12 Best Scholarship Thank you Letters [Sample Templates]

Once you are awarded a scholarship, most students believe that their part is over and there is nothing left to do. However, contrary to this belief, receiving the check should not be the final thing you do; a thank you letter can go a long way in reassuring the awarding committee that they made the right decision. Furthermore, it can be done as a courtesy gesture which there is always room for in any formal interaction.

The primary purpose of writing a scholarship thank you letter is to express gratitude to the individuals or organizations that gave out their money for the scholarship. This money could have otherwise been used elsewhere, but they chose to invest in you.

Remember that receiving a scholarship is proof that the grantor was swayed by your application from the multiple applications handed in. Since a scholarship is not refunded, it can be considered a gift. So it is only right to show your appreciation for the opportunity.

Additionally, it is an opportunity for the student to update the committee/ grantor on the difference impacted by the scholarship. This reassures them that the money was put into good use, which is the grantor’s intent.

A scholarship thank you letter leaves a long-term positive impression which can be instrumental in boosting your chances should you choose to apply for another scholarship in the future. Therefore, a well-crafted scholarship thank you letter is necessary as it is one way to set you apart and may open doors for future opportunities that the committee could be offering.

If you are wondering whether to handwrite or type your scholarship thank you a letter, well, both of these techniques are acceptable. However, handwritten scholarship thank you letters are recommended. Why is this the case? You may ask, handwritten letters feel more personal and show a certain level of commitment and genuineness. When handwriting, you can purchase a blank thank you card, and you can then write your thank-yous inside. Remember, the letter should exhibit a certain level of professionalism, so if at all your handwriting is not legible, it would be best to type the letter.

If typed, the letter should then be printed and hand-signed before being sent. Most students are tempted to send scholarship letters by email, but this is discouraged. Email-sent thank you letters seem dull and impersonal and more of an afterthought than an intended course of action. This may prompt the committee to perceive it as not genuine. However, an exemption is made if, throughout the process, you have been in contact with the grantor/committee via email. If this is the situation, ensure that the email is written professionally and timely- that would be immediately after receiving the scholarship.

The objective is to come up with a high-quality scholarship thank you letter. The time taken to write a scholarship thank you letter varies depending on the author’s skills, but normally it takes just a few minutes to craft one. Understand it does not have to be too long to serve its purpose effectively.

The letter’s body can be categorized into the following paragraphs:

1st paragraph

The first paragraph after salutation should state the purpose of writing the letter- which is to thank the awarding committee, grantor, or donor organization for their charitable contribution. Within this paragraph, you should identify yourself, which scholarship you were a recipient of, and the educational institution you are attending or plan to attend. You can also include a statement of how things would have been for you had you not received the scholarship.

For Example:

I write this letter as a gesture of my appreciation for awarding me the Beyond Borders Scholarship for the year 2020. I will use the money to cover part of my tuition fees and my school residency fees for an entire semester.

2nd paragraph

The following paragraph is used to give general information about your academics, such as your year of study, graduation date, grade point average (GPA), and extracurricular quests such as sports, arts, clubs, etc. Within this section of the scholarship thank you letter, you can briefly focus on how you wish to spend the money.

For Example:

I am a third-year student at Hawkins University majoring in. I have averaged a GPA of 3.6 over the three years and continue to work even harder. I am to graduate come 2021 in July. Additionally, I am a committed member of the school’s swimming team.

3rd paragraph

In the next paragraph, you can provide more personalized information about yourself, for example, academic pursuits, internships, volunteer experience, research projects you have been involved in, future career plans, and interests.  

For Example:

Last year I was an intern at Capitol Holdings in the finance department, which raised my interest in accounting. As a result, I intend to further my studies and do a Master’s degree in macroeconomics as a step towards my career as an economist.

4th paragraph

The fourth and final section is used to close the scholarship thank you letter. You can close off by restating your gratitude towards the committee or donor for their assistance.  You can also point out that without their intervention, you would not be having the opportunity at your disposal at the moment. Once this is brought forth, you can sign off like with other formal letters and include your name and signature as the last items.

