Illinois State University. Our ScholarshipFinder can also help you find awards within the University. Professional organizations, social clubs, employers, community organizations, and individual donors provide many more.

Each scholarship provider determines when and how they will select the recipient, whether or not the award is renewable year after year, when the money will be awarded, and how it should be used. The more often you are searching and applying for scholarships, the less likely it is you will miss something for which you could have qualified.

Illinois State Scholarships

Find awards offered from the University.

Scholarship Finder

Search for scholarships using keywords.

Departmental Scholarships

See which academic departments offer scholarships.

Off-Campus Scholarships

Get support from sources outside the University.

Available Opportunities

2024-2025 friends of donna mauk memorial scholarship  .

The deadline is at 11:59pm on May 10, 2024.  This scholarship will be awarded for the 2024-2025 academic year.

Due to the delay in the 2024-2025 FAFSA, selection decisions may not be complete until Summer 2024.

More to Explore

Federal student aid tips.

Get an explanation of how scholarships work from Federal Student Aid.

Aim High Scholarship

See if you qualify for scholarship money by staying in-state to attend college .

Assistance for Special Populations

The Lopez and Navarro Scholarship is intended to provide financial assistance to support undocumented and DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) students in their dream of receiving a college degree. At this time all available scholarships have been awarded. When additional funds are available, the application will reopen.   

The Senior Citizen Courses Act permits senior citizens over 65 to enroll in regularly scheduled credit courses at public higher education institutions without payment of tuition. Learn more about the Act .

Scholarship Renewal

• Current Presidential Scholars must maintain continuous, full-time enrollment with a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA to retain their scholarship.
• Current University Scholars must maintain continuous, full-time enrollment with a minimum 2.75 cumulative GPA to retain their scholarship.
• Current Redbird Academic Scholars must maintain continuous, full-time enrollment with a minimum 2.75 cumulative GPA to retain their scholarship.

Scholarship Resources

Learn more about scholarships and how we can help.

• Effectively search for scholarships
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• Write a better scholarship essay

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External Resources

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Para información en español comunicarse con Sharon Carr y (309) 438-2231 .

University Resources

36th African American Scholarship Essay awards tackles subject of social media

SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) - Northwest Louisiana students take on the subject of social media to earn a scholarship to the schools of their choosing.

On June 1, at 1 p.m., the 36th Shreveport-Bossier-DeSoto African American Scholarship Awards Committee will present its annual ESSAY Scholarship Award at the Shreve Memorial Library, Walette Branch, 362 Hearne Avenue, Shreveport.

Each high school graduate was asked to think about and write a 300-word double-spaced essay on “Does Social Media Do More Harm Than Good”. During the event, the students will share their essays.

Over 20 scholarships will be given to various students, who graduated from schools in northwest Louisiana to attend the college of their choice

Copyright 2024 KSLA. All rights reserved.

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Read NATCA Scholarship Winner Kate Wilson’s Essay

May 30, 2024

Every year, NATCA offers a scholarship program for spouses, children, stepchildren, and legally adopted children of active, retired, and deceased members in good standing for at least two consecutive years. This scholarship is for full-time attendance at accredited colleges and universities within the United States and its territories for an undergraduate degree program.

This year’s prompt asked candidates to examine why labor unions are experiencing a resurgence and what implications this has for the future.

Kate Wilson, child of Chad Wilson (St. Louis TRACON, T75) is among 2023’s scholarship winners. Read the essay that Kate submitted below.

In the past few years, labor unions in the United States have encountered a renewal in approval and support. According to recent polls, the approval ratings of labor unions are at the highest point in over 45 years. This trend can be attributed to a number of things, including growing income imbalance, changing attitudes towards worker rights, and increasing organizing efforts across different industries.

One of the main causes for the renewal of labor unions is the growing income imbalance and its effect on the American public. Over the last 10 years, the opening between the wealthy and the poor has continued to get bigger, leaving a lot of workers struggling to make a living. In response, a lot of workers are turning to labor unions as a way to promote better payment, benefits, and working surroundings.

Another component contributing to the renewal of labor unions is the changing attitudes towards worker rights. A lot of younger workers are more likely to view unions as a way to fight for their rights and improve their working surroundings. This change in attitude is in part due to the rise of social media and other online appearances that make it easier for workers to attach with each other.

Additionally, recent arranging of efforts at large companies such as Starbucks, Amazon, and Walmart have helped to raise recognition of the importance of labor unions. These companies have been attacked for their treatment of workers, and labor unions have stepped in to stand up for better working arrangements and higher pay. These attempts have been successful in some cases, with companies agreeing to change in response to worker demands. 

