How to write a good scholarship thank you letter – 8 Tips

This article focuses more on how to write a good Scholarship thank you letter

Thank You Letter

A personal letter which is sent to express gratitude or appreciation of a favor, gift, or act that is received. It includes acknowledgment and expression of thanks.

If you were awarded a college scholarship, you need to write an adequate thank-you letter. This guide will help ensure your thank-you letter is well-written and effective.

You can also read about how to prepare for scholarships interview

Steps in writing a good Scholarship thank you Letter

1. Introduction

Start the scholarship thank you letter with a short introduction that acknowledges the giver of the scholarship. Include a brief statement about how much you appreciate the scholarship money and what it will mean to you and your family. Be positive and thankful; avoid any negativity or problems this person may have caused while processing your scholarship application (e.g., unreturned phone calls or emails).

2. Body

State the reason you are writing the letter. Explain to whom you are writing, if you are not certain. Describe how much this scholarship means to you and your family. Mention any benefits you and/or your family will receive as a result of this scholarship (e.g., educational expenses that were funded by the scholarship). Tell why you want to pursue a degree program.

Describe what inspired or motivated you to apply for this scholarship. Tell why you are qualified for the scholarship (e.g., academic accomplishments, community service, work experience). If your motivation for pursuing higher education was related to a family member’s role as a donor or any other personal experience, explain the circumstances that led you to apply for this scholarship and how it has affected your life. Thank the giver of the scholarship again for his/her generosity and mention how this award will impact your future.

3. Close

End the letter by thanking the person for his/her generosity and expressing your ongoing appreciation. If you are using a U.S. address, include your home phone number and/or your parents’ phone number so they can contact you if there is any further assistance you may need (e.g., professional help, information on filling out financial aid forms, etc.).

4. Enclosed: Document(s) or Forms

If you are using a U.S. address, include a copy of your completed scholarship application (it’s better to include more than one copy of your application in case you lose any or want to send a copy to someone else). If the timing is right, include any documentation for the scholarship: letters of recommendation, your resume(s), copies of test scores and/or financial aid forms, etc. If you submitted financial aid forms, please include copies with this letter as well.

5. Enclosed: Name and Address of Recipient

If you are using a U.S. address, include the name and address of the person who awarded your scholarship so they can contact you if they have any further assistance that may be needed (e.g., information on filling out financial aid forms, etc.).

6. Sign and Date

Sign and date the letter so it is valid for tax deductions.

7. Postmarks

If you mail the scholarship thank you letter via regular mail, include postmark date and time on the envelope so your scholarship recipient knows when to expect it (e.g., “Sep 8, 2013 | 11:05 a.m.”). If you had to pay for overnight or priority mail to get your letter to its destination, state that on the envelope as well (e.g., “Paid USPS Overnight Express for $20.00”). When completing the U.S. address, include your own name and address so the scholarship giver can contact you for more information.

8. Thank-you Notes

The thank-you notes is sent or written by anyone (e.g., a mother, father, sister, aunt etc.). Just make sure you write it in your own voice (using correct grammar and spelling) and that you use your own address instead of the recipient’s address. If you are sending the letter using a U.S. address, include your own name and address so the scholarship giver can contact you for more information.

Should Scholarship thank you notes be handwritten?

This is a question that has been asked of me many times. I’ll tell you what my answer is…

“Should Scholarship thank you notes be handwritten?”. The question may seem silly, but the answer is one that we have to ask ourselves every year or so when we preparing for college scholarships. This particular question will depend on the severity of your handwriting and how much time you want to spend writing personalized social media messages with each student scholarship letter.

You may want to consider personalizing these letters with your own handwriting. Or you may want to use standardized thank you notes that you can print off the Internet and mail the student scholarship recipients directly.

What are the Benefits of Handwriting Thank You Notes?

“The content of your Scholarship thank you notes will vastly differ from student scholarship to student scholarship.” – Len Stevenson

There are a lot of students who prefer handwritten over printed notes, from personal reasons to tradition. Handwriting letters will always be a great way to express the sincerity of your thanks and gratitude, especially when you are doing it with your own handwriting.

It also gives the student scholarship recipient time to think about what you have just said in their letter. Because they will not be reading it on social media or any other device, they can easily remember what was written inside the thank you note as if they read it for the first time.

Handwritten letters has become the tradition of how thank you notes are written for most of us. They show sincerity, gratitude, appreciation and respect.

What if My Handwriting is not Good Enough?

“I am in the other camp. As a college professor with three PhDs, I understand that handwriting is rapidly dying out. Although I am a traditionalist, if you can type thank you letters, do so.” – Don Jensen

I know a lot of people who are not very good at writing by hand, so they just type their letters. This is okay as long as your handwriting isn’t too bad and you’re not the only person that can read it.

You can get your friend to proofread your letter to see if it looks correct before sending it to the student scholarship recipient.

“The content of your Scholarship thank you notes will vastly differ from student scholarship to student scholarship.” – Len Stevenson

I prefer to use letters that do not have handwriting. It will ensure that your letter is written correctly and can also be used for all types of thank you letters. You’ll also save yourself a lot of time by using printed thank you notes as your template.

How to Take Advantage of Handwritten Notes

1) Personalize Your Thank You Notes with Your Own Handwriting

If you are the type of person that likes to use handwritten notes, you have to make sure that your handwriting is something the recipient can read. It may be better than using printed notes if you can write legibly and perfectly. The best way to practice your handwriting is by writing letters every day. Don’t just write letters for social media—keep a notebook and write letters to family members.

2) Use Printed Notes as a Template

I don’t like handwriting notes because I find them difficult to read. However, if you are someone that can’t write your own letters, you can use printed thank you cards as a template. Just print off the format of the letter and use it as the guideline for your thank you note.

The only thing you need to write is the name of the student scholarship recipient and then sign your name. After that, you just have to fill in the rest of the note with your own words.

3) Create a Customized Thank You Note

If all the other methods fail to work, then it’s time you started personalizing your thank you notes. Utilize your imagination and do something creative with these letters.