For Example:

Again, I would like to say I’m thankful for believing in me and giving me an opportunity to develop my career and improve myself. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Ashley Miles

Following are professionally written samples for you:

College Scholarship Thank You Letter Sample

College being expensive, most students use scholarships to pay for expenses rather than accumulating huge amounts of student debt. If a scholarship was your option, a scholarship saves you from financial constraints, and it is only fair that you thank the person or people who gave you the scholarship.

A scholarship thank you letter for college should include;

• Your year of study, the name of the institution, and your educational track.
• Detailed information about the academic pursuits you plan on and any extracurricular activities you are involved in, such as sports.
• Your proposed graduation date and the career you wish to pursue after graduation.
• A description of how your chosen career path allows you to make a positive contribution to a specified community or society at large.

High School Scholarship Thank You Letter Sample

High school scholarships mean that you will get an opportunity to attend a private institution. Private institutions are known to offer illustrious academic and extracurricular programs which have a positive impact when applying for college and further down in your career.

With this in mind, a high school scholarship thank you letter should include;

• Academic and extracurricular achievements you have attained during your time in high school.
• A detailed plan of intended pursuits after graduation, such as the course you wish to study, in which college, and the career you have in mind as your interest.
• A description of how your high school experience has played a role in your development and prepared you for the future that be.

Thank-You Letter to Scholarship Donor Sample

Expressing your gratitude for receiving a scholarship from a donor allows the donor to have a first-hand understanding of the impact their donation has made. Seeing their contribution is being valued motivates them to continue offering their support. Remember, most donors specify requirements for awarding scholarships, but they may not be involved in selecting individual recipients. Therefore, such a scholarship thank you letter can be used as a follow-up reference.

It is advisable to include the following;

• Your name and that of the scholarship you received and are thankful for.
• Details about your academics such as the name of institution/college/university, category of degree (diploma, undergraduate, Master’s or Ph.D.), name of the degree program, and your specialization or minor.
• Personal information about extracurricular activities, volunteer experience, leadership positions you hold or have held within the institution, and clubs you are actively involved in.

The easiest and fastest way of excelling at writing a scholarship thank you letter is is by referring to templates. Templates give you a general overview of what is required in the letter in terms of structure and components. Being aware of the need for our readers to come up with outstanding scholarship thank you letters, we have provided scholarship thank you letter templates for download.

There is no one-size-fits-all for scholarship thank you letters, but there are various aspects that cut across the different scenarios possible.

To improve the quality of your scholarship thank you letter, here are a few tips you should keep at the back of your mind:

• The letter should at least be sent within a week of accepting a scholarship offer.
• Be it handwritten or typed, the scholarship thank you letter should not exceed one page in length.
• The letter should include the organization’s name and address and should include a formal salutation like ‘Dear Whom it may concern.’
• The letter should be free of spelling and grammatical errors.
• The letter should be in a friendly tone and a bit formality to portray its professionalism. It should not be as formal as a scholarship essay.
• For a handwritten letter, use stationary that does not leave stains or use a card to ensure the scholarship thank you letter remains clean and presentable.
• For electronic notes, ensure that you save the letter either as a Word Document (.docx) or alternatively as Adobe Acrobat format (.pdf).
• Always proofread your work, and in addition to that, you can have someone else, such as a lecturer, review it and give their opinion.
• Where you have received scholarships from multiple grantors, you should personalize each scholarhsip thank you letter before sending it.
• Enclose your letter in an envelope if it is being mailed. If it is hand-delivered, label the envelope as [Name of Scholarship] Thank You Letter.
• Always confirm where scholarship thank you letters should be dropped off or mailed to. Dropping off should be done at regular office hours or put in the recommended drop-box.

A scholarship thank you letter other than being a gesture of appreciation can go a long way in motivating donors to continue making donations. It does not have to belong; one page is usually enough to effectively communicate what you intend. You should identify yourself first before proceeding to thank the grantor. Additional information like personal interests can be given in a scholarship thank you letter. Scholarship thank you letters can be handwritten or typed, handwritten being the most recommended as they feel more personal. You should use a friendly tone but do not forget that it is still a formal document and should be handled as such.