Lastly, labor unions are also making incursions in less established areas. This is an important development, as it suggests that the influence of labor unions is expanding beyond traditional industries like manufacturers and construction. The renewal of labor unions in the United States is a positive development for workers and for the country as a whole. Unions play an important role in searching for better working conditions, higher pay, and more profitable distribution of resources. By supporting unions, workers can help to make sure that their voices are heard and that their rights are protected. However, there are also challenges ahead for labor unions. For one, there is still big opposition to unions from some employers and political groups. In addition, there are concerns about the impact of automation on union jobs, as well as the ongoing debate over the role of unions in public sector employment.

Overall, the renewal of labor unions in the United States is a positive expansion that reflects a growing recognition of the importance of worker rights. While there are challenges, unions are likely to play an important role in forming the future of work and ensuring that workers are treated normally and fairly with dignity.

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Maryland Higher Education Commission STUDENT SUCCESS WITH LESS DEBT

Teaching fellows for maryland scholarship.

Who May Apply?​​

• Applicants who are enrolled or plan to enroll at an eligible institution in an undergraduate or graduate program.
• Applicants seeking to change careers to pursue a course of study or program in an academic discipline leading to a Maryland professional teacher's certificate. 
• Applicants must agree to work as public school or public prekindergarten teachers in the State upon completion of their studies at elementary and secondary schools that have at least 50% of the students in the school eligible for free or reduced-price meals (FRPM). 
• Enroll full-time or part-time at an eligible institution pursuing a course of study or program leading to a Maryland professional teacher's certificate.

Note: An individual who has been employed as a teaching assistant at a public school or public prekindergarten program in Maryland for at least 2 years may apply and is eligible to hold the scholarship as a full-time or part-time undergraduate or graduate student.  

A recipient of this  scholars​hip may not hold a Maryland professional teacher's certificate.

How to Apply?

Applicants for the Teaching Fellows for Maryland scholarship must submit the online application through their​ MDCAPS account. The online application and all required documents must be submitted by December 31,  2024,   for consideration of the award. 

Documentation ​Required for the Application

Required Documentation

​ Service Obligation Requirement

An applicant awarded the Teaching Fellows for Maryland Scholarship must sign and return a promissory note agreeing to begin fulfillment of the service obligation as follows:  

A recipient of the Teaching Fellows scholarship must teach in a public school or public prekindergarten program in a high needs school (as identified by MSDE), or in a grade level or content area in which there is a shortage of qualified educators:

• For a recipient who receives a scholarship as an undergraduate or graduate student, the service obligation is for 2 years.
• If a recipient is unable to perform the service obligation required because there are no available positions in a qualifying school, grade level, or content area, the recipient may work in any public school or public prekindergarten program in the State. 

Students are responsible for verifying that their place of employment is at a high–needs school, grade level, or content area with a shortage of qualified educators. ​

Eligible Institutions

The Teaching Fellows for Maryland Scholarship may be used at a:

• ​Maryland public senior higher education institution that possesses a certificate of approval from the Commission and has a department, school, or college of education, or
• Maryland private non-profit institution of higher education that possesses a certificate of approval from the Commission, has a department, school, or college of education, and agrees to provide a matching grant to an undergraduate or graduate student who receives a Teaching Fellows of Maryland scholarship. 
• Goucher College (Undergraduate students)
• Hood College (Undergraduate students)
• Johns Hopkins University School of Education (Graduate students)
• Loyola University Maryland (Undergraduate and graduate students)
• Maryland Institute College of Art (Undergraduate and graduate students)
• Notre Dame of Maryland University (Undergraduate and graduate students)
• Stevenson University (Undergraduate and graduate students)
• Washington College (Undergraduate ​students)

​​Award Amount

An award applicant is eligible to receive an award contingent on the availability of funds as follows:

• ​At a Maryland  public senior higher education institution , the scholarship award is equivalent to 100% of the annual tuition, mandatory fees, and room and board of a resident undergraduate student or graduate student, as appropriate.
• At a Maryland  private nonprofit institution , the scholarship award is equal to the lesser of:
• 100% of the annual tuition and mandatory fees of a resident undergraduate student or graduate student, as appropriate, at the University of Maryland College Park (UMCP) and 100% of the room and board of a resident undergraduate student or graduate student, as appropriate, at the institution; or
• 50% of the annual tuition and mandatory fees of a resident undergraduate or graduate student, as appropriate, at the institution and 100% of the room and board of a resident undergraduate student or graduate student, as appropriate, at the institution.​​

A private nonprofit institution must provide a matching scholarship award in an amount equal to the State award provided for tuition & fees only.  Private nonprofit institutions are not required to match State funds awarded for room and board.

Renewal Requirements

A recipient is eligible to receive a renewal award for up to three years if the recipient

• Continues to be a full-time or part-time undergraduate or graduate student.
• Continues to make satisfactory progress toward a degree, and maintains the standards of the institution.

