How to write a scholarship thank you letter

Congratulations on your scholarship! The elation, pride and relief you must be feeling should be savored and celebrated. But not so fast getting that party started. First, let’s deal with the sense of gratitude that may not have sunk in yet. We’re talking about the scholarship thank-you letter that belongs next on your school preparation checklist.

Yes, we know you have many more preoccupations right now, including the need to enjoy a bit of downtime while it lasts. But when it comes to writing your thank-you letter for a scholarship, the sooner the better — both you and your benefactor will be that much gladder it happened promptly. 

Be assured, it won’t take much time or effort to accomplish this worthwhile task — maybe 15 or 20 minutes at the most. Resume.io is here to help, in the same way we provide job seekers with guidance on writing occupation specific cover letters, along with examples and templates. And when the time comes for you to prepare a job-winning resume that makes mention of your scholarship win, our advice then might come in handy too.

For now, we hope to make it as easy as possible for your scholarship thank-you letter to say everything the right way, for all the right reasons. 

What is a scholarship thank-you letter?

A college scholarship thank-you letter formally and directly conveys appreciation to the providers of financial assistance supporting your education. Whether their award decision was based on academic merit, financial need or personal qualities, your demonstration of worthiness set you apart from untold numbers of other applicants. 

Although some scholarship recipients may be required to write a thank-you letter, it is often a personal choice that has no bearing on your entitlement to keep the award. But having nothing to lose is hardly a good reason to procrastinate or skip your note of thanks altogether.

A well-written scholarship thank-you letter really can be as simple as we’ve tried to make it sound. Because a short letter will usually do just fine, the time you need to spend writing it is typically not long. 

Before taking you through the simple how-to-write steps, alongside a scholarship thank-you letter template and example, we’ll begin with the “why” aspect of thanking your scholarship donor.

Why a scholarship thank-you letter is important

1. Common courtesy
   Saying thanks for any gift is only natural and proper, as you no doubt learned at a young age. Whether it’s your mom or some other early role model who deserves thanks for that life lesson — obviously a great gift in itself — expressing appreciation will never go out of style. There’s a time and a place for spoken or written words of thanks, with scholarship awards being a classic letter-writing situation.
    
2. Gift that keeps on giving
   Scholarship donors may not expect anything in return, but a thank-you letter is the least they deserve. Even if altruism alone is sufficient motivation for them to keep supporting the higher education goals of students like yourself, that should never be taken for granted. Can you imagine staying in those perpetually generous shoes if no scholarship recipients ever bothered to say thanks?
   
   Consider how many scholarship sponsors may be paying forward a gift that made the same kind of difference in their own lives. Your scholarship thank-you letter reinforces the reasons why financial aid became available to you in the first place and could pave the way for future students to follow in your own footsteps.
    
3. Good practice
   There’s no better way to learn and practice career-defining communication skills than in a scholarship thank-you letter. This will ground you with professional writing basics that become easier to develop further down the road. We’re not only talking about how to write in a clear, concise, purposeful and polished manner, taking every precaution against typos and grammar mistakes, but also to adopt an enthusiastic and sincere tone for maximum personal impact.
    
4. Establish connections
   Aside from the above-noted writing practice, you stand to gain from the connections formed with people who might help you at some future life or career crossroads. However unlikely that may seem with your scholarship donors directly — especially if your plans are not clearly mapped out yet — don’t underestimate the value of learning how to recognize and embrace networking opportunities when you see them.

How to write a thank-you letter for your scholarship

Ready to start writing, but not sure where? It’s a straightforward process, as we promised, when you follow the outline below.

What your scholarship thank-you letter should include

Be sure to include all of these elements in your thank-you for a scholarship:

• Greeting to the scholarship donor
• Expression of gratitude for the scholarship
• Personal highlights about your situation and how the support will make a difference
• Indication of your future plans or goals (optional)
• Closing and sign-off (signature)

Example scholarship thank-you letters

The following examples illustrate what a scholarship thank-you letter might look like. Feel free to adapt the content when composing your own version.

Now let’s take a closer look at what your scholarship thank-you letter should contain, in order.

Greeting to the donor

Refer to your scholarship award letter, or even your previous application letter, to determine how to address your thank-you greeting. Keep it short and direct — ideally addressing a person by name or position, but otherwise simply the donor organization and/or committee. Something like “Dear Ms. Last Name,” “Dear [Foundation] Awards Committee Chair” or “Dear [Scholarship] Foundation” will be fine.

Expression of gratitude

Your expression of thanks for being selected as a scholarship recipient comes right off the top. Use the correct name of the foundation, committee and scholarship, and double-check to make sure it’s accurate.

Personal situation and how the scholarship will help you

There’s no need to elaborate here. Merely give the scholarship sponsor a sense of where things stand in your life and the scholarship’s positive impact on your education. 

Future plans and goals (optional) 

Again, there is no need for details here, or to mention the future at all if your plans and goals are unclear. But scholarship providers will always be gratified to know where their organization might fit with your aspirations. 

Closing and sign-off (signature)

Simply close with another note of thanks or appreciation for the scholarship donor’s overall good works. Then sign off with “Sincerely,”, “Kind regards,” “Best wishes,” or “Best,” above your name. Add your phone number and email address if you wish.

Finally, having grasped these basics for writing an effective scholarship thank-you letter, you may wish to start from scratch with a template like this: 

Key takeaways

• Thanking your scholarship donor is always the right thing to do, and the right time is immediately after being notified of the award.
• Expressing appreciation to scholarship donors reinforces the value of their generosity and helps pay it forward to future recipients.
• Writing a scholarship thank-you letter is a simple, straightforward task that takes little time or effort.
• Following the steps outlined in this guide makes it easy to compose each part of your letter, using the adaptable examples and template provided.

Again, congratulations and best wishes for success in the school year ahead!