If a recipient of the Teaching Fellows of Maryland scholarship is enrolled in a course of study that is determined by the institution to require five years to complete, the recipient may renew the annual award four times. The recipient must submit a “Program of Study" appeal, by the deadline, providing documentation of the program of study requirements.​

Click here for more informaiton on the conditions of award. ​

The Teaching Fellow for Maryland Scholarship regulations have been published online under the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR).​

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Oliver Vonnegut, Tufts undergrad, wins top prize in Cornell journal

Student publications

By | Kathy Hovis , A&S Communications

Sophia Gottfried ’25 and Ethan Kovnat ’24 were a little flummoxed when one of the 101 submissions for Logos , Cornell’s undergraduate philosophy journal, mentioned BDSM (bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, sadism and masochism) in its first sentence.

“Who am I going to assign to read this paper?” Kovnat remembers thinking.

But after reading it, they were no longer surprised, only impressed, as the paper offered “a nuanced examination of why people relinquish control.” They awarded it the top prize in this year’s journal, which will come out this summer and includes five papers. 

Kovnat knew that the submission came from Oliver Vonnegut , a rising senior at Tufts, but he didn’t know that Oliver was the grandson of the famous author Kurt Vonnegut. And the other Logos editors didn’t even know Vonnegut’s name, as author names are removed from papers before they’re passed along to the editors, who are undergraduate members of the philosophy club. Cornell students are not eligible to submit papers to the journal.

Vonnegut’s essay, “I Do Not Want to Choose the Restaurant, Honey,” explores the dynamic between being a subject or an object in the context of BDSM and fascism. Its first line is this: “BDSM is the cure to fascism.”

“This paper embodies the philosophical values of clarity and argumentation, while also being an accessible read,” Logos editors note in their forward to this year’s journal edition. “It takes on the assumption in the wide philosophical canon that the most morally important part of being a good human being is to be a subject, and the will to objecthood is either perverted or just fundamentally not part of the human experience.”

Vonnegut said he wrote the paper after reading a host of philosophers, including Hannah Arendt, Friedrich Nietzsche, Simone de Beauvoir, Georg Hegel, Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud and Søren Kierkegaard. 

The paper isn’t really about BDSM or fascism, he said, but he uses those as tools to explain his thoughts. “I started noticing that a lot of philosophical theories really do focus on power and control, on humans who want power or have power,” he said, but he knew from research and his own personal experiences that sometimes people like to be told what to do. 

“It seems to me that at some point in life, everyone has wished to be smaller, less important — to disappear, even,” Vonnegut writes. “Everyone has made a mistake and wished for freedom from the consequences their autonomy elicited. Everyone has wished someone had stopped them from making that choice.”

His conclusion: “The characteristics of BDSM make it a space to express the will to object-hood while ultimately validating subject-hood, whereas the characteristics of fascism make it alluring to the will to object-hood, but ultimately self-sabotaging and ungratifying, analogous to an addiction.”

Along with Vonnegut’s arguments, Logos editors were also taken by the style of his writing.

“It was very tame and academic, but it was well written, it engaged with Beauvoir, it was entertaining and risqué enough to draw people in,” Gottfried said.

Vonnegut likes to engage with readers in a personal way, he said, and he likes to have fun, as evidenced by lines like these from the paper:

• “Look, look—just hear me out on this one. Okay, I know that it’s actually strong community ties and support [that are the cures to fascism]; but BDSM can at least help.”
• “When I speak about my theories and it seems as though I am saying, ‘The world is this way,’ please understand me as saying what I truly mean to, which is, ‘It helps me understand the world if I think of it as being this way’ … If this approach means my perspective only resonates with a few people, so be it. If it only resonates with me, well… won’t I feel special.”
• “Yes, it is finally time to talk about BDSM. My apologies to those of you who have been waiting patiently for the exciting bit.”

With much philosophical writing, Vonnegut said “it’s always a wrestling match trying to understand what’s being said.” He didn’t want this paper to be another example of that.

“If this paper is to have a point, let it be this: pay attention to yourself,” he writes. “We cannot just be one thing or another, we must always be a jumbled mess of subject and object. So be it! Just be careful, because the drive behind those pushes outward and inward is strong, and it can take you anywhere.”

Vonnegut said he didn’t really know his grandfather, who passed away in 2007 when he was 4 years old, but he’s read some of his work and heard stories from his father, Mark, who is Vonnegut’s son and has published three memoirs of his own.

“There’s tons of philosophical examination in his work,” he said of his grandfather, who studied at Cornell from 1940-43, but was drafted into World War II and never finished his degree. 

Vonnegut was honored that his paper was selected for the top spot in Logos.

“Philosophy has always been deeply personal to me,” he said. “I’ve always been very confused by a lot of things and never satisfied by the answers. I wanted to know why things work the way they do and philosophy seemed the most tolerant way to go about doing that.”

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